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Understanding frontline employees' fuzzy request behavior based on image theory.
Xiaodong Li1, Jingwen Duan1, Qi Li2
1School of Economics and Management, Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu, China.
Frontline employees
Area of Science:
- Service Management
- Organizational Behavior
Background:
- Frontline employees (FLEs) frequently make "fuzzy requests" outside standard procedures.
- The emergence and underlying dynamics of FLEs' fuzzy request behavior lack empirical explanation.
- This study pioneers the application of image theory to understand FLEs' fuzzy requests.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the psychological mechanisms driving frontline employees' fuzzy request behavior.
- To examine the mediating role of value and trajectory images in this behavior.
- To explore the moderating effects of habit and service rule commitment.
Main Methods:
- Survey data collected from 324 frontline employees in the restaurant industry.
- Statistical analysis to test hypotheses regarding factors influencing fuzzy request behavior.
- Image theory framework applied to analyze employee perceptions and behaviors.
Main Results:
- Normative legitimacy, role confidence, expected responsiveness, and technical quality positively impact fuzzy requests.
- Service rule commitment negatively impacts fuzzy requests.
- Value image and trajectory image mediate the relationship between antecedents and fuzzy request behavior.
- Habit and service rule commitment moderate specific relationships within the model.
Conclusions:
- This research elucidates the mechanism behind frontline employees' fuzzy request emergence.
- Findings offer critical managerial insights for effectively managing employee request behaviors.
- Image theory provides a robust framework for understanding complex frontline employee actions.
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