Journal of Business Management Perspective

Journal of Business Management Perspective

The effect of interactive behaviors of frontline employees on the perceived value of services and customer loyalty: the mediating role of cooperative behaviors and customer citizenship (case study of Tabriz hospitals)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Hamed Ebadinia 1
Bagher Asgarnezhad Nouri 2
Maryam Mola Ghalghachi 3
1 Master of MBA, Department of Business Management, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran.
2 Associate Professor, Department of Business Management, Faculty of Economics and Management, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.
3 Master of Business Management, Department of Business Management, Faculty of Economics and Management, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.
10.48308/jbmp.2023.103820
Abstract
The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of interactive behaviors of frontline employees on the perceived value of services and customer loyalty with the mediating role of cooperative behaviors and customer citizenship in Tabriz hospitals. The present study is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-survey in terms of nature and method. The statistical population of the research is the patients of hospitals (private and public) in Tabriz city, and due to the unlimited statistical population, the sample size of 384 people was selected using Cochran's formula. The results of the research show that the interactive behaviors of frontline employees have a positive and significant effect on the perceived value of services, cooperative behaviors and customer citizenship. On the other hand, cooperative behaviors and customer citizenship have a positive and significant effect on the perceived value of services. Likewise, the perceived value of services has a positive and significant effect on customer loyalty. Finally, cooperative behaviors and customer citizenship also play a positive mediating role in the relationship between the interactive behaviors of frontline employees and the perceived value of services. Thus, the general result of the research is that the presence of interactive behaviors of frontline employees and co-creation of value (participatory behaviors and citizenship of customers) can improve the perceived value of the services of medical centers and, as a result, increase the loyalty of customers towards these centers.
Keywords
interactive behavior of frontline employees
perceived service value
customer loyalty
customer cooperative behavior
customer citizenship behavior
Subjects
  1. Abdullah, M., Ali, N., Shah, S. A. H., Javid, M. A., & Campisi, T. (2021). Service quality assessment of app-based demand-responsive public transit services in Lahore, Pakistan. Applied Sciences, 11(4), 1911.https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041911 .
  2. Ahmad, Z., Abbasi, M. N., Hassan, N. M., & Sarwat, N. (2021). Impact of CSR on Customer Value Co-Creation Behavior: The Investigation of Moderation Mechanisms. Journal of Accounting and Finance in Emerging Economies, 7(2), 377-391. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26710/jafee.v7i2.1715 .
  3. Al Amin, Z., & Dhewi, T. S. (2021, November). How Green Perceived Value and Green Perceived Risk Influence Customer Loyalty Through Customer Satisfaction. In BISTIC Business Innovation Sustainability and Technology International Conference (BISTIC 2021) (pp. 285-290). Atlantis Press.DOI: 10.2991/aebmr.k.211115.042 .
  4. Alhouz, F., & Hasouneh, A. (2020). The impact of corporate social responsibility on customer citizenship behavior: The mediating role of customer-company identification and moderating role of generation. J. Sustain. Mark, 1, 10-21.https://doi.org/10.51300/josm-2020-13 .
  5. Amin, M., Ghazali, Z., & Hassan, R. (2020). A conceptual model: Frontline employee behavioral engagement in value co-creation. Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews, 8(2), 474-481. https://doi.org/10.18510/hssr.2020.8254 .
  6. Amperwati, E. D., Astuti, W., & Triatmanto, B. (2020). The role of service performance mediating the effect of management commitmenet to service quality structure on reputation of hospitality industry companies in West Java. Management Science Letters, 10(12), 2870-2874.DOI:10.5267/j.msl.2020.4.021.
  7. Assiouras, I., Skourtis, G., Giannopoulos, A., Buhalis, D., & Koniordos, M. (2019). Value co-creation and customer citizenship behavior. Annals of Tourism Research, 78, 102742. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2019.102742 .
  8. Azza, T. B., & Norchene, B. D. (2017). Social and physical aspects of the service encounter: Effects on trust and customer loyalty to the service provider. Advances in Economics and Business, 5(1), 1-10.
  9. Balaji, M. S., Jiang, Y., Singh, G., & Jha, S. (2020). Letting go or getting back: How organization culture shapes frontline employee response to customer incivility. Journal of Business Research, 111, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.02.007 .
  10. Bani-Melhem, S., Al-Hawari, M. A., & Quratulain, S. (2022). Leader-member exchange and frontline employees' innovative behaviors: the roles of employee happiness and service climate. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 71(2), 540-557. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-03-2020-0092 .
  11. Belanche, D., Casaló, L. V., & Flavián, C. (2021). Frontline robots in tourism and hospitality: service enhancement or cost reduction?. Electronic Markets, 31(3), 477-492. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-11-2020-0406.
  12. Boninsegni, M. F., Furrer, O., & Mattila, A. S. (2020). Dimensionality of frontline employee friendliness in service encounters. Journal of Service Management, 32(3), 346-382. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-07-2019-0214 .
  13. Castro-Casal, C., Vila-Vázquez, G., & Pardo-Gayoso, Á. (2019). Sustaining affective commitment and extra-role service among hospitality employees: Interactive effect of empowerment and service training. Sustainability, 11(15), 4092. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11154092 .
  14. Chan, K. W., Gong, T., Zhang, R., & Zhou, M. (2017). Do employee citizenship behaviors lead to customer citizenship behaviors? The roles of dual identification and service climate. Journal of Service Research, 20(3), 259-274. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670517706159.
  15. Choraria, S. (2015). Managing Emotional Connect between Front-Line Employee and Customers. PACIFIC BUSINESS REVIEW INTERNATIONAL, 8(5), 20-30.
  16. Cossío-Silva, F. J., Revilla-Camacho, M. Á., Vega-Vázquez, M., & Palacios[1]Florencio, B. (2016). Value co-creation and customer loyalty. Journal of business research, 69(5), 1621-1625. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.10.028.
  17. De Nicola, M., Arrigo, E., & Anees, U. (2023). The strategic effect of corporate reputation on customer citizenship behavior: an empirical verification. Review of Managerial Science, 1-28.
  18. Delcourt, C., Gremler, D. D., De Zanet, F., & van Riel, A. C. (2017). An analysis of the interaction effect between employee technical and emotional competencies in emotionally charged service encounters. Journal of Service Management. DOI:10.1108/JOSM-12-2015-0407 .
  19. Engel, J., Tran, C., Pavlek, N., Blankenberg, N., & Meyer, A. (2013). The impact of friendliness on brand perception. Marketing Review St. Gallen, 30, 82-95.
  20. France, C., Grace, D., Lo Iacono, J., & Carlini, J. (2020). Exploring the interplay between customer perceived brand value and customer brand co-creation behaviour dimensions. Journal of brand Management, 27, 466-480 .
  21. Garba, O. A., Babalola, M. T., & Guo, L. (2018). A social exchange perspective on why and when ethical leadership foster customer-oriented citizenship behavior. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 70, 1-8.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2017.10.018.
  22. Ghlichlee, B., & Bayat, F. (2021). Frontline employees’ engagement and business performance: the mediating role of customer-oriented behaviors. Management Research Review, 44(2), 290-317. https://doi.org/10.1108/MRR-11-2019-0482.
  23. Goić, M., Levenier, C., & Montoya, R. (2021). Drivers of customer satisfaction in the grocery retail industry: A longitudinal analysis across store formats. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 60, 102505. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102505 .
  24. Grönroos, C., & Voima, P. (2013). Critical service logic: making sense of value creation and co-creation. Journal of the academy of marketing science, 41, 133-150.
  25. Guerra-Tamez, C. R., & Franco-García, M. L. (2022). Influence of flow experience, perceived value and CSR in craft beer consumer loyalty: a comparison between Mexico and the Netherlands. Sustainability, 14(13), 8202. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14138202 .
  26. Guzel, M., Sezen, B., & Alniacik, U. (2021). Drivers and consequences of customer participation into value co-creation: a field experiment. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 30(7), 1047-1061. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-04-2020-2847 .
  27. Hau, L. N., Tram Anh, P. N., & Thuy, P. N. (2017). The effects of interaction behaviors of service frontliners on customer participation in the value co[1]creation: a study of health care service. Service Business, 11, 253-277.
  28. Huang, C. H., & Lin, Y. C. (2020). Relationships among employee acting, customer-perceived service quality, emotional well-being and value co[1]creation: an investigation of the financial services industry. Asia pacific journal of marketing and logistic, 33(1), 29–52 . https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-04-2019-0245.
  29. Hur, W. M., Moon, T. W., & Jung, Y. S. (2015). Customer response to employee emotional labor: the structural relationship between emotional labor, job satisfaction, and customer satisfaction. Journal of Services Marketing. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-07-2013-0161 .
  30. Ida, E. (2017). The role of customers’ involvement in value co-creation behaviour is value co-creation the source of competitive advantage?. Journal of Competitiveness, 9(3), 51-66.
  31. Iglesias, O., Markovic, S., Bagherzadeh, M., & Singh, J. J. (2020). Co-creation: A key link between corporate social responsibility, customer trust, and customer loyalty. Journal of business ethics, 163, 151-166.
  32. Javaid, A., & Javaid, U. (2020). THE IMPACT OF HIGH PERFORMANCE WORK PRACTICES ON VALUE CO-CREATION: A MEDIATING ROLE OF WORK ENGAGEMENT IN AUTO MOBILE SECTOR OF PAKISTAN. Journal of Economics, 1(2), 15-31.
  33. Jiang, Y., Ramkissoon, H., & Mavondo, F. (2016). Destination marketing and visitor experiences: The development of a conceptual framework. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 25(6), 653-675. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2016.1087358 .
  34. Juliana, J., Pramono, R., Sartjie, I., Roon, J., Orlina, M., & Daicy, V. (2022). Determining Experience Quality on Customers' Perceived Value, Satisfaction and Loyalty. Fokus Bisnis Media Pengkajian Manajemen dan Akuntansi, 21(2), 132-146. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32639/fokbis.v21i2.52.
  35. Kang, H. J. A., Kim, W. G., Choi, H. M., & Li, Y. (2020). How to fuel employees’ prosocial behavior in the hotel service encounter. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 84, 102333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2019.102333 .
  36. Kasemsap, K. (2017). Mastering customer service, customer experience, and customer orientation in the hospitality and tourism industry. In Handbook of research on holistic optimization techniques in the hospitality, tourism, and travel industry (pp. 115-140). IGI Global.
  37. Kashif, M., Ahmad, M. H., & Khan, M. W. A. (2022). AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF EMOTIONAL LABOR ON CUSTOMER LOYALTY INTENTIONS WITH MEDIATING ROLE OF PERCEIVED SERVICE QUALITY IN BANKING SECTOR. International Journal of Industrial Management,13(1), 479-490. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15282/ijim.13.1.2022.7037.
  38. Khasbulloh, A. H. K., & Suparna, G. (2022). Effect of Perceived Risk and Perceived Value on Customer Loyalty through Customer Satisfaction as Intervening Variables on Bukalapak Users. European Journal of Business and Management Research, 7(4), 22-28. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24018/ejbmr.2022.7.4.1472 . .
  39. Korschun, D., Bhattacharya, C. B., & Swain, S. D. (2014). Corporate social responsibility, customer orientation, and the job performance of frontline employees. Journal of marketing, 78(3), 20-37. https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.11.0245 .
  40. Lemy, D., Goh, E., & Ferry, J. (2019). Moving out of the silo: How service quality innovations can develop customer loyalty in Indonesia’s hotels. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 25(4), 462-479.https://doi.org/10.1177/1356766718819658
  41. Li, J. (2021). Impact of tourists’ perceived value on brand loyalty: A case study of Xixi National Wetland Park. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 26(3), 262-276. https://doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2020.1862882 .
  42. Liu, M. T., Yan, L., Phau, I., Perez, A., & Teah, M. (2016). Integrating Chinese cultural philosophies on the effects of employee friendliness, helpfulness and respectfulness on customer satisfaction. European Journal of Marketing, 50(3/4), 464-487. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-01-2015-0025.
  43. Lucia-Palacios, L., Perez-Lopez, R., & Polo-Redondo, Y. (2020). How situational circumstances modify the effects of frontline employees’ competences on customer satisfaction with the store. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 52, 101905. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.101905 .
  44. Maria Stock, R., Jong, A. D., & Zacharias, N. A. (2017). Frontline employees' innovative service behavior as key to customer loyalty: Insights into FLEs' resource gain spiral. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 34(2), 223-245. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpim.12338 .
  45. Mitrega, M., Klézl, V., & Spáčil, V. (2022). Systematic review on customer citizenship behavior: Clarifying the domain and future research agenda. Journal of Business Research, 140, 25-39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.11.029 .
  46. Nejat S., Kotharanshan M., & Mirzadeh A. (2008). The effect of organizational citizenship behavior on service quality (case study: Tehran travel agencies). Business reviews, 7(35), 72-84. [In Persian].
  47. Nguyen, N. X., Tran, K., & Nguyen, T. A. (2021). Impact of service quality on in[1]patients’ satisfaction, perceived value, and customer loyalty: A mixed[1]methods study from a developing country. Patient preference and adherence, 2523-2538.
  48. Omar, N. A., Kassim, A. S., Nazri, M. A., & Sidek, F. (2018). The Impact of Customer Value Co-Creation and Relationship Quality on Relationship Equity: Personality Traits as a Moderator. Jurnal Pengurusan, (54).
  49. Omar, N. A., Kassim, A. S., Shah, N. U., Shah Alam, S., & Che Wel, C. A. (2020). The influence of customer value co-creation behavior on SME brand equity: An empirical analysis. Iranian Journal of Management Studies, 13(2), 165-196. DOI: 10.22059/ijms.2019.280005.673611 .
  50. Parr, J. N., & Kim, H. Y. (2020, December). Identifying Key Factors Affecting Customer Loyalty in a Local Retailing Context. In International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings (Vol. 77, No. 1). Iowa State University Digital Press.
  51. Prebensen, N. K., & Xie, J. (2017). Efficacy of co-creation and mastering on perceived value and satisfaction in experiential consumption. Tourism Management, 49, 45-57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2016.12.001.
  52. Raza, A., Saeed, A., Iqbal, M. K., Saeed, U., Sadiq, I., & Faraz, N. A. (2020). Linking corporate social responsibility to customer loyalty through co[1]creation and customer company identification: Exploring sequential mediation mechanism. Sustainability, 12(6), 2525. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12062525 .
  53. Ru, D., Bin Jantan, A.H. (2023). The Intervening Role of Customer Loyalty and Self-Efficacy on the Relationship Between of Customer Satisfaction, Customer Trust, Customer Commitment, Customer Value and Customer Citizenship Behavior in Hospitality Industry in Guangdong, China. Journal of International Business and Management,6(1), 01-12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.37227/JIBM-2022-12-5621.
  54. Samarakoon, S. M. A. K., Dahanayake, P., & Karunarathne, A. (2021). Service Quality and Customer Loyalty in the Telecommunication Industry in Sri Lanka: The Mediating Role of Perceived Value.
  55. Sambo, E., Danladi, A. A., & Danjuma, A. (2021). MANAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF SERVICE QUALITY AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IN LISTED DEPOSIT MONEY BANKS IN NIGERIA. Nigerian Journal of Accounting and Finance, 13(1), 2021.
  56. Schmidt, M., Maier, J. T., & Härtel, C. (2019). Data based root cause analysis for improving logistic key performance indicators of a company’s internal supply chain. Procedia CIRP, 86, 276-281. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2020.01.023 .
  57. Seiders, K., Flynn, A. G., Berry, L. L., & Haws, K. L. (2015). Motivating customers to adhere to expert advice in professional services: a medical service context. Journal of Service Research, 18(1), 39-58. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670514539567 .
  58. Shoeib, M., & Salavati, S. (2018). Relationship of Front Line Employees’ Emotional Intelligence to Co-Creation, Satisfaction, and Customer Loyalty in Banking Industry. European Journal of Sustainable Development, 7(3), 460-460 . DOI: https://doi.org/10.14207/ejsd.2018.v7n3p460 .
  59. Solakis, K., Pena-Vinces, J., & Lopez-Bonilla, J. M. (2022). Value co-creation and perceived value: A customer perspective in the hospitality context. European Research on Management and Business Economics, 28(1), 100175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iedeen.2021.100175 .
  60. Storbacka, K., Brodie, R. J., Böhmann, T., Maglio, P. P., & Nenonen, S. (2016). Actor engagement as a microfoundation for value co-creation. Journal of business research, 69(8), 3008-3017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.02.034.
  61. Subramony, M., Groth, M., Hu, X. J., & Wu, Y. (2021). Four decades of frontline service employee research: an integrative bibliometric review. Journal of Service Research, 24(2), 230-248. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670521999721 .
  62. Suttikun, C., & Meeprom, S. (2021). Examining the effect of perceived quality of authentic souvenir product, perceived value, and satisfaction on customer loyalty. Cogent Business & Management, 8(1), 1976468. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2021.1976468.
  63. Taghiganji, S., Saeednia, H. R., Alipour Darvishi, Z., & Vahabzadeh, S. (2023). Using structural equation modeling in investigating the effect of the perception of innovation and customer involvement on the customers' perceived value and behavioral tendencies through creation of shared value in the tire industry. International Journal of Nonlinear Analysis and Applications. DOI:10.22075/ijnaa.2023.29325.4124.
  64. Wang, M. L., & Chang, S. C. (2016). The impact of job involvement on emotional labor to customer-oriented behavior: an empirical study of hospital nurses. Journal of Nursing Research, 24(2), 153-162.
  65. Wang, M. W. C., Tan, C. L., & Wahid, N. A. (2020). Supplier management practice and service quality: Critical review on mediating role of outsourcing service provider capabilities. International Journal of Industrial Management, 7, 9-15. DOI:10.15282/ijim.7.0.2020.5750 .
  66. Xu, J. (2022). Service Trust and Customer Loyalty in China’s Hotel Services: The Causal Role of Commitment. Sustainability, 14(13), 8213. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14138213 .
  67. Yi, Y., & Gong, T. (2013). Customer value co-creation behavior: Scale development and validation. Journal of Business research, 66(9), 1279-1284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2012.02.026 .
  68. Yoo, J., & Jung, Y. (2019). Interactive effects of organizational goal orientations on bank-employee’s behavior. International Journal of Bank Marketing. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJBM-08-2017-0177 .
  69. Zameer, H., Wang, Y., Yasmeen, H., Mofrad, A. A., & Waheed, A. (2018). Corporate image and customer satisfaction by virtue of employee engagement. Human Systems Management, 37(2), 233-248.
  70. Zang, Z., Liu, D., Zheng, Y., & Chen, C. (2020). How do the combinations of sales control systems influence sales performance? The mediating roles of distinct customer-oriented behaviors. Industrial Marketing Management, 84, 287-297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2019.07.015 .
  71. Zhang, J., Jiang, Y., Shabbir, R., & Du, M. (2015). Building industrial brand equity by leveraging firm capabilities and co-creating value with customers. Industrial marketing management, 51, 47-58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2015.05.016.
  72. Zhao, Y., Yan, L., & Keh, H. T. (2018). The effects of employee behaviours on customer participation in the service encounter: The mediating role of customer emotions. European Journal of Marketing, 52(5/6), 1203-1222. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-10-2016-0559