Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate how frontline service employees’ (FSEs) perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) can enhance meaningful work perceptions as well as help alleviate FSEs’ perceptions of verbal dysfunctional customer behavior. Design/methodology/approach: The conceptual model is empirically examined through a survey of 306 FSEs of a large insurance company in South Korea and tested via structural equation modeling. Findings: The results indicate that FSEs’ perceptions of CSR are negatively related to their perceptions of verbal dysfunctional customer conduct, which in turn is shown to be directly linked to emotional exhaustion. FSEs’ CSR perceptions strengthen their view that they are performing meaningful work (i.e. perceived task significance), which in turn strengthens their job satisfaction. Practical implications: CSR has a preventive effect on workplace stress reduction, as FSE perceptions of CSR may help them cope with the emotional fatigue of dealing with dysfunctional customer behavior. CSR also provides a needs fulfillment effect, as FSEs’ perceptions of CSR foster perceived task significance and helps reduce their emotional exhaustion from work. Originality/value: This is the first study to examine the potential impact of CSR within the context of FSEs’ boundary spanning emotional labor.

Few studies have reported on how customer value is co-created in healthcare service delivery, and its effect on patients’ perceptions of wellbeing. It is important to examine physician-patient interaction in the context of a healthcare sector characterized by complex, specialized services and to determine how value is thereby co-created. This study’s purpose is to investigate the potential impact of patient participation through physicians’ resource offering on patient experiential value and wellbeing. Data was collected through a questionnaire survey of actual patients in South Korea, whose responses were analyzed via structural equation using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 22.0. IBM Corp.: Armonk, NY, USA. The results indicate that physicians provide significant affective and cognitive resources to patients; in turn, patients are actively involved in the medical encounter process. These co-creation activities lead to increases in patients’ experiential value and perceived wellbeing. Patients’ play a major role in problem-solving, and service providers contribute resources such as professional expertise and affective care. Healthcare service providers can refer to the service process model proposed herein and aim to maximize patients’ roles and use of their resources for patients’ wellbeing.