2211: Feeling Exploited but Wanting to Stay? Playful Service Climate as a Double-Edged Sword (16797)

Through three empirical studies, we examine the potential paradoxical effects of a Playful Service Climate (PSC) in service organizations. On the one hand, drawing from the service climate literature and social exchange theory, we propose a positive relation between PSC and employees’ affective display during customer interactions, customer satisfaction, and their emotional ties to the organization (i.e., employees’ affective commitment). On the other hand, we argue that employees’ increased affective commitment may decrease employees’ intentions to leave the organization when they are exploited by the organization. In Study I, we demonstrate that PSC relates to an enhanced emotional bond to the organization and increased display of positive affect (in text and video) in customer interactions. Study II shows that customers are more satisfied with PSC services compared to regular SC services. Study III reveals that a strong emotional bond to the organization nonlinearly moderates the relation between perceived exploitation and turnover intentions. Our research contributes to the service climate literature by considering PSC and its implications for employee and organizational outcomes as a double-edged sword.

view paper (if available)