Promoting service performance through leader–follower value congruence: the interactive effect of service leadership and customer orientation

Purpose While prior research has drawn on multiple theoretical frameworks to explain service performance, this study extends the literature by focusing on the role of leader-follower value congruence. Grounded in the person–environment fit perspective, this study investigates the joint impacts of service-oriented leadership and employees’ customer orientation on service performance through the mediating role of perceived leader–follower value congruence. Design/methodology/approach Survey data were collected from 520 employees in 19 medium- and large-sized hotels in Thailand. The research hypotheses were tested using latent moderated mediation structural equation modeling with clustered standard errors. Findings As expected, service leadership had a positive effect on service performance via leader–follower value congruence. Moreover, employees’ customer orientation enhanced the indirect relationship between service leadership and service performance via leader–follower value congruence. Practical implications The findings emphasize the importance of leadership training programs that cultivate high service standards. Service leaders should align their behaviors with employee expectations through regular feedback. Additionally, customer orientation should be prioritized in hiring and value congruence should be evaluated both during recruitment and through continuous employee evaluations. Originality/value This study is among the first to highlight the critical role of value alignment between leaders and employees in driving service performance. It contributes to the literature by examining both subjective fit (leader–follower value congruence) and objective fit (the interaction between service leadership and follower customer orientation), offering a more comprehensive understanding of person–environment fit in service contexts.