Management commitment to service quality and service recovery performance : A study of frontline employees in public and private hospitals

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate a model of management commitment to service quality (MCSQ) and service recovery performance in the context of public and private hospitals in New Zealand. Design/methodology/approach – In a cross‐sectional survey grounded in Bagozzi's reformulation of attitude theory, frontline hospital employees (FHEs) were asked about how MCSQ impacted on their service recovery performance in both the public and private sectors. Findings – The results of the study suggest that the relationship between MCSQ and service recovery performance is mediated by organizational commitment. With the exception of the relationship between MCSQ and organizational commitment, there are no differences between FHEs in the private and public sectors. Originality/value – Very little attention has been given to a comparative examination of those managerial practices critical for improving frontline employee service recovery efforts in a public and private healthcare context. Our research addresses this paucity.