The Effect of the Servicescape on Service Workers

Abstract

Although studies have provided evidence that characteristics of the physical environment (servicescape) affect employees' attitudes (e.g., job satisfaction), these studies were limited in the scope of the characteristics they examined. Furthermore, they did not delineate the processes through which (a) the servicescape affects the attitudes and (b) the attitudes generate outcomes beneficial to service firms. Specifically, this research considered the effects of three elements of the servicescape (pleasantness, safety, and convenience) upon service workers' job stress and job satisfaction and, subsequently, their commitment to the organization and referral intentions. The authors developed a model to embody these processes and tested this model by conducting a quasi-experiment with longitudinal data from nurses working in a hospital that added a new wing to its existing facility. Their analysis of responses from the nurses supports the model, and they suggest implications for service firms in managing the servicescape.