Table of Contents Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 2 Topic .......................................................................................................................................... 2 Critical Evaluation and Theory Application ......................................................................... 3 Affective Transfer .................................................................................................................. 3 Emotional Labour .................................................................................................................. 3 Performance Motivation ........................................................................................................ 4 Store Busyness ....................................................................................................................... 4 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 5 References ................................................................................................................................. 6
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Research Review Report
10th October 2014
Introduction
Environmental psychology observed that humans respond and interact to specific surrounding environments. A consequence of these interactions are the conscious or subconscious feelings created from one’s perceptions. The ‘Mehrabian-Russel stimulus-response’ model (cited in
Lovelock, Patterson & Wirtz, 2011) illustrated, that feelings trigger behaviours.
Subsequently, Lovelock, Patterson and Wirtz (2011) perceived that feelings are actually a critical and important element in the creation of successful service environments.
This report review was based on the interaction between employees and customers with specific emphasis on affective transfer (emotional exchange) and performance motivation
(service behaviours) during a service encounter. The review focused on internal responses
(being cognitive, emotional and psychological) of employees and clients based on the
‘servicescape’ model developed by Bitner (1992, cited in Lovelock, Patterson & Wirtz,
2011).
Topic
The article under review:
Grandey, A. A., Goldberg, L. S. & Douglas Pugh S. (2011). Why and when do stores with satisfied employees have satisfied customers?: The roles of responsiveness and store busyness. Journal of Service Research, (14)4, 397-409. doi:10.1177/1094670511410304 The article examined how customer satisfaction is effected by employee satisfaction. Two main aspects were explored to this effect: affective transfer and performance motivation. The article expanded further with an analysis of the relationship between store busyness and customer satisfaction.
Initially the article studied the affective transfer (emotional contagion) that linked employees and customers in their interaction. Emotional contagion is described as the conscious or subconscious (primitive emotional contagion) transfer of emotions from one person to another (Hennig-Thurau, Groth, Paul, & Gremler, 2006). Through this process of direct interaction, Grandey, Goldberg and Douglas Pugh (2011) observed that frontline employees give off an ‘affective trace’ that directly influences customers’ experience.
Another aspect explored by Grandey, Goldberg and Douglas Pugh (2011) was the indirect effect of satisfied employees with the quality of service offered. Described by Grandey,
Goldberg and Douglas Pugh (2011) as the ‘performance explanation’, the paper verified the principles of the service-profit chain where satisfied employees provided a higher quality service to their patrons
