Impact of customer orientation on turnover intention: mediating role of emotional labour

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the frontline employees’ emotional labour can illustrate the relationship between customer orientation (CO) and turnover intention in the hospitality industry. The study applies the job demands and resources (JD-R) theory to explain the relationship between variables in the proposed model. Design/methodology/approach The paper surveys a sample of 378 frontline employees in the hospitality industry. Findings The findings of this study show that the CO is strongly and positively associated with turnover intention. The three dimensions of emotional labour are all partially mediated with the relationship between CO and turnover intention. Research limitations/implications The limitations of this study include the sample came from seven five-star hotels in Beijing, China. This study used perceptual self-reported measures, which may generate exaggerated relationships among variables. These issues are addressed in the analysis. Practical implications First, the recruitment and selection of frontline employees should incorporate an assessment of the level of CO. Second, hospitality management should train employees in the proper control of emotional labour. Social implications Hospitality should make efforts to supply job resources, such as providing delicious food; more promotion opportunities; better training and recreation programs; more clarified job definitions; and position autonomy. Moreover, good interpersonal relationships, regular recreational activities and sharing working experiences with colleagues may be applied to cope with job demands. Originality/value This study is to explain the roles of the three dimensions of emotional labour (surface acting, genuine emotion and deep acting) in the relationship between CO and turnover intention. More specifically, this study demonstrates why hospitality employees with high (or low) CO have low (or high) levels of turnover intention applying the concept of emotional labour based on JD-R theory.