The mobilization of employees’ psychological resources: how servant leadership motivates pro-customer deviance

Purpose Drawing on social learning theory and conservation of resources theory, this study aims to investigate how servant leadership (SL) is linked to employees’ pro-customer deviance (PCD) through the serial mediating effects of perceived organizational support for creativity (POS) and creative self-efficacy (CSE), work autonomy (WA) and CSE. Design/methodology/approach This study used an online questionnaire survey platform to accurately distribute the questionnaire to the target population. Data were collected from 439 frontline employees working in hotels. The data were analyzed with a structural equation modeling approach to identify the complex relationship. Findings Using an online survey, this study demonstrated the significant positive effect of SL on PCD and further revealed the two serial mediating paths (POS → CSE; WA → CSE) of the SL effect. Practical implications The findings of this research generate valuable implications for practitioners and managers. Managers need to be aware of the objectivity and universality of PCD in service delivery scenarios and fully understand how their leadership style influences the internal motivation and external performance of employees engaged in this behavior. Originality/value This study makes a prominent contribution to the hospitality literature by focusing on PCD. This study enriches the research on the antecedents of PCD, constructs a cross-level multipath mechanism model of PCD in the context of SL and reveals the rationalization process and nature of employees’ PCD.