Workplace Emotions: A Study of Frontline Hotel Employees

Abstract

The study examines the phenomenon of emotional labour, with a special reference to the frontline hotel employees. Deep acting and surface acting have been discussed as emotion regulation processes. The study hypothesized that emotional labour results in emotional exhaustion and co-worker support acts as a moderator in the relationship between emotional exhaustion and emotional labour. Responses of 140 frontline hotel employees were measured using a self-administered questionnaire to obtain data on emotional labour, consequent emotional exhaustion and moderating role of co-worker support in the proposed relationship. The findings suggest that emotional labour leads to emotional exhaustion, and surface acting was positively related to emotional exhaustion and deep acting was negatively related to emotional exhaustion. Male and female employees, in similar profiles, showed differences in their emotional experiences and emotion regulation processes. Co-worker support was found to have a ‘reverse buffering’ effect suggesting that high level of co-worker support may result in decrease in job satisfaction as emotional labour increases. This was indeed an interesting observation. The article discusses the managerial implications of these findings.