Frontline employee service quality: antecedents to enhance employee service quality in a South African retail bank

Abstract

South African banks need to attract and retain customers in a highly competitive environment. Within this environment, the service quality of banks has been noted as an ongoing pressing issue. With all major banks embracing the technological revolution and offering similar financial services, the service quality offered through frontline employees has become a means to attain a competitive advantage. While a substantial body of research demonstrates the importance of service quality and identifies its dimensions, there is a lack of research specifically focusing on the antecedents for frontline employee service quality. This study set out to investigate the extent to which internal service quality, service climate and frontline employee satisfaction contribute to frontline employee service quality in a South African retail bank. With the aid of a structured questionnaire, a cross-sectional internet-based survey research design was applied to collect information from frontline employees pertaining to four constructs. From the full population of 8 720 frontline employees, 581 completed responses were received during the main study, and empirically tested with the aid of descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis, correlation analysis and multivariate regression analysis. The findings culminate in a multivariate regression model indicating that service climate is not a significant predictor of frontline employee service quality, whereas frontline employee satisfaction and internal service quality are, with internal service quality being the larger predictor. Drawing from these findings, ten recommendations are made to improve frontline employee service quality in a retail bank.

Amabhange aseNingizimu Afrika adinga ukuheha futhi agcine amakhasimende endaweni enokuncintisana okukhulu. Ngaphakathi kwalesi simo, insebenzo yekhwalithi yamabhange ibhekwe njengengqinamba eqhubekayo. Ngawo wonke amabhange amakhulu amukela inguquko kwezobuchwepheshe futhi ahlinzeka ngezinsizakalo ezifanayo zezezimali, insebenzo yekhwalithi enikezwa ngabasebenzi abaphambili iba yindlela yokuthola inzuzo yokuncintisana. Ngenkathi ucwaningo oluningi lukhombisa ukubaluleka kwensebenzo yekhwalithi futhi lukhomba ubukhulu balo, kukhona ukungabi bikho kocwaningo okugxile kakhulu ezichasisweni zensebenzo yekhwalithi yomsebenzi ophambili. Lolu cwaningo luhlose ukuphenya ukuthi izinga lensebenzo yekhwalithi yangaphakathi, insebenzo yesimo sezulu kanye nokwaneliseka kwabasebenzi abaphambili kunikela kangakanani ensebenzweni yekhwalithi yomsebenzi ebhange lokuthengisa eNingizimu Afrika. Ngosizo lwemibuzo ehleliwe, kusetshenziswe ukwakheka kocwaningo olususelwa ku-inthanethi lokuqoqa imininingwane evela kubasebenzi abaphambili maqondana nokwakhiwa okune. Kusuka enanini eligcwele labantu abayizi-8 720 labasebenzi abaphambili, izimpendulo ezigcwalisiwe ezingama-581 zamukelwa phakathi kocwaningo oluyinhloko, futhi zahlolwa ngamandla ngosizo lwezibalo ezichazayo, ukuhlaziywa kwezinto eziqinisekisayo, ukuhlaziywa kokuhlobana kanye nokuhlaziywa kokuphindaphinda okuningi. Okutholakele kugcina kube yisifanekiso sokuhlehliswa sokuphindaphinda esikhombisa ukuthi insebenzo yesimo sezulu akusona isibikezelo esibalulekile sensebenzo yekhwalithi yomsebenzi ophambili, kanti ukwaneliseka komsebenzi ophambili kanye nensebenzo yekhwalithi yangaphakathi, ngensebenzo yekhwalithi yangaphakathi eyisibikezelo esikhulu. Ngokususelwa kokutholakele, kwenziwa izincomo eziyishumi zokuthuthukisa insebenzo yekhwalithi yomsebenzi ophambili ebhange lokuthengisa.

Dibanka tsa Aforikaborwa di tlhoka go ngoka le go tswelela go tshola badirisi mo tikologong e e tletseng kgaisano. Mo tikologong eno, boleng jwa tirelo ya dibanka bo lemogilwe jaaka ntlha e e tswelelang go tshwenya. Jaaka fa dibanka tsotlhe tse dikgolo di amogetse tiriso ya thekenoloji mme di tlamela ka ditirelo tsa ditšhelete tse di tshwanang, boleng jwa tirelo jo bo tlamelwang ka badiri ba ba kwa pele ke tsela ya go iponela molemo wa kgaisano. Le fa dipatlisiso tse dintsi di bontsha botlhokwa jwa boleng jwa tirelo mme di supa bogolo jwa jona, ga go na dipatlisiso tse di totang batlapele ba boleng jwa tirelo ya badiri ba ba kwa pele. Thutopatlisiso eno e ne e ikaeletse go batlisisa gore boleng jwa tirelo ya ka fa gare, tikologo ya tirelo le kgotsofalo ya badiri ba ba dirang kwa pele bo tshwaela go le kana kang mo boleng jwa tirelo ya badiri ba ba dirang kwa pele mo bankeng ya badirisi ya Aforikaborwa. Ka thuso ya lenaanepotsolotso le le rulaganeng, go dirisitswe patlisiso e e ralalang dikarolo ya mo inthaneteng go kokoanya tshedimosetso go tswa mo badiring ba ba dirang kwa pele malebana le dintlha tse nne. Go tswa mo sampoleng ya badiri ba ba dirang kwa pele ba le 8 720, go amogetswe ditsibogo tse di tladitsweng di le 581 ka nako ya thutopatlisiso e kgolo, mme di ne tsa lekelediwa ka maitemogelo ka thuso ya dipalopalo tse di tlhalosang, tokololo ya tlhomamiso, tokololo ya tsamaelano le tokololo e e lebelelang dipoelo tse di farologaneng. Diphitlhelelo di ile setlhoeng fa sekao se se lebelelang dipoelo tse di farologaneng se supa gore seemo sa tirelo se ka se ke sa dirisiwa go bonela pele boleng jwa tirelo ya badiri ba ba dirang kwa pele, mme go ka dirisiwa kgotsofalo ya badiri ba ba dirang kwa pele le boleng jwa tirelo ya ka fa gare, le gore boleng jwa tirelo ya ka fa gare bo ka dirisiwa thata. Go tswa mo diphitlhelelong tseno, go dirwa dikatlenegiso di le lesome go tokafatsa boleng jwa tirelo ya badiri ba ba dirang kwa pele mo bankeng ya badirisi