title: Employee customer orientation in context: how the environment moderates the influence of customer orientation on performance outcomes.
abstract: This empirical study evaluated the moderating effects of unit customer orientation (CO) climate and climate strength on the relationship between service workers' level of CO and their performance of customer-oriented behaviors (COBs). In addition, the study examined whether aggregate COB performance influences unit profitability. Building on multisource, multilevel data, the study's results suggest that the influence of employee CO on employee COB performance is positive when the unit's CO climate is relatively high and that the constructs are unrelated when unit CO climate is relatively low. In addition, the data reveal that unit COB performance influences unit profitability by enhancing revenues without a concomitant increase in costs. The study's results underscore the theoretical importance of considering cross-level influencers of employee-level relationships and suggest that managers should focus on creating a climate that is supportive of COBs if their units are to profit from the recruitment, hiring, and retention of customer-oriented employees.
authors.affiliation: New Mexico Military Institute, New Mexico, USA.
authors.forename: Jerry W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Grizzle
authors.forename: Alex R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Zablah
authors.forename: Tom J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Mowen
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D001290:Attitude; D003132:Commerce; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D017059:Models, Econometric; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D015279:Organizational Culture; D010559:Personnel Management / Q000191:economics*; D012147:Restaurants / Q000191:economics; D015206:Southwestern United States; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis