Organizational Investments In Social Capital, Managerial Coaching And Service Employee Performance

The examination of service organizations' human resource practices has been largely overlooked in the services marketing literature. Yet, the support and development of service employees significantly affects the quality of service that customers receive. This research study examines linkages between the enhancement of workplace environments, employee development, and work-related performance by assessing the influence of managerial coaching behavior on relationships between organizational investments in social capital (OISC) and employee work-related performance. The results from this field study of 408 employees from multiple and diverse service organizations indicate that OISC is positively related to employee job performance, commitment to service quality, and organizational citizenship behavior. However, the results from sub-group analyses also suggest that these relationships are stronger at low to moderate levels of managerial coaching. Theoretical implications are discussed and the practical applications of the somewhat counter-intuitive study findings for service provider organizations are developed.