The Role of Perceived Employee Emotional Competence in Healthcare Services

The purpose of this study is to examine how healthcare clients’ perceptions of employee emotional competence (EEC), influences satisfaction and loyalty, specifically the role of rapport and trust in this mechanism. This is a rather neglected topic in services research, which may contribute to better theorizing the role of perceived EEC. An empirical quantitative analysis reveals that perceived EEC leads to more satisfied and loyal clients in healthcare services. Additionally, rapport and trust were found to have a central role in leading to satisfaction and trust. Moreover, rapport was found to influence loyalty through trust, which reveals the mechanism through which rapport operates. Healthcare service managers may benefit from higher levels of emotional competences of their employees, and thus build rapport and trust in healthcare services.