Hospitality Management 20 (2001) 187-199
Control and role conï¬ict in food service providers
Androniki Papadopoulou-Baylissa, Elizabeth M. Inesonb,*, Derek Wilkiec
aHuman-IT Ltd., Cambridge, UK bHospitality and Tourism Management, Hollings Faculty, The Manchester Metropolitan University,
Old Hall Lane, Manchester M14 6HR, UK cStuart Robertson & Associates, The Manchester Metropolitan University, Old Hall Lane,
Manchester M14 6HR, UK
Abstract
Food service jobs are perceived as involving limited control and high role conï¬ict, attributable to their relatively low status and the boundary-spanning nature of their activities. Following on from job analyses pertaining to service provision, 161 students with service
provision work experience completed the Customer Contact Styles Questionnaire and a self- report instrument. Each student's performance was assessed by two restaurant supervisors. Correlational analyses identiï¬ed the personality requirements that the supervisors associated
with good service provision performance in the context of planning, decision-making and serving. It was concluded that dependable and low-proï¬le individuals are most appreciated by their supervisors. # 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Food service; Service provider; Performance; Control; Role conï¬ict; Personality
1. Introduction
Food service providers occupy organisational roles incorporating certain characteristics, namely, 'boundary-spanning' and 'subordinate', which are believed to be particularly problematic for the well-being of the individual and the organisation (cf. Weatherly and Tansik, 1992). Boundary-spanning roles were deï¬ned by Thomson (1962) as the roles that link the organisation with its environment through interaction between a member of the organisation and a non- member. Subordinate service roles, for example, waiter/waitress, receptionist, taxi- driver, bank-teller, sales-assistant, are found typically in organisations that have no
*Corresponding author. Tel.: +44-161-247-2741; fax: +44-161-247-6334.
E-mail address: e.ineson@mmu.ac.uk (E.M. Ineson).
0278-4319/01/$ - see front matter # 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 2 7 8 - 4 3 1 9 ( 0 0 ) 0 0 0 5 2 -...