The roles of employee–employee collaboration and employee–customer collaboration in fitness service innovation: a comparison of frontline and non-frontline employees

• Published in: International journal of sports marketing & sponsorship 2023-10, Vol.24 (4), p.793-813
• Main Authors: Wang, Fong-Jia, Chiu, Weisheng, Tseng, Kuo-Feng, Cho, Heetae
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Behavior; Collaboration; Customer services; Employees; Innovations; Self-efficacy; Success
• ISSN: 1464-6668; 2515-7841
• DOI: 10.1108/IJSMS-12-2022-0206

PurposeIn this study the authors examined the impact of employees' collaborative behaviours with colleagues and customers (i.e. employee–employee collaboration and employee–customer collaboration) on their creative self-efficacy and service innovation from the perspective of service-dominant logic. The authors also examined the differences between frontline and non-frontline fitness service employees in our research model. This study aims to discuss the aforementioned objectives.Design/methodology/approachParticipants were fitness-centre employees in Taiwan recruited via convenience sampling. A total of 410 participants completed our online survey, and the authors analysed the data using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).FindingsThe authors 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/valueThis study improves the 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.