The mediating roles of personality and job satisfaction on internal marketing and customer orientation in the Nigerian Banking Industry

Abstract

More than 45,000 jobs have been lost in the consolidation reforms of Nigerian banking industry since 2005. The bank reformations often led to higher workloads on the remaining staff which affected the quality of service. This is due to extra workloads on employees who remain working in the banking sector to carry out several jobs or workloads due to downsizing exercise which contribute to many stress-related sickness. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationships between internal marketing, employee personality factors, job satisfaction and customer orientation of employees in Nigerian banking industry. In addition, the mediating effects of employee personality factors and job satisfaction on the relationship between internal marketing and customer orientation of employees in Nigerian banks were examined. A convenience sample of 221 frontline bank employees in Nigeria were selected as respondents in the study. Questionnaires served as the main instrument of the study for data collection and structural equation modeling was used for data analysis. The mediated theory of internal marketing and the big five personality theories were used to underpin the research framework which consisted of internal marketing, employee personality factors, job satisfaction and customer orientation. Results showed direct significant relationships between internal marketing and employee personality factors; internal marketing and customer orientation; employee personality and customer orientation; as well as internal marketing and job satisfaction. However, it was found that job satisfaction have no influence on customer orientation. In addition, internal marketing is found to be partially mediation through employee personality factors; while job satisfaction does not mediate the relationship between internal marketing and customer orientation of employees in Nigerian banks. Findings from this study serve as future guidelines for Nigerian banks to incorporate internal marketing as a core strategy in order to meet employees’ demands and fulfill customers’ needs.