A Multilevel Theoretical Framework Integrating Diversity and Emotional Labor

Abstract

Science designed to understand the effects of diversity in organizations and science designed to understand the processes and outcomes of emotional labor have accumulated with increased rapidity, but rarely have the two research streams merged. We present a conceptual framework to integrate diversity with emotional labor, with the goals of prompting new research pathways and forging better understanding of the role emotional labor processes play in diverse work environments. This multilevel framework allows for conceptualizing and testing ideas about the interplay of both of these concepts at the individual and team levels, and introduces potential boundary conditions for their effects.