›› 2018, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (11): 46-56,67.

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“Leader” or “System”? Understanding the Relationship between Servant Leadership, Service-Oriented Human Resource Management and Employee Service Innovation

Wang Zhen1, Song Meng2, Peng Jian3, Zhang Yuqi1   

  1. 1. Business School, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing 100081;
    2. School of Economics and Management, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124;
    3. School of Management, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006
  • Received:2017-09-12 Online:2018-11-28 Published:2018-11-22

Abstract:

With the rapid development of service industry, considerable attention has been given to the notion of service innovation. However, prior literature primarily investigated service innovation from macro or meso perspectives, paying less attention to the antecedents and mechanisms of frontline employees' service innovation from a micro perspective. Based on the AMO framework (ability-motivation-opportunity), we introduce service innovation ability, service innovation motivation, and service innovation opportunity, to test the influence of “leader” (servant leadership) and “system” (service-oriented human resource management system) factors on service innovation through these three paths. Analysis of a sample of 397 frontline client managers from a commercial bank indicates: service-oriented human resource management has a positive effect on service innovation, through the mediating role of service innovation ability, service innovation motivation, and service innovation opportunity; servant leadership has a positive effect on service innovation through the mediating role of service innovation motivation and service innovation opportunity (not service innovation ability). Further, servant leadership and service-oriented human resource management have an interactive influence on service innovation through service innovation ability, service innovation motivation, and service innovation opportunity. The findings deepen our understanding of antecedents that foster frontline employees' service innovation, and provide implications for service innovation management from both the “leader” and the “system” perspectives.

Key words: servant leadership, service-oriented human resource management, AMO, service innovation