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How discretionary behaviors promote customer engagement: the role of psychosocial safety climate and psychological capital

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2020

Sahar Siami Open the ORCID record for Sahar Siami [Opens in a new window] ,
Angela Martin ,
Mohammadbagher Gorji Open the ORCID record for Mohammadbagher Gorji [Opens in a new window]  and
Martin Grimmer
Sahar Siami*
Affiliation:
Tasmanian School of Business and Economics, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia Department of Management, Aliabad Katoul Branch, Islamic Azad University, Aliabad Katoul, Iran
Angela Martin
Affiliation:
Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Mohammadbagher Gorji
Affiliation:
Tasmanian School of Business and Economics, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia Department of Management, Aliabad Katoul Branch, Islamic Azad University, Aliabad Katoul, Iran
Martin Grimmer
Affiliation:
Tasmanian School of Business and Economics, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
*
Author for correspondence: Sahar Siami, Email: siamisahar@gmail.com
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Abstract

The study examines the effect of psychosocial safety climate (PSC) and psychological capital (PsyCap) on customer engagement through discretionary service behaviors including adaptive and proactive service behaviors (ASB and PSB). A field study of 56 managers, 513 service employees, and 560 customers in 56 branches of insurance companies was carried out to test a theoretical model using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM7). The results demonstrated that PsyCap and PSC were both positively associated with ASB and PSB at the individual level. The results also showed that an interaction between PsyCap and PSC was related to ASB but not PSB. This suggested that PsyCap and PSC interact in a synergic manner to affect service employees' engagement in ASB, beyond their direct effects. At the branch level, ASB was not associated with customer engagement behavior, but PSB was. Furthermore, PSB mediated the relationship between PSC and customer engagement behavior, although ASB did not.

Keywords

Adaptive service behaviorscustomer engagementproactive service behaviorspsychological capitalpsychosocial safety climate
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , Volume 28 , Issue 2 , March 2022 , pp. 379 - 397
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2020

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