Emotional intelligence at the heart of customer orientation : the front-office bank employee perspective
Hiba Elbirou
Purpose This study aims to discern and refine the role of emotional intelligence (EI) in the development of customer orientation among banking employees in Morocco. This analysis seeks to enhance understanding about the significance of this emotional skill within the Moroccan banking sector. Design/methodology/approach The research embraces an interpretivist philosophical perspective to gain insight into the subjective meanings and experiences of study participants. The methodology employed is qualitative, involving data collected from semi-structured interviews conducted with 21 front-office bank employees. The analysis of the data was conducted through employing thematic analysis. Findings The findings of this study conclude that emotional intelligence fosters and stimulates customer orientation for bank employees. The perception, understanding and effective management of emotions - both those of the contact personnel and their customers - enable employees to better comprehend customer reactions. They experience heightened empathy through the impact of accumulated professional experience, adapt their behaviors according to the emotional state of the customer, maintain a positive relationship with them and ultimately gain their confidence. Originality/value This study offers clear theoretical explanations and conceptualizations that have identified and linked pertinent literature on the topic. It focuses on a salient subject, investigating how emotional intelligence influences the customer-oriented behavior of front-office bank employees. Notably, this study represents one of the first attempts to explore this relationship within the Moroccan context. As a result, it contributes to the enhancement of managerial practices and human resource policies, thereby fostering a more productive and harmonious working environment.
Year of publication: |
2024
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Authors: | Elbirou, Hiba |
Published in: |
Journal of Trade Science. - Bradford : Emerald, ISSN 2755-3957, ZDB-ID 3186295-0. - Vol. 12.2024, 2, p. 134-152
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Subject: | Customer orientation | Emotional intelligence (EI) | Front-office bank employees | Moroccan banking | Semi-structured interview | Intelligenz | Intelligence | Beziehungsmarketing | Relationship marketing | Emotion | Bank | Bankberufe | Bank employees |
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