Study on Relations among Emotional Labor, Burnout, Engagement and Customer Orientation of High School Foodservice Employees in Busan Area

Abstract

Abstract The purpose of this study was to obtain data to improve customer orientation by managing emotional labor in foodservice employees. This study investigated the correlation between emotional labor (surface acting, deep acting), job burnout (emotional exhaustion, cynicism), and job engagement (vigor, dedication, absorption) in high school foodservice employees, and how they affect customer orientation. Our survey was administered to 330 school foodservice employees in the Busan area from June 2 to June 27, 2015. A total of 321 questionnaires were used for final analysis. The mean values for deep acting (p<0.01), cynicism (p<0.01), and dedication (p<0.05) significantly according to the position of the emproyees. The mean customer orientation significantly according to employment status (p<0.01) and meal service time (p<0.01). There was positive correlation (p<0.01) between surface acting, and emotional exhaustion cynicism, but negative correlation (p<0.01) between surface acting and vigor, dedication, absorption, and customer orientation. Deep acting had negative correlation (p<0.01) with emotional exhaustion and cynicism, positive correlation (p<0.05) with vigor, dedication, absorption, and customer orientation. Surface acting had negative influences on emotional exhaustion and cynicism, cynicism had negative influences on vigor, dedication, absorption, and customer orientation. Deep acting had positive influences on absorption and customer orientation, absorption had positive influences on customer orientation. Thus, nutrition teacher(dietitian) should educate foodservice employees the positive effects of deep acting to change their surface acting to d eep acting, while actively managing internal customers.Key words: school foodservice employee, emotional labor, burnout, engagement, customer orientation