Does workplace ostracism hurt service agents' value coproduction with customers? A differential sources and needs explanation

Abstract

This research examines how service agents’ experience of ostracism from different sources at work (supervisor versus coworker) influences customers’ perceived control and relational value in coproduction. Results from a laboratory experiment and a survey show that (1) supervisor exclusion threatens service agents’ efficacy needs. The service agents fortify the threatened efficacy needs in their service coproduction with customers, which in turn decreases customers’ perceived control value; (2) coworker exclusion threatens employees’ relational needs. The service agents try to fill the void by building relationship with customers in the coproduction, which in turn increases customers’ perceived relational value.