Frontline employees' emotional labor toward their co-workers: The mediating role of team member exchange

Abstract

Drawing on job demands and resources and the conservation of resources theories, we examine the relationship between employees’ emotional labor (EL) toward their co-workers and turnover intention with a mediator of team-member exchange and a moderator of supervisory listening. The results of this study using 312 hotel employees revealed that the relationship between employees’ emotional labor (EL) toward their co-workers and turnover intention was mediated by team member exchange. A moderating effect of supervisory listening between surface acting toward co-workers and team member exchange was found, while a significant moderating effect of supervisory listening on the relationship between deep acting toward co-workers and team member exchange was not found. • This study highlights the importance of emotional labor toward co-workers in the hospitality industry. • TMX can be a good mediator to explain turnover intention of employees experiencing emotional regulations with co-workers. • The moderating role of supervisor's listening on the relationship between surface acting toward coworkers and TMX was found.