When and why does proactive personality inhibit corner-cutting behaviors: A moderated mediation model of customer orientation and productivity climate

• Published in: Personality and individual differences Vol. 170; p. 110443
• Main Authors: Yan, Hongmin, Hu, Xiaowen, Wu, Chia-Huei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 15-02-2021; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Behavior; Corner-cutting behavior; Customer orientation; Employees; Job applicants; Personality; Polls & surveys; Proactive personality; Productivity; Productivity climate; Restaurants; Service industries; Proactive personality; Corner-cutting behavior; Customer orientation; Productivity climate
• ISSN: 0191-8869; 1873-3549
• DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2020.110443

This study extends prior research by examining when and why proactive employees are less likely to engage in corner-cutting behaviors. We proposed that proactive personality is negatively related to corner-cutting behaviors via customer orientation, and productivity climate further enhances this negative effect. In Study 1, data collected using a two-wave panel survey from 191 working adults with customer-facing roles from the United Kingdom and the United States supported the hypotheses. Results were replicated in Study 2, using a multi-wave field survey of 209 frontline service employees from restaurants in China. The findings imply that to mitigate the occurrence of corner-cutting behaviors, organizations can screen job applicants based on their traits (i.e., proactive personality) and promote service employees' customer orientation.