Casting for service innovation: The roles of frontline employees

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore the roles of frontline employees (FLEs) in service innovation processes and how they contribute to these roles. In the literature, FLEs are argued to play an important role in service innovation; however, neither the potential types of roles nor what taking on these potential roles means to FLEs, have previously been studied. This study investigates FLEs' actions in different types of service innovation processes. Based on analyses of eight different service business units, FLEs are identified as having either of two sets of roles: (1) leading roles as idea creators, developers and implementers, or (2) supporting roles as problem reporters, advisors and executors. The analysis provides managers with guidelines which can help them to better utilize FLEs as contributors to service innovation, either as leading or supporting actors. These imply different management challenges, which are discussed. Advice on how to tackle these challenges is given on the basis of the findings.

Tracking hidden innovations in tourism

“…In line with literature arguing that employees play a role in generating innovation (Engen, 2016; Engen & Magnusson, 2018; Suliman, 2001), our findings demonstrate how employees (including frontline employees) and department managers play roles in triggering and driving hidden innovations. The sampled department managers expressed a positive attitude towards their workplace and colleagues.…”

Design and the customer experience: The challenge of embodying new meaning in a new service

“…This is in line with Goldstein et al (2002) for whom a key feature of the service concept is granting organizational alignment. This is especially critical in the case of radical innovation in services, where the activities are extremely uncertain and dynamic (O'Connor & Rice, 2013), and value delivery depends on customers to front‐end the employees' relationship (Engen & Magnusson, 2018; Vargo & Lusch, 2008). Therefore:H2 MoM allows the higher scalability of the service concept over different services.…”

To what extent are digital influencers creative?

“…Creativity is affected by all levels of management through the everyday practices of managers when dealing with individuals, teams and their projects. Individual creativity is also affected by the daily attitudes and behaviours of co‐workers, through interactions and team dynamics (Engen & Magnusson, 2018).…”

“…Individual creativity is also affected by the daily attitudes and behaviours of co-workers, through interactions and team dynamics (Engen & Magnusson, 2018). Anderson, Potočnik, and Zhou (2014) propose an integrated definition in which creativity and innovation are the process, the result and the product of attempts to develop and introduce new and improved ways of doing things.…”