The effects of job demands and resources on emotional labour and employees' psychological well-being

The research was designed to advance theoretical understanding of the construct of emotional labour by investigating its antecedents and outcomes. Emotional labour refers to the process of regulating one's inner feelings or outward expressions to display the appropriate emotions required by organizations. Employees perform emotional labour through two strategies: surface acting and deep acting. The primary objective of the thesis was to develop and empirically test an emotional labour model which was theorized using the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model. Specifically, the study hypothesized a model that emotional job demands (frequency of interactions, duration of interactions, and frequency of interactions with difficult customers) and resources (affectivity, perceived organizational support, and job autonomy) were antecedents of emotional labour (surface and deep acting), and emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction were outcomes of emotional labour. In addition to the direct relationships emotional labour has with antecedents and consequences, it was proposed that emotional job demands and resources would affect employees' wellbeing (emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction) regardless of whether emotional labour is employed. Data were collected via a self-administered questionnaire administered at two points in time (6 months apart). A total of 199 employees from different organizations in the service industry in Taiwan completed both questionnaires. Structural equation modelling and confirmation factor analysis techniques were employed to examine the proposed measurement model and to test the hypotheses. Results provided evidence of a well-fitting measurement model and support for a number of the hypotheses. The results showed that frequency of interactions with difficult customers and negative affectivity were predictors of surface acting, and positive affectivity was a predictor of deep acting. It was also found that emotional labour strategies (surface acting and deep acting) play an important role in determining employees' well-being. Surface acting was found to be positively related to emotional exhaustion and negatively related to job satisfaction, whereas deep acting was positively related to job satisfaction. In addition, individuals who were high on negative affectivity were likely to experience emotional exhaustion, while individuals who felt supported by their organizations were less likely to experience emotional exhaustion and more likely to be satisfied with their jobs. Finally, the results also suggested that surface acting mediated relationships between negative affectivity, and frequency of interactions with difficult customers, and emotional exhaustion and between negative affectivity and job satisfaction. Overall, the findings of the research have implications for human resource management, particularly within the service sector, in areas including selection, training, and organizational support. Detailed theoretical and practical implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.