In the era of technological advancements such as artificial intelligence and robotics, the working environment of service employees is changing, and the need to self-regulate their learning efforts has reached a pinnacle. The purpose of this study is to investigate how supportive resources (organizational investments in social capital, supervisor support and favorable customer feedback) facilitate service employees' self-regulated learning competencies (SRLCs) and how individual factors (self-efficacy and goal orientation) regulate service employee performance outcomes (commitment to service quality and job performance).
Drawing on the social cognitive theory and social capital perspectives, a quantitative survey was implemented with 516 service employees of a corporation operating in Turkey in various service sectors (i.e. retailing, health and technology). The data are analyzed through a covariance-based structural equation model.
Results showed that organizational, supervisory and customer-level supportive resources improved SRLCs and subsequently performance outcomes. Service employees' goal orientation and self-efficacy attenuate the relationship between supportive resources and SRLCs.
This paper enhances the current literature by investigating SRLCs of frontline service employees who need more dynamic and adaptive self-managed self-regulated learning rather than passive training activities. Moreover, the unexpected negative effect of regulatory mechanisms (goal orientation and self-efficacy) on the relationship between supportive resources and SRLCs opens new avenues for managers.
