From the Malcolm Baldridge Award criteria to a multitude of books on how to achieve it, everyone talks about what it takes to be a quality organization. But why does it only happen in some places? This research attempts to understand the role of manager personality in developing and maintaining an organizational climate that emphasizes service quality and yields customer satisfaction. Past research in such diverse settings as bank branches, truck rental sites, and hotels, among others has demonstrated the relationship between service climate and customer satisfaction. In a longitudinal study using qualitative and quantitative data, this research will test the hypothesis that manager personality is a direct cause of manager behavior and a principal influence on service climate and customer satisfaction. The alternative hypothesis that climate is a direct influence on managerial behavior is also tested. The research will be conducted in 210 Allstate Insurance company claims offices in collaboration with Allstate Research and planning Center (ARPC) in Menlo Park, California. Two major practical applications of the research will be (1) the identification of managerial behaviors and the service climate they produce and (2) specification of the personality attributes related to such managerial behavior.
