An extended model of employees' service innovation behavior in the airline industry

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to examine the relationships between three styles of conflict management [cooperative conflict management (COP), competitive conflict management (COM) and avoidance conflict management (AVO)], the subjective relational experience, perceived insider status, organization-based self-esteem and employees’ service innovation behavior in the airline industry.

Design/methodology/approach Through both offline and online survey methods, a total of 304 Korean employees of eight airline firms in Asia were asked to complete the questionnaire. A structural equation modeling analysis was conducted to test the proposed hypotheses.

Findings COP and AVO had significant positive effects on the subjective relational experience, and COM had a significant negative effect on the subjective relational experience. In the subsequent process, the subjective relational experience had a significant positive effect on the perceived insider status but not on organization-based self-esteem and employees’ service innovation behavior. Finally, the perceived insider status and organization-based self-esteem had significant positive effects on employees’ service innovation behavior.

Social implications The results have important practical implications for developing human resource management (HRM) practices in airline firms. More specifically, airline firms should provide management training courses that encourage team leaders to create environments in which employees can form an attitude of “we are in it together”, collect conflict issues from employees in a unanimous manner and then resolve them smoothly without further problems and avoid treating conflicts as win-lose contests. These guidelines may help employees unwind from conflict situations and maintain positive relationships with their colleagues.

Originality/value Previous studies have paid little attention to effects of conflict management styles on employees’ service innovation behavior through positive psychological experiences based on a holistic model. The results offer new insights into the extended model and have valuable implications for HRM practices in the airline industry.