From emotional labor to customer loyalty in hospitality: A three-level investigation with the JD-R model and COR theory

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was based on the job demands -resources model (Bakker et al., 2004) and conservation of resources theory (Hobfoll, 1989) by using three levels of variables, namely, company (i.e., perceived organizational support), department (i.e., abusive supervision), and employee (i.e., deep acting, surface acting, and self-efficacy) levels, to investigate its interactions with contextual influences on service quality and its linkage with customer loyalty.

Design/methodology/approach

A three-level hierarchical linear model was examined in research settings by using a dyadic data set of 1,082 service employees and customers in international tourist hotels.

Findings

Findings revealed that deep acting relates positively to service quality, surface acting relates negatively to service quality, and service quality relates positively to customer loyalty. For the three-level interactions, the positive relationship between deep acting and service quality was strengthened by perceived organizational support (POS) and self-efficacy but weakened by abusive supervision. By contrast, the negative relationship between surface acting and service quality was mitigated by POS and self-efficacy but exacerbated by abusive supervision.

Originality/value

Given the importance of emotional labor research in the hospitality industry, the current study contributes to the areas of service quality and customer loyalty and suggests future directions for hospitality research.

Citation

Wang, C.-J. (2019), "From emotional labor to customer loyalty in hospitality: A three-level investigation with the JD-R model and COR theory", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 31 No. 9, pp. 3742-3760. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-01-2019-0072