Effective coping strategies for stressed frontline employees in service occupations: outcomes and drivers [11.12.18]
Original publication
Selzer, Veronika L.; Schumann, Jan H.; Büttgen, Marion; Ates, Zelal; Komor, Marcin; Volz, Julian (2018): Effective coping strategies for stressed frontline employees in service occupations: outcomes and drivers. In: Service Industries Journal. DOI: 10.1080/02642069.2018.1548613.
Author Informationen:
- Department of Marketing and Innovation, University of Passau, Passau, Germany
- Department of Corporate Management, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
- Schmalenbach School of Business and Economics, TH Köln–Cologne University of Technology, Arts and Sciences, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Marketing, University of Economics in Katowice, Katowice, Poland
Abstract
Despite extensive research on the negative outcomes of role ambiguity in boundary-spanning positions, insight into how to prevent frontline employees from experiencing role ambiguity is sparse. This study addresses questions as to how the problem-focused coping strategies used by frontline employees can effectively reduce perceived role ambiguity. The gathered evidence indicates that only action coping is effective, whereas instrumental support seeking in fact enhances perceived role ambiguity. An examination of intrinsic and extrinsic coping resources as drivers of coping has revealed that conscientiousness and supervisor support are helpful coping resources. Contrastively, neuroticism drives insufficient coping and inhibits the effective use of coping resources. We find that managers of service firms should provide training to ensure effective supervisor support; also, in recruitment procedures they should consider potential employees’ personality traits, to reduce and prevent role ambiguity experienced by frontline employees. © 2018, © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
