The way justice unleashes staff's compassion toward hotel guests. Issue 3 (11th July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zoghbi-Manrique-de-Lara, Pablo; Guerra-Báez, Rita M.
• Editors: Stokes, Peter; Moore, Neil
• Is Part Of: International journal of organizational analysis. Volume 24:Issue 3(2016)
• Publication Date: 2016-07-11
• Subjects: Management -- Periodicals; Organization -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 658
• DOI: 10.1108/IJOA-04-2015-0862
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1934-8835

Abstract

Abstract : Purpose: This study models staff reactions to a hotel based on the way they perceive hotel representatives' and staff's (the hotel's) treatment of customers. It suggests that (a) employees are not motivated to help abused customers in the form of customer-oriented behaviors (COBs) until (b) they also feel that they are victims of abuse by the hotel. Hence, (a) negative effects of staff's unfavorable justice perceptions for customers on customer-oriented behaviors (COBs) are expected until (b) staff's unfavorable justice perceptions for themselves interact in this relationship. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on social exchange and compassion theories, the authors propose that staff members who are also victims of abuse by the hotel empathize more with guests, turning quid pro quo responses to abuse of customers into compassionate responses. Findings: Regression results from a field study of 280 employees at ten hotels in the Canary Islands provide general support for our hypotheses. Practical implications: By understanding when and why (un)fair treatment of guests and staff has consequences for the hotel in the form of customer-oriented behaviors (COBs), hotel managers may help staff to respond to hotels' careful stewardship of the service encounter in terms of COBs. The reversal of the direction in the relationship suggests the unfolding of compassion within a justice framework, which challenges the long-lived perceived incompatibility between compassion and justice in the organizational literature. Originality/value: The present study is the first one to study COBs stemming either from staff responses to hotels' abuse of customers, or COBs resulting from the interaction between perceived justice for customers and justice perceptions for themselves.