Abstract

Purpose Drawing from self-determination theory, this study aims to examine the effect of leader humor on frontline hospitality employees' service performance and proactive customer service performance (PCSP) via harmonious passion (HP) for work with employee neuroticism as the moderating mechanism. Design/methodology/approach This study controlled for the nested effect and tested all the hypotheses with Mplus 7.0 using a time-lagged three-wave survey of 232 Chinese supervisor-subordinate dyads. Findings The results indicated that leader humor promotes frontline hospitality employees' service performance and PCSP by enhancing their HP. Furthermore, neuroticism was shown to strengthen the direct impact of leader humor on employee HP and its indirect impact on employee service performance and employee PCSP through HP. Originality/value First, this research contributes to the leader humor literature through exploring its impact on the service performance and PCSP of frontline hospitality employees. Second, this research develops a new framework to explain the leader humor-employee service outcomes relationship using self-determination theory. Finally, the focus on the moderating role of neuroticism helps to explain the "when" question of leader humor.

Keyword

Leader humor ;  Service performance ;  Neuroticism ;  Harmonious passion ;  Proactive customer service performance

Abstract

Despite the burgeoning interest in work-family conflict, little is known about how family stressors influences employees’ attitudes and behaviors in the workplace. This study focused on family ostracism and investigated its impact on employees’ proactive customer service performance (PCSP). Drawing on conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study further examined the mediating role of emotional exhaustion and the moderating role of family centrality. Using time-lagged data from 264 supervisor-follower dyads of two hotels in the mainland of China, this study found that family ostracism negatively affected employees’ PCSP by eliciting emotional exhaustion. In addition, the findings indicated that family centrality strengthened the direct effect of family ostracism on emotional exhaustion and the indirect effect of family ostracism on PCSP via emotional exhaustion such that the relationships were stronger when family centrality was high. Finally, this study discussed the theoretical implications of these results and provided practical several implications for organizations.

Keyword

Emotional exhaustion ;  Family centrality ;  Family ostracism ;  Proactive customer service performance