Abstract

As customer service quality becomes an important factor that is responsible for the firms’ overall successes, many organizations are trying to seek all related clues which can help them to enhance it. Thus, this research aimed to examine how job stress, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment affected customer service quality among bank employees in Cambodia. To accomplish this objective, 630 bank employees working at different banks in Cambodia were invited to answer questionnaires. Furthermore, a structural equation model was used to analyse data. Results indicated that banks could receive high organizational commitment when their employees obtained significant changes in job satisfaction and job stress. Meanwhile, banks could improve customer service quality if there were significant changes in organizational commitment and job stress, except job satisfaction. Finally, a mediation testing result confirmed organizational commitment as a full mediator between job satisfaction and customer service quality. Despite the results highlighted the significant impacts of job stress and organizational commitment on customer service quality, organizational commitment was the stronger factor promoting better customer service quality as this factor contributed higher degree of impact on customer service quality. Therefore, banks should pay more attention to prioritize and promote their organizational commitment among their employees.

Introduction

Customer service quality represents a critical component of business success, encompassing the delivery of accurate information and high-performance interactions to meet consumers’ needs [ 1 ]. Extensive research has underscored the pivotal role of superior customer service quality in garnering positive evaluations from customers, thereby fostering heightened satisfaction with firms [ 2 ]. Furthermore, it has been well-established that high service quality serves as a potent risk mitigator, engendering greater customer trust [ 3 ] and fostering enduring loyalty towards the same firms [ 4 ]. This symbiotic relationship between customer service quality, satisfaction, and loyalty not only fortifies customer retention rates but also contributes substantially to sustained revenues and business sustainability [ 5 , 6 ]. Given the prevalence of research in this area, including the focus of Goh et al. (2016) [ 7 ] on examining satisfaction in Internet banking within the Malaysian context, it is clear that a nuanced understanding of the root causes underpinning customer service quality is imperative for firms seeking to thrive in today’s competitive landscape.

Meanwhile, amidst the economic resurgence of Cambodia, a dynamic Southeast Asian nation, following the upheaval wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation has demonstrated an impressive average economic growth rate of approximately 5.1 % [ 8 ]. This economic revitalization has catalysed the resumption of business operations across various sectors, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs), underscoring the country’s resilient spirit and commitment to progress [ 9 ]. Notably, banks have played a pivotal role in this resurgence, extending an array of financial services to support businesses in Cambodia’s evolving economic landscape [ 10 , 11 ]. Amidst the proliferation of financial service offerings, banks have emerged as crucial facilitators, providing essential services such as e-banking, loans, and various card services (ATM, debit, and credit cards) to meet the diverse needs of businesses [ 11 ]. In this context, the delivery of exemplary customer service quality emerges as a paramount differentiator for banks seeking to distinguish themselves amidst intensifying competition [ 12 ]. Failure to meet customer expectations in terms of service quality may not only jeopardize satisfaction and trust but also impede customer retention, as businesses vie to attract and retain customers amidst an increasingly crowded marketplace [ 10 ]. Thus, it is imperative for banks to discern and comprehend the underlying factors influencing customer service quality to maintain their competitive edge and foster sustainable growth.

Conclusion

The main goal of this research was to examine the effects of job stress, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment on customer service quality in the banking industry. To achieve this aim, 630 bank employees who were from different banks in Cambodia were invited to fill in the survey with 100 % response rate. The results of this study indicated that banks’ organizational commitment was significantly influenced by their employees’ job stress and satisfaction. Moreover, organizational commitment and job stress significantly affected customer service quality while job satisfaction did not show any significant impact on customer service quality. Finally, the mediation testing result confirmed that organizational commitment was the mediator between job satisfaction and customer service quality. To sum up, organizational commitment was the main predictor of customer service quality because this factor had the strongest effect on customer service quality.

Despite achieving its primary objectives, this research is not without limitations. Firstly, reliance on self-reported responses from respondents may introduce bias into the findings. Respondents’ subjective interpretations of questionnaire items could influence their responses, potentially skewing the results. Future studies could mitigate this limitation by employing structured interviews to control for respondent bias and ensure more objective data collection. Secondly, the findings of this research are primarily contextualised within the banking industry, limiting their generalizability to other sectors such as airlines, tourism, and online shopping services. Variables affecting customer service quality may vary across industries due to unique customer expectations and service delivery mechanisms. Thus, future research should explore the applicability of identified variables in diverse industry contexts to enhance understanding of customer service quality across sectors.