Concepto de oración

Emotional intelligence has been widely discussed within both business circles and academia, since the publication of Goleman’s book Emotional Intelligence in 1995. Popularisation of the term derives from the claim that it taps into the remaining variance in job performance that traditional forms of measuring intelligence leave unexplained (e.g., Goleman, 1998; Van Rooy & Visvervaran, 2004). Given that emotional intelligence has been identified as a potential factor in the service performance of casino key account representatives, the influence of emotional intelligence on the criterion variable, however, has been complex for the following reasons.

First, the predictive capacity of emotional intelligence appears to vary considerably depending on the context, criterion of interest, and specific theory used (Emmerling & Goleman, 2003; Van Rooy & Visvervaran, 2004). A number of researchers have viewed emotional intelligence as a valid predictor of performance in jobs which demand a high level of emotional intelligence (e.g., Cage, Daus & Saul, 2004; Daus, Rubin, Smith & Cage, 2004; Van Rooy & Visvervaran, 2004). These jobs, such as that of the customer service representative, typically demand a high level emotional labour (Daus & Ashkanasy, 2005).

Although it is founded on Thorndike’s (1920) social intelligence theory, emotional intelligence is widely regarded as a new psychological construct (e.g., Goleman, 1995; Mayer & Salovey, 1990). For a new construct to be welcomed into the psychology field, it must explain additional variance over the well-established constructs (e.g., Brackett & Mayer, 2003; Zeidner, Mathews & Roberts, 2004). The incremental validity of emotional intelligence, however, is complicated by the variety of theoretical models. These result in differing methods for measuring the construct. According to Petrides and Furnham (2000a, 2000b, 2001), emotional intelligence measured through performance-based tests is operationalised as a cognitive ability, classified as ability EI. In contrast, the measurement of emotional intelligence through self-report questionnaires leads to the construct operationalised as a personality trait, classified as trait EI. One might expect ability EI to demonstrate incremental validity over traditional intelligence, for example, General Mental Ability (GMA), while trait EI should explain additional variance in performance over personality measures (Petrides & Furnham, 2001).

Researchers have long studied personality traits as predictors of human behaviour and performance (e.g., Spivey, Munson & Locander, 1979). However, only a very small portion of variance in performance can be explained by the basic personality traits (e.g., Hurley, 1998). This weak link between personality traits and performance prompted the introduction of the concept surface trait. According to Brown, Moven, Donavan and Licata (2002), basic personalty traits may be too far from focal behaviours to be effective predictors of performance; while surface traits mediate between basic traits and performance, and enhance the prediction of performance evaluation. Brown et al. (2002) proposed a hierarchical model of customer orientation

trait, surface traits, and service performance. Their results showed that the incorporation of a surface trait as the mediator enhanced the performance evaluation.

Casino key service representatives are the frontline service employees for casino key accounts, and trait EI is classified as a personality trait. On this basis, the current study uses the concept of trait EI in pursuit of the following objectives:

1. To investigate the relationship between trait EI as a personality trait and the service performance of casino key account representatives;

2. To examine the incremental validity of trait EI over personality factors by using the sample of casino key account representatives; and

3. To identify the surface traits for the current study and investigate the indirect relationship between trait EI and the service performance of casino key account representatives.

It is worth noting that the current study will use the Five Factor Model (FFM) of personality factors in analysing the incremental validity of trait EI. Proposed by Costa and McCrae (1985), the FFM of personality is one of the most prominent personality models. It measures five higher-order, orthogonal dimensions of personality: Extraversion, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Openness to Experience and Neuroticism.

Over several decades, personality characteristics have been shown to predict job performance. However, the wide variety of personality measures that have been utilised have confused the research findings. Salgado’s (2003) meta-analysis compared the criterion validity of different personality measures, and suggested the use of FFM for future personality research and practitioner personnel selection

decisions. In addition, the FFM of personality has been recognised as necessary and sufficient as a description of the structure of personality internationally, as it emerges across languages and different theoretical perspectives, as well as in rating sources (Mount, Barrick & Stewart, 1998). This study extends its application by analysing the relationship with the service performance of casino key account representatives.

Another aim of this study is to incorporate two very popular selling constructs – customer orientation and adaptability. They are two of the most commonly recognised relationship-oriented characteristics in the analysis of key account representative performance (see Keilor, Parker & Pettijohn, 1999; 2000). The incorporation of these two relationship-oriented behaviours as a factor of performance in the current study should help to substantiate Kale’s (2005) claim that the appropriate marketing approach for casino key accounts is relationship marketing. This is based on Wortuba’s (1996) proposal that when a firm pursues a relationship marketing strategy, its salespeople should adopt relationship selling behaviours. The link has been empirically tested and positive results were obtained for some relationship selling behaviours (Georges, Guenzi, & Pardo, 2004). Relationship-selling behaviours in the relevant literature have also been referred to as relationship-oriented characteristics (e.g., Keilor, Parker, & Pettijohn, 1999; 2000).

In the case of casinos, there is no particular physical product to be sold. However, casinos do offer a special product, namely gaming-related entertainment experiences consisting of services delivered by casino frontline employees (Macomber, 1999). These employees are service salespeople including the casino key account representatives. The latter are the sales force providing casino high-end market or key

accounts with appropriate services intending to satisfy customers and make them return (Kale, 2005).

Since these representatives are accountable for building relationships with casino clients and retaining them, their behaviours during the interactions with the clients should be regarded as relationship-oriented characteristics. Guenzi, Pardo and Georges (2004) found that key account representatives’ relationship selling behaviours impact upon customer trust, which in turn affects the salesperson’s performance (Crosby, Evans, & Cowles, 1990). Keilor, Parker and Pettijohn (2000) proposed direct association between relationship-oriented characteristics and salesperson performance, showing that one of them had a significant relationship with performance. A similar study was conducted by Boles, Brashear, Bellenger and Barksdale (2000), but these authors incorporated personal factors as antecedents of relationship selling behaviours. Based on these studies, customer orientation and adaptability as relationship-oriented characteristics may affect the service performance evaluation of casino key account representatives. In addition, this thesis aims to identify the relevant impact of customer orientation and adaptability on performance ratings due to features special to the casino key account market. This finding would help casinos in selecting appropriate marketing strategies as well as facilitating the selection of appropriate training programs for casino frontline employees, particularly those having direct contact with casino key accounts.

In addition, customer orientation and adaptability are identified as the surface traits in the current study used to investigate their mediating effects between basic personality traits (trait EI and the FFM of personality) and the service performance of casino key account representatives. Both customer orientation and adaptability have also been

identified as service encounter behaviours (e.g., Farrell, Souchon & Durden, 2001), which, according to Brown et al.’s definition (2002), can be characterised as surface traits. This link is elaborated in Chapter three.

Based on the above discussion, the following research questions are proposed:

1. Is trait EI related to the service performance of casino key account