Marketing culture to service climate: the influence of employee control and flexibility

摘要

Purposze - The purpose of this research is to explore how firm market orientation, as a culture, affects the service climate that develops in the firm. Design/methodology/approach - Empirical testing is performed at the managerial level and boundary-spanning employee level as part of this multilevel study. The sample includes participants from a US-based firm operating in the hospitality industry. Findings - Results indicate that a market-oriented firm culture interacts with other elements such as boundary-spanning employee flexibility and control to positively impact the service climate that develops. Research limitations/implications - This research provides theoretical implications for the development of a service climate within a market-oriented firm culture and the influence of managers on boundary-spanning employees in the development of the climate. Practical implications - As managers attempt to develop a service climate through a market-oriented firm culture, they will find success by providing boundary-spanning employees with control and hiring employees that possess flexibility as a personality trait. Originality/value - The framework developed in this research provides insights regarding the multilevel nature of service climate development and the impact of a market-oriented culture.