Influence of Informal Institutions on Commitment to Customer Service in Confucian Asia.
Klein, A.; Horak, S.; Ahlf, H. & Nihalani, K. (2022). Influence of Informal
Institutions on Commitment to Customer Service in Confucian Asia. Management
Decision, forthcoming. DOI: 10.1108/MD-10-2021-1286
Link:
https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-10-2021-1286
Abstract
Research on the commitment to customer service (CCS) typically considers either
trainable behavior or external stimuli such as financial incentives vital to
CCS. Utilizing the
cultural context of Confucian Asia, this study proposes a novel approach that
shifts the focus towards the antecedents of the informal institutional
environment. We test four informal institutions typical for Confucian Asia about
their influence on CCS: power distance, perceived individual independence,
openness to change, and informal network ties. Hypotheses are tested in a
structural equation model using data obtained from a South Korean subject pool.
Results show that informal institutions like power distance and network ties,
and mediators like perceived individual independence and openness to change are
positively related to CCS. Power distance and network ties also have a direct
positive effect on openness to change. Moreover, power distance negatively
affects perceived individual independence. Our findings contribute to the
service management literature by showing that a given CCS of service employees
can be explained by antecedents of the company’s informal institutional
environment. From a human resource perspective, the informal institutional
environment should be taken into account when establishing a supporting
organizational culture and designing management training programs. This research
introduces the institutional view to services management research, focusing on
the role that informal institutions play. In particular, factors like power
distance and network ties that influence CCS are tested for the first time.
Keywords
Commitment, customer service, informal institutions, Confucian Asia, services
management