Beyond organisational support: exploring the supportive role of co-workers and supervisors in a multi-actor service ecosystem

Customer engagement in a value co-creation processes is an attractive proposition for firms as it closely mirrors consumer needs, encourages their participation in service consumption, improves their perception and reduces uncertainty and risk. This approach emphasizes the centrality of interaction among different actors within an ecosystem. Despite the critical role frontline employees play in customer engagement and relationship processes in a multi-actor system, there is a limited understanding of the role of co-workers and supervisors’ support in addition to organisational support for achieving high levels of employee and consequently customer engagement as well as reducing sales employees’ intention to quit. Using structural equation modelling and analyzing 481 employees’ data from an Italian retail chain, this paper analyses the impact of organisational and social support on employees’ job satisfaction, work engagement and intention to quit. Implications for theory and practice in value co-creation process in a multi-actor system are also discussed.