Exploring the impact of ethical leadership on proactive customer service performance

Employees’ proactive customer service performance can increase customers’ perceived service quality and satisfaction, which is important for the long-term development of service enterprises. Ethical leadership can affect employees’ attitude and behavior by showcasing ethical norms and improving employees’ recognition of the organization. Using social identity theory and social cognitive theory, this study proposed that the relationship between ethical leadership and proactive customer service performance would be mediated by organizational identity and moderated by service climate. Utilizing structural equation modeling, we found a positive association between ethical leadership and proactive customer service performance, in which organizational identity acted as a mediator and service climate acted as a moderator. This study has expanded understanding of the antecedents of proactive customer service performance and filled a research gap on the relationship between service climate and proactive customer service performance. It offers a reference point and guidance for the management practice of service enterprises.