Feeling and Acting like a Teacher: Reconceptualizing Teachers’ Emotional Labor

2020 ◽  
Vol 122 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-36
Author(s):  
Christy Galletta Horner ◽  
Elizabeth Levine Brown ◽  
Swati Mehta ◽  
Christina L. Scanlon
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Labor ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Service Industries ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Display Rules ◽  
Surface Acting ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Feeling Rules

Background/Context Empirical research indicates that teachers across ages and academic contexts regularly engage in emotional labor, and this emotional labor contributes to their job satisfaction, teaching effectiveness, burnout, and emotional well-being both within and outside the classroom. However, because the initial research on emotional labor was situated in the service industries (e.g., restaurants, call centers, airlines), researchers have suggested that the emotional labor framework as it applies to teaching only provides a partial picture of teachers’ deeper and more complex emotional practice. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study This study aims to determine whether and how teachers’ descriptions of their own emotional practice map onto existing emotional labor constructs (emotional display rules, and deep and surface acting) and how the framework may be adapted to better support teachers’ implementation of emotional labor. Setting Participants worked in five charter schools within the same school district but in different areas of a mid-Atlantic metropolitan city. This district identifies itself as serving 4,000 students from “underserved communities” across 13 locations. Population/Participants/Subjects Full-time K–12 educators (N = 68) who worked across academic subjects (e.g., math, science, language arts) or special subjects (e.g., music, art) participated. Research Design The current study is qualitative; we employed adapted grounded theory. Data Collection and Analysis We conducted individual face-to-face semistructured interviews with participants; audio recordings were transcribed verbatim. We developed a codebook through a collaborative and iterative process, and we achieved high interrater reliability before using Dedoose to code the full corpus of data. Findings/Results There were two key findings: (1) teachers perceived feeling rules in addition to display rules, and (2) teachers described an emotional acting strategy in which they modulated the expressions of their authentic emotions, which we call modulated acting, in addition to surface and deep acting. Conclusions/Recommendations Including teachers’ perceptions of feeling rules and use of modulated acting in emotional labor research has the potential to enhance our understanding of how emotional labor relates to outcomes that are important for both teachers and their students. In addition, we urge teacher educators to include emotional labor in their curricula. Though further research is needed to build a strong literature base on ways in which teachers’ emotional labor may connect to their own and their students’ outcomes, the emotional labor constructs already have the potential to be useful for both preservice and practicing teachers.

A motivational approach to emotional labor: Examining the link between goal orientation and emotional labor strategies

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Mahsa Esmaeilikia ◽  
Markus Groth
Keyword(s):  
Goal Orientation ◽  
Emotional Labor ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Goal Orientations ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Surface Acting ◽  
Deep Acting ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Goal Orientation Theory

AbstractDrawing on goal orientation theory, in this study, we examine how an individual's motivational approach relates to the use of two common emotional labor strategies: surface acting and deep acting. In addition, we examine the role of self-efficacy as a mediating mechanism through which different goal orientations are related to different emotional labor strategies. To test our hypotheses, 262 U.S. full-time working adults from a variety of service occupations were surveyed. Consistent with the predictions of goal orientation theory, our results show that learning-oriented service employees tend to use deep acting, while performance-oriented service employees use both emotional labor strategies. Our findings also show that emotional labor self-efficacy plays a mediating role in the relationship between motivational approach and emotional labor strategy use.

Older and Less Deviant? The Paths Through Emotional Labor and Organizational Cynicism

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yisheng Peng ◽  
Jie Ma ◽  
Wenqin Zhang ◽  
Steve Jex
Keyword(s):  
Age Differences ◽  
Emotional Labor ◽  
Workplace Deviance ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Surface Acting ◽  
Deep Acting ◽  
Diverse Workforce ◽  
Organizational Cynicism ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Employee Age

Abstract Previous research suggests that workplace deviance, one of the most pressing problems for today’s organizations, tends to decline as employees age. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the age-deviance relationship. Using aggregated 5-day daily diary data in a sample of 158 Chinese full-time employees, the present study examined age differences in the use of emotional labor strategies (i.e., surface acting and deep acting) and how these age differences relate to employee workplace deviance via organizational cynicism. Results found that age was negatively related to the use of both surface acting and deep acting. Emotional labor strategies (i.e., surface acting and deep acting) and organizational cynicism serially mediated the relationship between employee age and workplace deviance. The current research deepens our understanding of the process by which employee age relates to workplace deviance. This study also has implications for the management of an increasingly age-diverse workforce and can guide future interventions aiming at reducing workplace deviance, an issue of increasing concern to both organizations and society in general.

Emotional labor of customer service employees in China

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-16
Author(s):  
Yuyan Zhang ◽  
Alexandra Luong
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Emotional Labor ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Surface Acting ◽  
Chinese Sample ◽  
Deep Acting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees

Purpose The current study aims to examine the antecedents and outcomes of emotional labor strategies (i.e. surface acting and deep acting) among service employees in China. The study proposed employees’ perceived closeness with customers and customers’ socioeconomic status will predict deep acting and surface acting, respectively. It further examined the mediating role of emotional labor between perceived customer attributes and employee well-being (i.e. burnout and job satisfaction). Design/methodology/approach One hundred and one employees at a jewelry store in China completed a survey regarding their perceptions of customers, use of emotional labor and well-being (e.g. job satisfaction and burnout). Correlational and regression analyses were conducted to examine the predictors and outcomes of different emotional labor strategies. Findings Perceived closeness with the customer group predicted employees’ use of deep acting, whereas perceived customer socioeconomic status did not predict the use of surface acting. Deep acting was negatively related with burnout, whereas surface acting did not predict burnout. Deep acting mediated the relationship between perceived closeness with customers and burnout. Practical implications To maintain employee well-being, organizations can promote a service climate to enhance employees’ perceived relationship with customers. Originality/value The study specifies the interpersonal context in which employees use different emotional labor strategies; the perceived closeness with customers predicts less burnout via the use of more deep acting. This study also supplements the existing research on emotional labor based on a Chinese sample; deep acting predicts employee well-being.

Labors of love: service employees on customer participation

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 585-607
Author(s):  
Laee Choi ◽  
Charles A. Lawry
Keyword(s):  
Job Stress ◽  
Emotional Labor ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Customer Participation ◽  
Surface Acting ◽  
Deep Acting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Impact

PurposeVery few studies have considered how customer participation (CP) influences service employees' well-being. CP may lead employees to engage in emotional labor strategies (surface/deep acting), which can elevate their job stress. Whereas surface acting involves falsifying emotions, deep acting involves empathizing with others. Therefore, the current article examines how these emotional labor strategies arise from CP and create job stress.Design/methodology/approachStudy 1 is an online survey of service employees' wellbeing during CP (n = 509). Study 2 compares service employees' responses within hedonic and utilitarian service settings through a scenario-based experiment (n = 440). PROCESS was used to analyze the data in both studies.FindingsFirst, study 1 supports that perceived CP increases job stress. Secondly, surface acting mediates the link between CP and job stress, but deep acting does not. Thereafter, Study 2 shows that the link between CP and job stress decreases as employee-customer identification (ECI) increases only during surface acting. Additionally, the impact of surface acting on job stress during CP is greater for hedonic services than utilitarian services, but there is no significant difference for deep acting.Originality/valueThis article contributes an original perspective by comparing models of service employees' responses to CP and job stress in hedonic versus utilitarian settings. Moreover, the intervening effects of ECI and emotional labor strategies on job stress, as demonstrated through these employee-facing models, offer added value to the CRM and co-creation literature.

scholarly journals How Does Emotional Labor Impact Employees’ Perceptions of Well-Being? Examining the Mediating Role of Emotional Disorder

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (23) ◽  
pp. 6798 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yao ◽  
Gao ◽  
Chen ◽  
Mu
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Emotional Labor ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Emotional Disorder ◽  
Surface Acting ◽  
Deep Acting ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Bank Employees

Since bank employees are prone to high psychological pressure, it is key to explore the influencing mechanism of their emotional labor so as to relieve their pressure, as well as improve organizational performance and service quality. This study aimed to investigate the effects of emotional labor on bank employees’ well-being and to determine the mediating role of emotional disorder in this relationship. Employees responded to a survey regarding their use of emotional labor as well as perceptions of their well-being and emotional disorder. The results showed that employees’ use of emotional labor was related to their perceptions of well-being and confirmed the mediating role of emotional disorder in this relationship. The results indicated that surface acting has a significant negative impact on employee well-being, while deep acting has a significant positive impact. Moreover, emotional disorder played a role in mediating emotional labor and employee well-being, and emotional disorder was positively correlated with surface acting and negatively correlated with deep acting. The results revealed that developing deep-acting skills is important for increasing front-line bank staff’s well-being in China, who are accustomed to repressing their emotions, and emotional disorder might occur more often than has been previously believed, which worsens their well-being.

scholarly journals Is Familism a Motivator or Stressor? Relationships Between Confucian Familism, Emotional Labor, Work-Family Conflict, and Emotional Exhaustion Among Chinese Teachers

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoshuang Zhu ◽  
Guoxiu Tian ◽  
Hongbiao Yin ◽  
Wenjie He
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Exhaustion ◽  
Emotional Labor ◽  
Family Conflict ◽  
Job Demands ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Surface Acting ◽  
Chinese Teachers ◽  
Work Family Conflict ◽  
Work Family

To reveal the cultural effect in the job demands-resources model, this study examined how Confucian familism, emotional labor, and work-family conflict (WFC) explain the variance in teachers’ emotional exhaustion, with a focus on the mediating roles of emotional labor and WFC. With a sample of 3,312 teachers in China, the results of this study revealed that surface acting and expression of naturally felt emotion (ENFE) and WFC mediated the relationship between familism and emotional exhaustion. Moreover, familism positively predicted deep acting, ENFE, WFC, and emotional exhaustion, while negatively predicted surface acting. These findings suggest that Confucian familism may play the dual role of motivator and stressor for Chinese teachers’ emotional labor and well-being. This study contributes to the job demands-resources theory by revealing the important role of cultural traditions and provides valuable information for interventions to sustain teacher well-being.

Emotional Labor and Occupational Well-Being

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis Cheung ◽  
Vivian Miu-Chi Lun
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Emotional Labor ◽  
Latent Profile Analysis ◽  
Profile Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Surface Acting ◽  
Job Outcomes ◽  
Behavioral Profile ◽  
Person Centered Approach ◽  
Different Levels

In the last three decades, emotional labor has been conceptualized as comprising three strategies, namely, surface acting, deep acting, and expression of naturally felt emotion. Research suggested that each emotional labor strategy relates differently to various health and job outcomes, such as burnout and job satisfaction. These findings and the conclusions drawn are predicated on compartmentalized treatment of the three strategies. A fundamental yet unresolved question concerns whether employees adopt more than one type of emotional labor in the workplace. In this study, we adopted latent profile analysis (LPA) to examine the behavioral profile (i.e., class) of employees’ deployment of emotional labor strategies and how these profiles relate to job satisfaction and burnout. Three latent classes were identified, and the results showed that employees with these different profiles reported significantly different levels of job satisfaction and burnout. These results provide support to a person-centered approach to understand the outcomes of performing emotional labor.

Pathways to Working Alliances: Special Educators’ Emotional Labor and Relationships with Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (7) ◽  
pp. 1-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Valenti ◽  
Elizabeth Levine Brown ◽  
Christy Galletta Horner ◽  
Duhita Mahatmya ◽  
Jason Colditz
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Behavioral Disorders ◽  
Emotional Labor ◽  
Display Rules ◽  
Surface Acting ◽  
Working Alliances ◽  
Student Relationships ◽  
Teacher Student Relationships ◽  
Teacher Student ◽  
Emotional Display

Background/Context Research has also shown that educators who are more socially and emotionally competent are more likely to create nurturing relationships and high-quality classroom environments that result in more academic success for students. Despite the importance of teacher-student relationships on student outcomes, limited research has investigated factors that contribute to development of these relationships, particularly for special education teachers (SETs) working with students with emotional/behavioral disorders (EBDs). Focus of Study This study explores educators’ emotions in the classroom through emotional labor theory, a framework for understanding how employees engage in the deliberate suppression or expression of emotions to achieve an organization's goals. We empirically investigate the potential connections between SETs’ perceptions of their administrators’ expectations about emotional displays, SETs’ emotional acting strategies, and teacher-student relationships. Setting This study was conducted within three schools in Western Pennsylvania serving students with EBDs in self-contained classrooms. Participants Participants included SETs (N = 61) serving K–12 students who have been identified as having EBDs. SET demographics were as follows: 75% female, average age 32 (range 23–51), and 97% Caucasian. Participants averaged 4.62 years of teaching experience with the study site. Research Design All SETs reported on their perceptions of emotional labor and their working alliances with each of their students in the fall semester. Students were nested within teachers, so we used multilevel path analyses to estimate mediational effects of emotional display rules and emotional acting on the teacher-student working alliance. Results The results of this study suggest important connections between SETs’ perceptions of emotional display rules, their use of emotional acting strategies, and their working alliances with students with EBDs. Specifically, SETs’ reported perceptions of negative display rules affected how they engaged in surface acting when interacting with students. SETs’ ratings of surface acting were associated with their working alliance tasks scores. Conclusions/Recommendations These findings confirm recent research showing that educators engage in emotional acting and that some dimensions of this acting contribute to their relationships with students. Our findings may also suggest that surface acting is an acceptable emotional acting strategy that supports SETs’ relationships with students. Because the emotional labor research in special education has yet to extrapolate on what display rules lead to the emotional acting strategies that the organization desires, how we make these rules more explicit could help teachers establish more sensibility regarding this area of their job.

Employees' Emotional Labor and Emotional Exhaustion: Trust and Gender as Moderators

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (5) ◽  
pp. 733-748 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenlan Wang ◽  
Shenghua Huang ◽  
Hongbiao Yin ◽  
Zheng Ke
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Exhaustion ◽  
Emotional Labor ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Surface Acting ◽  
Deep Acting ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Trust Relationships ◽  
Men Managers ◽  
And Gender

In order to obtain a comprehensive insight into the nature of service employees' emotional labor, we examined the effect of gender and employees' trust in colleagues on the relationship between their emotional labor and emotional exhaustion. We focused on two emotional labor strategies: surface acting and deep acting. Participants comprised 679 Chinese service employees. The results showed that trust in colleagues strengthened the negative relationship between employees' deep acting and emotional exhaustion but also exacerbated the positive relationship between employees' surface acting and emotional exhaustion. The exacerbating effect of trust was especially strong for female surface actors. The findings suggest that women have a propensity for risk aversion and are more sensitive to the establishment of trust relationships than are men. Managers should consider surface acting as part of the makeup of the psychological well-being of employees.

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