An empirical study on the effect of internal marketing on frontline service employees' performance

Abstract

本文以飯店業一線服務員工為研究對象,初步驗證了Keller等學者的內部營銷組合工具量表在中國背景下的適用性,并應用Bagozzi的態度理論模型,采用結構方程建模方法,構建并驗證了基于內部營銷組合工具視角的一線服務員工任務績效預測模型。實證結果表明,一線服務員工對企業內部營銷努力的感知,即對內部工作產品、內部價格、內部分銷以及內部促銷等內部營銷組合工具的評價,決定了他們的情感承諾(對組織的情感反應)和工作滿意(對工作的情感反應)水平,進而影響了他們的任務績效水平(行為),一線服務員工的情感反應變量是解釋企業內部營銷努力影響一線服務員工任務績效的中介變量。 Previous studies of internal marketing have mostly focused on theory discussion and concept development, and few studies were based upon the internal marketing mix. Firstly, this paper uses the internal marketing mix scale developed by Keller et al to empirically test data from frontline service employees in the Chinese hotel industry. In order to further study the factors affecting frontline service employees＇ performance, the paper uses Bagozzi＇s theory of apprais- al-emotional and response-behavior to propose and test frontline service employees＇ performance from the perspective of the internal marketing mix, and using Structure Equation Modeling methodology. The outcome of exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis indicates the basic internal job product factor and the advanced internal job product factor can not be differentiated, and the proactive effort factor does not exist. The empirical results from the task performance model suggest that internal marketing efforts, as manifested by frontline employees＇ appraisal of internal job product, internal price, internal place, and internal promotion, have significant effect on employees＇ perceptions of performance. The influence of internal marketing on frontline employees＇ performance depends on their affection towards and commitment to their organization, as well as their job satisfaction. Our study reveals the affective mechanism of internal marketing efforts on frontline service employees＇ performance. It emphasizes the importance of affective variables in enhancing frontline service employees＇ performance. In order to find the practical value of each of the 4Ps, further research could directly study the relationships among various internal marketing strategies, job satisfaction, affective commitment and task performance, and measure frontline employees＇ performance by surveying their immediate superiors and customers.