Flight Attendants’ Emotional Labor and Exhaustion in the Taiwanese Airline Industry

Cheng-Ping Chang,Ju-Mei Chiu

doi:10.4236/jssm.2009.24036

Abstract

Few research studies have discussed the two variables of emotional labor and emotional exhaustion, and even fewer have examined flight attendants as the research subject. The current study employed a questionnaire method to examine 353 Taiwanese flight attendants’ feelings about emotional labor, the status of their emotional exhaustion, and the relationship between emotional labor and emotional exhaustion. The research results indicate that: 1) while the degree of emotional labor operating on female flight attendants is on the medium to high side, the attendants’ perception of emotional exhaustion is only medium; 2) female flight attendants’ emotional labor has a significant positive correlation with their emotional exhaustion; and 3) among the perspectives of emotional labor, the qualities of “deep emotional masking” and “multiformity” have a significant predictive effect on emotional exhaustion.

Highlights

In recent years, the industrial structure in Taiwan has changed such that the service industry has gradually replaced traditional manufacturing as the leading industry
Feelings of emotional exhaustion were stronger among flight attendants 31-35 years old than among attendants 20-25 years old
Flight attendants older than 41 years had the strongest feelings about emotional exhaustion

Summary

Introduction

The industrial structure in Taiwan has changed such that the service industry has gradually replaced traditional manufacturing as the leading industry. The airline industry has been part of the service industry since the government implemented the open sky policy of airline deregulation in 1987. High speed rail opened completely to traffic in 2007, taking away many passengers from airlines in western Taiwan. Understanding that a low price strategy cannot maintain passenger loyalty for any length of time, the airlines have changed their strategy to emphasize improved quality of service and maintenance of flight safety. These strategies encourage passengers to maintain a positive opinion about the airlines and to appreciate the quality of service they provide

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion