Addressing Financial Inclusion Challenges in Rural Areas from the Financial Services Marketing Employee Emotional Labor Dimension: Evidence from Nigeria

• Published in: Journal of financial services marketing 2022-06, Vol.27 (2), p.136-146
• Main Authors: Imhanrenialena, Benedict Ogbemudia, Obi-Anike, Ozioma Happiness, Okafor, Chikodili Nkiruka, Ike, Ruby Nneka, Obiora-Okafo, Chinedu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Central banks; Customer services; Economics and Finance; Emotions; Employees; Employment; Finance; Financial inclusion; Financial Services; Job satisfaction; Marketing; Microfinance; Original Article; Rural areas; Service industries
• ISSN: 1363-0539; 1479-1846
• DOI: 10.1057/s41264-021-00107-y

Financial authorities basically regard low financial literacy rate and poor information and communication technology as the major challenges facing financial inclusion drive, particularly among rural dwellers in Nigeria. No study has assessed the cause of low financial inclusion from the financial services marketers’ emotional labor perspective. This quantitative study attempted to close this gap by exploring how emotional labor variables relate to financial services sales performance and job satisfaction among bank marketers. Primary data were collected from 417 bank marketers operating in Edo and Delta States. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test the formulated hypotheses. The outcomes show that surface acting has a significant negative effect on financial service sales outcomes and job satisfaction, while deep acting was found to have a significant positive effect on financial service sales outcomes and job satisfaction among bank marketers.