Service improvisation as a double-edged sword

This study explores a double edged-sword effect of service improvisation, considering both a positive (i.e., service recovery performance) and a negative (i.e., emotional exhaustion) outcome of service improvisation and proposing a way to minimize the negative outcome of service improvisation by testing the moderating effect of support for creativity. Using 550 frontline restaurant employees in the US, the results show that service improvisation is positively associated with service recovery performance and negatively associated with emotional exhaustion simultaneously. The negative link is mitigated by a group with high support for creativity. Theoretical and practical implications as well as recommendations for future research are discussed herein.