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Weekly UpdatesA model examining the relationship between restaurant employees' reactions to their work environment and their jobs as service providers and guest satisfaction was tested among twenty-five restaurants from a casual dining restaurant chain. In the model, the relationship between guest service employees' work-related perceptions and attitudes are connected to guests' reported satisfaction. Results show that employees' perceptions of the presence of organizational standards for service delivery were strongly related to their perceptions of receiving adequate support from coworkers and supervisors to perform their jobs. Employees' perceived support from coworkers was significantly related to service providers' guest orientation (commitment to their guests), while perceived support from supervisors proved to be a weak influence on guest orientation. Ultimately, service providers' guest orientation was strongly related to guests' satisfaction with their service experience in the restaurant.
Keywords: restaurant management; service quality; servers' attitudes; guest satisfaction
Restaurant service is a process that is mutually created by three groups of individuals: managers (including owners), workers, and guests (Susskind, Kacmar, and Borchgrevink 2003). Because service is complex, the process is influenced by guest-related variables, such as demographics or behavior; service-provider variables, such as demographics, behavior, mood, and emotion; and the context, such as the organizational environment, structure, leadership, and coworkers (Ford and Etienne 2003).
As a method of describing how service providers and guests respond to the service process, Hogan, Hogan, and Busch (1984) used the term service orientation in the 1980s. They described service orientation as "a set of attitudes and behaviors that affects the staff of any organization and its guests" (p. 167). In the 1990s, Schneider, White, and Paul (1998, 153) described service orientation as service practices that assess "the degree to which an organization emphasizes, in multiple ways, meeting guest needs and expectations for service quality." These definitions, termed customer orientation or guest orientation, have been applied to the hospitality business to represent the extent to which service providers are committed to their guests (Susskind, Kacmar, and Borchgrevink 2003; Susskind et al. 2000). Regardless of the specific term, the underlying concept is that line-level employees have an important influence on the guest's experience. Exactly how service-oriented behavior and attitudes among line-level employees translate into guest satisfaction is less clear, particularly regarding restaurant experiences.
The Guest-Server Exchange (GSX) Model
To highlight this important area of guest service research for restaurant operators, we present in this article a test of a model of guest-server interaction in a group of chain restaurants (adapted from Susskind, Kacmar, and Borchgrevink 2003; Susskind et al. 2000). In the model presented here, we suggest that organizational standards for service form the foundation and guidelines for service providers to perform their jobs. Based on those standards, service providers then receive support from their coworkers and supervisors, which has the effect of creating a positive service atmosphere. That positive service atmosphere fosters guest satisfaction.
The model begins with employees' perceptions of organizational standards for service delivery (as shown in Exhibit 1). Standards for service delivery are antecedents to employees' perceptions of coworkers' and supervisors' support. That support in turn leads to service workers' guest orientation. Last, frontline service workers' guest orientation promotes guests' reported satisfaction with their service experience.
Organizational Standards
Organizational standards for service delivery are a key influence on employees' behavior and outcomes in organizations. Standards in this context consist of (1) organizational goals and objectives; (2) managerial expectations for job performance; and (3) the implicit importance placed on those goals, objectives, and performance demands (Litwin and Stringer 1968). In service organizations, line-level employees are responsible for the bulk of interaction with guests. Frontline employees thus constitute the direct link between an organization's operational mission and its guests (Grisaffe 2000). Consequently, an organization must have standards in place to guide, direct, and monitor the service behavior of line-level employees and those who supervise them (Susskind, Kacmar, and Borchgrevink 2003; Susskind et al. 2000).
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Standards for service are an important part of an organization's mission because they provide the foundation on which services are produced, delivered, and evaluated. Research has shown that managerial philosophies and values behind an organization's internal business practices influence the actions of both service personnel and guests (Grisaffe 2000). In that regard, support from managers can improve employees' well being and performance (Schmit and Allscheid 1995).
A study by Armeli and colleagues (1998) found that employees' perceptions of organizational support are stronger when employees believe they are being guided by a strong set of standards (see also Eisenberger et al. 1997; Susskind, Kacmar, and Borchgrevink 2003; Susskind et al. 2000). While the strong presence of standards has been shown to promote the GSX, additional support is needed, as standards alone do not guarantee appropriate service.
Perceptions of Support
If standards set the stage for desired performance, service personnel will likely use them as a guide. Support functions in service-based organizations have been shown to come from two main sources: (1) support from coworkers and (2) support from supervisors or management (Susskind, Kacmar, and Borchgrevink 2003; Susskind et al. 2000). Separating support functions into coworker and supervisory parts emphasizes the fact that line-level employees and their supervisors play distinct but essential support roles in the GSX. In this framework, coworker support is defined as the extent to which employees believe their coworkers provide them with work-related assistance to aid them in carrying out their service-related duties (Susskind, Kacmar, and Borchgrevink 2003; Susskind et al. 2000). By the same token, supervisory support is defined as the extent to which employees believe that their supervisors offer them work-related help in performing their jobs as service workers (Susskind, Kacmar, and Borchgrevink 2003; Susskind et al. 2000). In the model shown in Exhibit 1, we propose that standards act as a reminder for both coworkers and supervisors to support service providers. Consequently, we can conclude that having standards in place motivates service providers (employees and supervisors) to support one another in their work.
Guest Orientation
For our purposes, we use the definition of guest orientation that focuses on the importance that service providers place on their guests' needs and the extent to which service providers are willing to put forth time and effort to satisfy their guests (Kelley 1992). By this definition, guest orientation is a key part of guest service, is influenced by interaction with the constituents of a service experience (e.g., guests, coworkers, and superiors) (Brady and Cronin 2001), and represents a service provider's level of commitment to his or her guests (Susskind, Kacmar, and Borchgrevink 2003; Susskind et al. 2000). Service providers who are proactive, anticipate their guests' needs, and are willing to go the extra mile for their guests would be considered guest oriented. Service providers who receive support from their coworkers and superiors while performing their duties are likely to show a stronger commitment to the service process and their guests, particularly when the supportive actions of others are based on the organization's standards for service delivery (Susskind, Kacmar, and Borchgrevink 2003; Susskind et al. 2000).
Guest Satisfaction
The end point of the model, guest satisfaction, is the desired outcome for service-related businesses, because of its contribution to profitability. To our surprise, only a limited number of research studies have examined the direct connection between employees' and guests' perceptions of the service process (see, for example, Brady and Cronin 2001; Johnson 1996; and Susskind, Kacmar, and Borchgrevink 2003). With this study, we examine the connection between service providers' attitudes and perceptions of their work-related duties and how those attitudes are connected to their guests' satisfaction with their service experiences. When service providers are committed to their role in the service process, they are more likely to consistently offer their guests better service.
Study Details and Data Analyses
We studied a total of 324 service employees from twenty-five units of a midwestern restaurant chain over a two-month period. Forty percent of the line-level participants were male, their median age was twenty-two (ranging between seventeen and forty-five), (1) and they had worked for the company at the time of the survey for a median of just under twelve months (ranging from one month to ten years). (2) To assess guest satisfaction in the restaurants, an average of eleven guests were surveyed from each of the twenty-five units we surveyed. In total, we collected 271 usable responses from guests. We surveyed an average of 12 employees from each of the twenty-five units (ranging from 6 to 24 employees per unit).
We evaluated the line-level employees' perceptions of standards using a questionnaire that had four items for service delivery, three items for coworker support, four items for supervisory support, and five items for guest orientation. Survey questions used 5-point Likert-type scales with anchors ranging from strongly agree (5) to strongly disagree (1). The questionnaire items used and the scale reliabilities (Cronbach's [alpha]) at the individual level are reported in the appendix. We then surveyed each restaurant's guests using a six-item questionnaire. (Again, see the appendix for the items used and the scale reliabilities.) The responses to employee and guest data were aggregated to the organizational level. We made no attempt to match specific guest reactions to specific employees because multiple employees served each guest and some guests were in the restaurant during a shift change.
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