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Workplace gossip and frontline employees’ proactive service performance

Author

Listed:
  • Qi-tao Tian
  • Yang Song
  • Ho Kwong Kwan
  • Xue Li

Abstract

Managers are interested in promoting frontline employees’ proactive behavior because proactivity is crucial for organizational success. This study examined the link between perceived workplace gossip and employees’ (targets’) proactive service performance by focusing on the mediating role of employees’ harmonious passion and the moderating role of perceived job social support. Using time-lagged survey data from 218 supervisor-subordinate dyads in a commercial bank in China, we found that perceived workplace gossip negatively influences employees’ proactive service performance, and that this relationship is mediated by reduced harmonious passion. In addition, perceived job social support attenuates the negative relationship between perceived workplace gossip and harmonious passion, with harmonious passion having a mediating effect on the relationship between perceived workplace gossip and proactive service performance. These results provide new directions for understanding workplace gossip, harmonious passion, proactive service performance, and job social support. The theoretical and practical implications of our findings are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Qi-tao Tian & Yang Song & Ho Kwong Kwan & Xue Li, 2019. "Workplace gossip and frontline employees’ proactive service performance," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(1), pages 25-42, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:servic:v:39:y:2019:i:1:p:25-42
    DOI: 10.1080/02642069.2018.1435642
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Bao Cheng & Yun Dong & Zhenduo Zhang & Ahmed Shaalan & Gongxing Guo & Yan Peng, 2022. "When Targets Strike Back: How Negative Workplace Gossip Triggers Political Acts by Employees," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 175(2), pages 289-302, January.
    2. Mohamed Fathy Agina & Hazem Ahmed Khairy & Mohamed A. Abdel Fatah & Youssef H. Manaa & Rabab M. Abdallah & Nadir Aliane & Jehad Afaneh & Bassam Samir Al-Romeedy, 2023. "Distributive Injustice and Work Disengagement in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry: Mediating Roles of the Workplace Negative Gossip and Organizational Cynicism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-24, October.
    3. Xiaolei Zou & Xiaoxi Chen & Fengling Chen & Chuxin Luo & Hongyan Liu, 2020. "The Influence of Negative Workplace Gossip on Knowledge Sharing: Insight from the Cognitive Dissonance Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-17, April.
    4. Tuna Karatepe, 2022. "Do Qualitative and Quantitative Job Insecurity Influence Hotel Employees’ Green Work Outcomes?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-17, June.
    5. Bao Cheng & Yan Peng & Ahmed Shaalan & Marwa Tourky, 2023. "The Hidden Costs of Negative Workplace Gossip: Its Effect on Targets’ Behaviors, the Mediating Role of Guanxi Closeness, and the Moderating Effect of Need for Affiliation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(1), pages 287-302, January.
    6. Rezwan Ullah & Muhammad Zada & Imran Saeed & Jawad Khan & Muhammad Shahbaz & Alejandro Vega-Muñoz & Guido Salazar-Sepúlveda, 2021. "Have You Heard That—“GOSSIP”? Gossip Spreads Rapidly and Influences Broadly," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-16, December.
    7. Panteha Farmanesh & Pouya Zargar & Vildan Esenyel & Asim Vehbi, 2021. "Linking Spiritual Leadership and Boundary-Spanning Behavior: The Bright Side of Workplace Spirituality and Self-Esteem," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(3), pages 21582440211, August.

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