Emotion work as a source of employee well- and ill-being: the moderating role of service interaction type

Abstract

This study presents a framework for classifying service occupations based on the type of interaction between employees and customers to clarify the mixed relationships between emotion work and wellbeing. Drawing on the challenge-hindrance stressor literature, we propose that positive emotion requirements are a challenge stressor for almost all service providers, while negative emotion requirements and emotion-rule dissonance are only challenge stressors in certain service contexts. Data from 33 independent samples comprising 7,075 employees showed that all emotion work variables were positively related to emotional exhaustion. In line with expectations, only positive emotion requirements were consistently and positively linked to personal accomplishment. Service interaction type measured by expert ratings was used to test under what circumstances negative emotion requirements and emotion-rule dissonance are challenge stressors with positive consequences. Results revealed that negative emotion requirements were positively related to personal accomplishment when interactions were highly complex and employees were highly required to identify with customers. When interactions were standardized and of low complexity, when service providers were substitutable, and when there was no need to identify, there were negative relationships. For emotion-rule dissonance, positive relationships emerged when employees engaged in standardized interactions, were substitutable, but needed to identify with customers.

What About Me? The Importance of Teacher Social and Emotional Learning and Well-Being in the Classroom

“…The PERMA model has been expanded to incorporate health, which includes nutrition, movement, and sleep (Butler & Kern, 2016). This model has been applied to educational systems as a way to prioritize well-being in schools (Kern et al, 2021).…”

Interaktionsordnungen der Dienstleistungsarbeit – ein Rahmenkonzept zu ihrer Analyse und gesundheitsförderlichen Gestaltung

“…2021, S. 4) Die kundenspezifische Gestaltung der Dienstleistungsinteraktion (customization of service interactions) bezieht sich auf das Ausmaß, in dem es erforderlich ist, die Dienstleistungsarbeit kundenindividuell anzupassen. Bei einem hohen Grad an kundenspezifischer Dienstleistungsinteraktion wird von Beschäftigten erwartet, ein breiteres Spektrum an Arbeitsemotionen -inklusive negativer Gefühle -in der Interaktionsarbeit auszudrücken (Kern et al 2021). Beschäftigte, deren Interaktionsarbeit kaum kundenspezifisch ausgerichtet ist, orientieren sich eher an standardisierten Vorgaben und Skripten im Umgang mit Kund:innen, wobei primär der Ausdruck positiver Emotionen erwünscht wird.…”

“…al. 2021, S. 4) Das Kernmerkmal der Identifikation mit Kund:innen wird definiert als "the extend to which service employees are required to take a customer's perspective and identify with customer needs" (Kern et. al.…”

“…Kern et al (2021) haben in ihrer Studie zur Analyse des Zusammenhangs zwischen Emotionsarbeit und dem Wohlbefinden von Dienstleistenden vier Typen oder Kernmerkmale der Dienstleistungsinteraktion (in Bezug auf die Emotionsregulation von Dienstleistenden) identifiziert (Kern et al 2021, S. 4 ff. ): die Komplexität der Dienstleistungsinteraktion, ihre kundenspezifische Gestaltung, die Nicht-Ersetzbarkeit der Dienstleistenden und die Identifikation mit Kund:innen.…”

Emotion Regulation and Service-Related Attitudes: Connecting Customer Orientation and Service Organization Identification with Customer Interactions

“…Of course, the generalizability of our results is limited, as we assessed only one type of job in only one organization. Further research in question of a broader variety of service professions and service interaction types (cf., Kern et al 2021) is necessary. It remains to be seen whether these results are transferable to occupational groups, e.g., police officers or teachers who, in contrast to flight attendants, must show negative emotions much more frequently (Fischbach 2003).…”