ارزیابی اجتماعی مدیران رستوران: تاثیرات بر روی اهداف کاری کارکنان Frontline Social Evaluations of Restaurant Managers: The Effects on Frontline Employees’ Job Attitudes and Turnover Intentions

1. Introduction Full service restaurants, which represent sit down eateries in which food is served directly to the customers’ table, include family dining, casual dining, and fine dining restaurants (National Restaurant Association [NRA], 2010). Of these three segments, casual dining restaurant owners and managers cite the recruitment and retention of employees as one of their most significant operational challenges (NRA, 2015). In fact, 23% of casual dining restaurant operators in the U.S. mention that the recruitment and retention of employees represents a significant obstacle, even more so than attracting new customers or bringing back repeat customers (NRA, 2015). As a result, hospitality researchers have a duty to resolve some of the recruitment and retention concerns that casual dining restaurant operators face, and to try to reduce the disproportionate turnover rates that inflict the restaurant industry (Tews et al., 2014). Despite that a variety of motives (e.g., workforce composition, low salaries) could eventually explain why restaurant workers tend not to remain in their jobs as long as employees from other sectors, there are likely issues related to the organizational culture and climate of casual dining restaurants influencing employees’ work attitudes and behavioral intentions (Aarons and Sawitzky, 2006). Accordingly, many studies have shown that the interactions or relationships between supervisors and subordinates represent one of the most significant factors influencing the job attitudes and turnover intentions of employees (Collins, 2010; Larsen et al., 2012; Lashley, 2000). A study by Larsen et al. (2012) found that the factors impacting the most job satisfaction and organizational commitment resulted from the observed social atmosphere (i.e., regarding guests and co-workers), together with superiors’ respect and fairness. In another study that examined the turnover intentions of managers, Walsh and Taylor (2007) identified the job characteristics that improve their commitment levels to their organizations and to the hotel industry, and those that reduce their probability of leaving both. Results suggested that hospitality managers tended to look for challenging jobs that offer growth opportunities, as well as competent leadership and fair compensation. Respondents also rated communication, trust, and confidence in others’ abilities as the most significant determinants for their work interactions (Walsh and Taylor, 2007). Therefore, when there is good communication in the workplace between employees and supervisors, and when subordinates evaluate their leaders as competent people, their job attitudes will likely improve as a result of such social perceptions or evaluations, which should then lead them to develop lower turnover intentions.