An investigation of factors influencing employee service performance from a multi-dimension perspective : a study of Chinese service industries

Abstract

Scholars in the field of performance have investigated factors influencing employee performance only from individual perspective or from organizational perspective or both of them. In today’s changing organizational structure, the importance of the role of group dynamic in supporting the behavior of employee and organizational goals is increasingly acknowledged, especially in Chinese service settings. As thus, the current work highlights salient points regarding factors that influencing employee service performance from a multi-dimension perspective (individual-dimension, group-dimension, organizational-dimension perspective). The main purpose of this study is to empirically investigate factors that influence employee service performance from a multi-dimension perspective. A conceptual model of employee service performance that incorporates the group-dimension perspective has been proposed. The theoretical framework for this study was constructed by developing links between literatures on employee performance, workers personality, job satisfaction, group cohesiveness and human resource practices. The current study is carried out under literature based findings and theoretically developed assumption that: (a) Workers’ personalities and their job satisfactions can positively impact employee service performance from individual-dimension perspective. (b) Group cohesiveness would be proposed to link with employee service performance positively from group-dimension perspective. (c) From organizational-dimension perspective, positive relationship between HRM practices and employee service performance will be expected. In a survey-based study using information from approximately 230 service companies in China to empirically test the proposed model. A Likert-style questionnaire containing 41 items is identified in the areas of personality, job satisfaction, group cohesiveness, employee involvement, training, performance incentives and employee service performance. This multi-dimension perspective approach will shed some lights on identifying critical factors that impact employee service performance in the dynamic Chinese competitive environment. Results of the current study indicate that the appropriate personality traits (Agreeableness and Conscientiousness) and good employee job satisfaction are related to the employee service performance positively. Additionally, positive relationship between interpersonal cohesiveness and employee service performance has been found. Conversely, task cohesiveness is negatively related to employee service performance that is not consistent with the expectation. Finally, a positive relationship has been found between training and employee service performance. This study makes a substantial contribution to both theory and practice. On theory side, for example, it advances a three dimension perspective model to explain employee service performance. Researchers can study employee service performance more comprehensively and effectually using this three dimension model. On practical side, this study delivers an important message to practitioners. Service practitioners can manage employee performance from a whole new perspective. The implications of the results and recommendations for the future investigations are also discussed.