Theoretical framework
Key Variables Shaping Customer-Responsive Cultures
1. First is the type of employees themselves.
 Successful, service-oriented organizations hire employees who are outgoing and friendly.
2. Second is low formalization.
 Service employees need to have the freedom to meet changing customer
service requirements.
 Rigid rules, procedures, and regulations make this difficult.
3. Third is an extension of low formalization—it is the widespread use of empowerment.
 Empowered employees have the decision discretion to do what is necessary
to please the customer.
4. Fourth is good listening skills.
 Employees in customer-responsive cultures have the ability to listen to and
understand messages sent by the customer.
5. Fifth is role clarity.
 Service employees act as “boundary spanners” between the organization
and its customers.
 They have to acquiesce to the demands of both their employer and the customer.
6. Finally, customer-responsive cultures have employees who exhibit
organizational citizenship behavior.
 They are conscientious in their desire to please the customer.
(b)

There are a number of actions that management can take if it wants to make its culture more
customer-responsive.
1 Selection
• The place to start in building a customer-responsive culture is hiring
service-contact people with the personality and attitudes consistent with a
high service orientation.
• Studies show that friendliness, enthusiasm, and attentiveness in service employees positively affect customers’ perceptions of service quality.
• Managers should look for these qualities in applicants.
2 Training and Socialization
• The content of these training programs will vary widely but should focus on
improving product knowledge, active listening, showing patience, and
displaying emotions.
• All new service-contact people should be socialized into the organization’s
goals and values.
• Regular training updates in which the organization’s customer focused values
are restated and reinforced is an important strategy.
3 Structural Design
• Organization structures need to give employees more control.
• This can be achieved by reducing rules and regulations.
4 Empowerment
• Empowering employees with the discretion to make day-to-day decisions
about job-related activities.
5 Leadership
• Effective leaders in customer-responsive cultures deliver by conveying a
customer-focused vision and demonstrate by their continual behavior that
they are committed to customers.
6 Performance Evaluation
• Conduct performance appraisals based on customer-focused employee behaviors.
• Behavior-based evaluations appraise employees on the basis of how they behave
or act—on criteria such as effort, commitment, teamwork, friendliness, and the
ability to solve customer problems—rather than on the measurable
outcomes they achieve.
• Behavior-based evaluations give employees the incentive to engage in behaviors
that are conducive to improved service quality and gives employees m
Behavior-based evaluations give employees the incentive to engage in behaviors
that are conducive to improved service quality and gives employees more
control over the conditions that affect their performance evaluations.
7 Reward Systems
• If management wants employees to give good service, it has to reward good service.
• It should include ongoing recognition and it needs to make pay and
promotions contingent on outstanding customer service.