Schneider et al.: Understanding organization-customer links in service settings

10 important questions on Schneider et al.: Understanding organization-customer links in service settings

What did Schneider develop?

A framework of service-unit behavior that begins with a unit's leader's service focused behavior and progresses through intermediate links (service climate and customer-focused organizational citizenship behavior) to customer satisfaction and then unit sales.

In the current attempt to understand the antecedents of service climate, we focused on leadership that communicates a commitment to high levels of service quality, or what we call service leadership. Which hypothesis follows this reasoning? (Schneider)

That leaders who emphasize the importance of service quality, will be especially likely to do the things necessary to create a climate for service.

What is OCB and what is customer-focused OCB?

OCB = behavior supporting organizational functioning but beyond the call of duty
OCB directed at customers, is customer-focused OCB.
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Schneider suggest that service climate partially mediates the relationship between service leadership and customer-focused OCB. Whats the logic behind this reasoning and which hypothesis can be formulated?

The logic is when a service climate partially mediates the relationship between service leadership and behavior, and customer-focused OCB.
>> This leads tot hypothesis 1: Service climate partially mediates the relationship between service leadership and behavior and customer-focused OCB.

Schneider suggests that customer-focused OCB at least partially mediates the link between service climate and customer satisfaction: the climate results in some kind of behavior. Which hypothesis follows this?

H2: Customer-focused OCB partially mediates the relationship between service climate and customer satisfaction.

Schneider suggests that customer-focused OCB leads to sales through the (full) mediator of customer satisfaction. Only satisfied customers make many repeat visits to the firm and the increased visits will lead to more purchases. Define a suiting hypothesis:

H3 Customer satisfaction fully mediates the relationship between customer-focused OCB and unit sales.

What are the 4 limitations of the study of Schneider?

1 Missing literature for how climate results in customer satisfaction
2 Data used for testing were cross-functional: its not clear what causation might be reciprocal (wederkerig)
3 Use of only 1 company in the sample
4 General absence of large environmental effects on the relationships studies here.

Describe service climate (Schneider)

-Shared perceptions regarding organizational policies, procedures, and practices.
-Rewarding, supporting, expecting customer service.
-Service quality is emphasized as the purpose of the organization by leadership
-Employees in service settings are often physically and psychologically close (perceptions get shared)
-Customers observe employee behavior and judge service quality.

What ensures the highest level of customer satisfaction?

Customer-focused OCB. Leadership behavior is one of the factors for OCB. OCB developed service climate.

What is service leadership behavior and how does it influence OCB (in)directly?

Service leadership behavior = recognizing and appreciating high-quality service, removing obstacles to service delivery, setting clear standards for service quality etc.

Direct influence via role modeling and exchange processes
Indirect (through service climate) via setting goals and rewards

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