SERV*OR in China: testing the effect of service orientation on service skills performance

Purpose – The present study is specifically designed to accomplish two objectives: to validate the SERV*OR scale in an emerging oriental market; and to test empirically the effect of service orientation on front-line employees ' service performance in various service skill areas. Design/methodology/approach – The whole research involved a triangulation process, which involved in-depth interviews, pilot test, and survey interviews, to collect both qualitative and quantitative information to validate the measurement scales and test the hypotheses. The major objective was to validate the measurement scales and test the relationship between service orientation and front-line service employees ' performance in various skill areas. Findings – The results from measurement scale development show that service orientation was represented by service leadership, service contact, human resources management, and service system, whereas service skills were embodied by functional skills and technical skills. Results from structural equation model (SEM) analysis show that various dimensions of the service orientation have differential positive effects on different types of the service skills. Research limitations/implications – Although the model is supported by empirical findings, only through replication in other service industries can it enhance its generalizability. Such factors as investment in service training, quality of training program, employee learning attitude may mediate or moderate the effect of service orientation on performance in different skill areas and future research should include them for a better explanation of the effect of service orientation on service skills. Practical implications – Based on the results of this study, firms can strengthen the service orientation as an effective strategy to improve service skills and this broad strategy can be decomposed into more workable tactics like building service leadership, service contact, human resources management and service system improvement. Originality/value – The present study bridged the macro and micro perspectives by developing a framework that provides a deeper and richer portrait of what kind of front-line employees engage in good service performance and, at the same time, what kind of service orientation component will be more effective in facilitating service performance. The findings contribute to the explanation of significant variance in employees ' service performance. The present study is thus a compelling extension of the previous approach to research on service behavior.