THE EFFECT OF PROACTIVE PERSONALITY ON CUSTOMER-ORIENTED BEHAVIORS: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF EMPLOYEE CREATIVITY

Abstract

Purpose - The study explores creativity as a mediator in the impact of proactive personality on customer orientation in light of Allport’s trait theory, 1961. Methodology/Design - The study was conducted in four- and five-star hotels in a destination resort, Cesme, Izmir. The data was obtained via a questionnaire. 194 valid questionnaires were subjected to reliability and validity test. The hypothesized relationships were tested by regression. Findings - The results show that although proactive personality increases hotel employees’ creativity, proactive personality decreases their customer-oriented behavior. In addition, the results show that employee creativity has a partial mediating effect on the relationships between proactive personality and customer orientation. Originality of the research - The results can contribute to the literature on customer orientation in the hospitality industry and assist hoteliers in hiring the right employee. They offer practical implications to encourage the proactive and creative tendencies of their current employees.

Keywords

• proactive personality
• creativity
• customer orientation
• hotels