The moderating effect of supervisor and coworker support for error management on service recovery performance and helping behaviors

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to amend and extend the emerging research that has utilized an employee-focused approach to examining the service recovery process. In doing so, the authors examine the influences of supervisor and coworker support for error management on two measures of employee service performance: service recovery performance and helping behaviors during service failure and recoveries. Specifically, this study examines the linear and non-linear interaction effects of supervisor and coworker support for error management on the outcome variables. Design/methodology/approach: To examine the proposed relationships, the authors conducted a field study that utilized survey data from a sample of 243 restaurant employees and their immediate supervisors. Employee ratings of supervisor and coworker support for error management were matched with the data gathered for the two dependent variables (i.e. supervisory ratings of service recovery performance and helping behaviors). Structural equation modeling was used to examine the linear interaction effects on the outcome variables. To examine the non-linear interaction effects on the outcome variables the authors utilized polynomial regression and response surface modeling. Findings: The results showed that the interaction effects of supervisor and coworker support for error management was significantly positively related to both service recovery performance and helping behaviors. In addition, an alternative analysis of the shape of the interaction effects using polynomial regression and response surface modeling showed that the moderating effects may be better conceptualized as non-linear. Originality/value: These findings offer new insights about the roles and impact of various forms of support in the service recovery process. First, the current study focuses specifically on supervisor and coworker support for error management and the impact on employees’ service recovery performance and helping behaviors. Second, this research investigates the interaction effects of these two forms of support on service recovery performance and helping behaviors. Third, along with linear interaction effects, the current work examines non-linear interaction effects. These relationships examined in this study have not been tested before. Thus, the findings of this research make a unique contribution to research in service management. The findings of this study provide more prescriptive insights about the means to prevent and respond effectively to service errors.