Purpose: In this study we examined the impact of employees’ collaborative behaviours with colleagues and customers on their creative self-efficacy and service innovation from the perspective of service-dominant logic. We also examined the differences between frontline and non-frontline fitness service employees in our research model.
Design/methodology/approach: Participants were fitness-centre employees in Taiwan recruited via convenience sampling. A total of 410 participants completed our online survey, and we analysed the data using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).
Findings: We found that collaboration with both colleagues and customers had a positive impact on employees’ creative self-efficacy. Collaboration with colleagues directly affected service innovation, while collaboration with customers indirectly affected service innovation via creative self-efficacy. In addition, there was a significant difference between frontline and non-frontline employees in our research model. Specifically, the path from collaboration with customers to creative self-efficacy was stronger for frontline employees, and the path from creative self-efficacy to service innovation was stronger for non-frontline employees.
Originality/value: This study improves our understanding of the way in which different collaborative behaviours promote employees’ creative self-efficacy and service innovation. Further, it is the first to identify the difference between frontline and non-frontline employees and it shows how the effects of collaborative behaviours differ between them in the context of fitness services.
Relation:
International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, in press
