Store Manager Performance and Satisfaction

Effects on Store Employee Performance and Satisfaction, Store Customer Satisfaction, and Store Customer Spending Growth

Netemeyer, Richard G.
Maxham, James G. III
Lichtenstein, Donald R.

¹McIntire School of Commerce, University of Virginia
²Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado at Boulder

Richard G. Netemeyer, McIntire School of Commerce, University of Virginia, Rouss and Robertson Halls, PO Box 400173, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4173 [email protected]

Submission June 24, 2008. Revision August 10, 2009. Accepted September 2, 2009.

Journal of Applied Psychology 95(3):p 530-545, May 2010.

Based on emotional contagion theory and the value–profit chain literatures, the present study posits a number of hypotheses that show how managers in the small store, small number of employees retail context may affect store employees, customers, and potentially store performance. With data from 306 store managers, 1,615 store customer-contact employees, and 57,656 customers of a single retail chain, the authors examined relationships among store manager job satisfaction and job performance, store customer-contact employee job satisfaction and job performance, customer satisfaction with the retailer, and a customer-spending-based store performance metric (customer spending growth over a 2-year period). Via path analysis, several hypothesized direct and interaction relations among these constructs are supported. The results suggest implications for academic researchers and retail managers.