Department
Business
Location
Bethel University
Document Type
Poster
Start Date
2-25-2026 4:00 PM
End Date
2-25-2026 5:00 PM
Abstract
Customer orientation is an employee’s natural tendency to focus on understanding and meeting customer needs. When frontline employees have this mindset, they tend to perform better in their jobs and receive stronger performance ratings--and their customers have higher levels of satisfaction. For employees who engage more frequently with customers, it also benefits them personally, leading to greater job satisfaction and stronger commitment to their organization. In work units that support a strong customer-focused climate, customer-oriented behaviors translate into higher sales and profitability without raising costs. Customer-oriented employees are also more likely to speak up with ideas that improve the customer experience, though in some cases they may bend rules to help customers, which can create mixed performance outcomes. Overall, customer orientation reduces stress and increases engagement, which helps employees stay motivated and lowers turnover. Together, these findings show that a genuine focus on customers benefits customers, employees, and organizations alike—especially when leaders create an environment that supports it.
Recommended Citation
Brown, Tom; Chaker, Nawar N.; Donavan, Todd D.; Gazzoli, Gabriel; Grizzle, Jerry W.; Lee, James M.; Mowen, John C.; and Zablah, Alex R., "The Effects of Customer Orientation of Frontline Employees, Their Customers, and Unit Profitability" (2026). Wednesday, February 25, 2026. 16.
https://spark.bethel.edu/dayofscholarship/spring2026/spr2026/16
Included in
The Effects of Customer Orientation of Frontline Employees, Their Customers, and Unit Profitability
Bethel University
Customer orientation is an employee’s natural tendency to focus on understanding and meeting customer needs. When frontline employees have this mindset, they tend to perform better in their jobs and receive stronger performance ratings--and their customers have higher levels of satisfaction. For employees who engage more frequently with customers, it also benefits them personally, leading to greater job satisfaction and stronger commitment to their organization. In work units that support a strong customer-focused climate, customer-oriented behaviors translate into higher sales and profitability without raising costs. Customer-oriented employees are also more likely to speak up with ideas that improve the customer experience, though in some cases they may bend rules to help customers, which can create mixed performance outcomes. Overall, customer orientation reduces stress and increases engagement, which helps employees stay motivated and lowers turnover. Together, these findings show that a genuine focus on customers benefits customers, employees, and organizations alike—especially when leaders create an environment that supports it.