Relationships between organizational support, customer orientation, and work outcomes: A study of frontline bank employees

This paper seeks to examine the nature of relationships between six organizational support mechanisms, a personal resource, and selected psychological and behavioral work outcomes. A related objective of the study is to uncover whether these relationships exhibit similar patterns between employees with different characteristics.

Data for the study were collected from the employees of a large bank in New Zealand. Usable responses were obtained from 530 employees.

Results show that supervisory support is most closely associated with psychological work outcomes. On the other hand, job performance is more susceptible to influences of service technology and empowerment. Also customer orientation, as a personal resource, impacts job performance.

Using multiple‐informants (e.g. measuring frontline employees' job performance on the basis of their supervisors' or customers' assessments) would help minimize common‐method variance. To cross‐validate our results, replication studies among other samples of frontline employees in banking as well as other service settings are in order.

To fuel greater affective organizational commitment and job satisfaction among frontline employees and to reduce their turnover intentions, management must take proactive actions for the frontline employees to receive support and encouragement from their supervisors. Instituting a structured mentoring program and providing training programs to supervisors in support skills can also pay dividends.

The study shows that an undifferentiated approach is warranted in managing employees. Similar strategies would be equally effective in inducing favorable and reducing negative affective and performance outcomes among employees with different demographic characteristics.