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Adolescent workers (under 20 years of age) fill the ranks of many service organizations, yet little is known about how they interpret their own work experiences. In response, this study places the adolescent worker's voice front and center, and gives voice to their interpretations of working in frontline service jobs. Using a multi-stage qualitative design, 60 in-depth interviews were conducted revolving around a sample of 17 adolescent worker 'triads'. Critical nuances about adolescent worker experiences are uncovered, with the onus on managerial practices rather than the type of job itself, and organizational capabilities to support adolescents' basic psychological needs are questioned. The paper questions the applicability of generic adult motivational theories (ie self-determination theory, SDT) to the adolescent work context. This study challenges the universally accepted need for autonomy for young workers, and identifies a dualistic nature of social bonds at work among adolescents. A pertinent need for dignity, a dimension not adequately accommodated in SDT is also uncovered. This work also contributes methodologically and demonstrates the value of multi-participant data triangulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple strands of service research have examined the mutually reinforcing relationships between service employees and their customers on the organizational frontline. However, recent technological innovations and employment trends are raising questions related to continued centrality of frontline employees in the management of services; and scholars are suggesting a more complex view of what takes place on the frontlines of contemporary service organizations. This paper symposium aims to pull together the distinct strands of literature dealing with the evolving nature of frontline service work and provide directions for future multidisciplinary research. We aim to accomplish this task of integration and reflection utilizing five papers, rooted in multiple disciplines, presenting insights on the current and evolving role of frontline service employees in relation to their customers. Further, utilizing the unique scholarly perspectives of our two discussants, distinct insights from all five papers will be integrated to propose a way forward for researchers interested in service-related phenomena. Interpersonal Interactions on the Frontline: Review and Recommendations Presenter: Anya Madeleine Johnson; U. Of Sydney Presenter: Markus Groth; UNSW Sydney Presenter: Yu Wu; UNSW Sydney Presenter: Helena Nguyen; U. Of Sydney Customer Mistreatment and Frontline Employee Retaliation Presenter: Mahmut Bayazit; Sabanci U. Presenter: Danielle Van Jaarsveld; U. of British Columbia Presenter: Pascale Fricke; U. of British Columbia Does Frontline Employee Engagement Influence Customer Engagement?: A Meta-Analysis Presenter: Eric J. Michel; Northern Illinois U. Presenter: Kristina Lindsey Hall; Louisiana State U. Presenter: Sven Kepes; Virginia Commonwealth U. Presenter: Matthew Leon; U. of North Florida Presenter: Ji Qi; Grand Valley State U. Presenter: Laurence Weinzimmer; Bradley U. Presenter: Anthony R. Wheeler; West Chester U. of Pennsylvania Delivering Compassionate Services in Health Care Presenter: Timothy J. Vogus; Vanderbilt U. Presenter: Laura McClelland; Virginia Commonwealth U. Presenter: Yuna Lee; Columbia U. Presenter: Kathleen McFadden; Northern Illinois U. Presenter: Xinyu Hu; Northern Illinois U. Positioning Frontline Employees for the Delivery of Hospitable Services Presenter: David Solnet; U. of Queensland Presenter: Mahesh Vaidyanathan Subramony; Northern Illinois U. Presenter: Robert C. Ford; UCF & Roy E. Crummer School of Business, Rollins College Presenter: Maria Golubovskaya; U. of Queensland Presenter: Hee Jung Kan; Virginia Tech Presenter: Murat Hancer; U. of Central Florida [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]