Appendix A

Operationalization of control and objective variables

Control variables

Innovation orientation (De Jong et al. 2003; α = .80).

1.I like to keep up with the latest technology developments in my areas of interest.
2.I enjoy the challenge of figuring out new technologies.
3.I am among the first in my circle of friends to acquire new technologies when they appear.
Learning orientation (Sujan et al. 1994; α = .86).
1. It is important for me to learn from each service visit that I do.
2. If I want to be a good employee, it is important to continuously improve my skills.
3. I find it important to always learn something new about my customers.
4.It is worth spending time to learn new approaches to serve my customers.

Autonomy (Arnold et al. 2000; Zhang and Bartol 2010;α = .91). Generally, my manager…

1. Gives me significant autonomy in determining how I do my job.
2.Provides me with the freedom to decide on my own how to go about doing work.
3.Gives me considerable opportunity for independence and freedom in how I do my job.
Self-efficacy (Spreitzer 1995; α = .87)
1. I am confident about my ability to do my job.
2.I am self-assured about my capabilities to perform my work activities.
3. I have mastered the skills necessary for my job.
Objective variables
Failure complexity
The number of repeat visits scheduled for product failures that could not be solved in one service visit (due to previously unencountered issues) relative to a frontline service employee’s total number of service visits.
Recovery speed
Composite measure of average problem solving speed by a specific frontline service employee (Mean Time to Repair, corrected for product-specific norms) and his/her average service visits per day (corrected for number of working days).
Recovery quality
Average uptime of products served by a specific frontline service employee (Mean Time between Failure, corrected for product-specific norms).

Note: the control variables age, job experience and organizational tenure

were measured in months.