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Managing for customers and employees in Hong Kong: The quality and teamwork challenges

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Journal of Market-Focused Management

Abstract

Service marketing, total quality management, and human resource management researchers have proposed that employee teamwork is a foundation for service quality. North American research suggests that developing cooperative relationships and constructive controversy among employees can empower employees to serve customers and to strengthen their work relationships and commitment to the organization. Chinese employees in an American-style restaurant in Hong Kong were interviewed on specific incidents that affected service quality. Correlational and structural equation results support the hypotheses that cooperative goals help employees discuss their diverse views open-mindedly and that this constructive controversy results in quality customer service. Competitive and independent goals were largely negatively correlated with dynamics and outcomes. Results were interpreted as suggesting that service teams should develop strong cooperative goals and the skills and procedures of constructive controversy. Deutsch's theory of cooperation and competition, although developed largely through North American research, seems useful for understanding and developing service quality teamwork in Asia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Management, Lingnan College, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong

    Dean Tjosvold

  2. Department of Management, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong

    Jane Moy

  3. Faculty of Business, Takasaki City University of Economics, 1300 Kaminamie-machi, Takasaki-shi, 370, Gunma, Japan

    Shigeru Sasaki

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  1. Dean Tjosvold
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  2. Jane Moy
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Tjosvold, D., Moy, J. & Sasaki, S. Managing for customers and employees in Hong Kong: The quality and teamwork challenges. J Market-Focused Manage 1, 339–357 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00233111

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