Toward a theory of spirals: the dynamic relationship between organizational pride and customer-oriented behavior

Tobias Kraemer (), Welf H. Weiger (), Matthias H. J. Gouthier () and Maik Hammerschmidt ()
Additional contact information
Tobias Kraemer: University of Koblenz-Landau
Welf H. Weiger: University of Goettingen
Matthias H. J. Gouthier: University of Koblenz-Landau

Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 2020, vol. 48, issue 6, No 3, 1095-1115

Abstract: Abstract While previous studies have demonstrated that organizational pride (OP) enhances frontline employees’ customer-oriented behavior (COB), they have neglected to address the dynamics of the relationship. This research helps close this gap by elaborating on a theory of spirals positing that the extent of COB depends not only on current levels of OP but also on the direction and rate of OP change. In addition, the authors challenge the prevalent view that OP affects COB unidirectionally, instead predicting reciprocal loops. Hence, they propose that increases in OP repeatedly amplify COB and trigger an upward spiral, whereas decreases trigger a downward spiral. The results of a six-wave panel study support these predictions. Furthermore, the authors identify lower and upper boundaries of the spiral: while a certain threshold of OP is required to create momentum, the effects of further increases in the same variables diminish at high levels of OP and COB.

Keywords: Organizational pride; Customer-oriented behavior; Theory of spirals; Frontline employees; Change effects; Service marketing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11747-019-00715-0 Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:joamsc:v:48:y:2020:i:6:d:10.1007_s11747-019-00715-0

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.springer ... gement/journal/11747

DOI: 10.1007/s11747-019-00715-0

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science is currently edited by John Hulland, Anne Hoekman and Mark Houston

More articles in Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().