This study explored the occupational hazards faced by nurses in a district hospital in Ghana, analysed their psychological outcomes, and examined how emotional labour mediates nurses' behaviour in patient care. A focused ethnographic study. Over the course of 11 months, data were collected purposively from 31 general nurses and one key informant using in-depth interviews, participant observation, and informal dialogues. Data were analysed thematically using network analysis, supported by NVivo 12 Plus. Rigour was enhanced through prolonged engagement, triangulation, pilot testing, member checking, and peer debriefing. Two categories of psychological hazards emerged: default hazards (unavoidable), such as patient deaths, ubiquity of sickness, and unpleasant sights; and escapable hazards (somewhat avoidable), including work-related injuries and shift-work maladaptation. These hazards triggered grief, disgust, fear, anxiety, and fatigue, which nurses managed through emotional labour strategies: surface acting, deep acting, spiritual coping, peer support, and emotional detachment. While these strategies enabled professionalism, they often led to emotional dissonance, burnout, and strained relationships between nurses and patients. Occupational hazards in hospital wards carry significant psychological burdens that shape nurses' behaviour and professional conduct. Emotional labour mediates these responses, but reliance on individual coping strategies is unsustainable without institutional support. Comprehensive support systems, such as psychotherapeutic counselling during and after nursing school, are needed to mitigate the effects of these occupational hazards on healthcare providers. No patient or public contribution.

The role of emotional labour strategies for managing emotions to meet professional standards is highly demanding at the university level. The literature indicates that empirical studies in the Asian context are quite limited. Therefore, this work explored the impact of selected parameters on the utilisation of emotional labour strategies at the university level. To achieve this, a convergent mixed-method approach was employed. The quantitative component involved 466 university teachers, while the qualitative component comprised semi-structured interviews with 10 participants. The findings show that qualifications and teaching tenure increase teachers’ confidence and reduce stress, thereby enabling them to express themselves more authentically. Female teachers exhibited higher levels of emotional labour strategies compared to their male counterparts. Similarly, junior teachers are more likely to adopt surface acting strategies. Given these points, the university administration may organise targeted training programmes for less-experienced staff to help them use emotional labour strategies effectively. Based on these findings, important implications are out- lined for policymakers to consider the emotional labour factors influencing university teachers and to develop relevant training and policies.

ObjectivesThis study explored how end-of-life (EOL) care practitioners in Hong Kong engaged in emotional labor while fulfilling their professional roles in a Chinese cultural context.MethodsA sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was employed. A quantitative survey (n = 32) using validated scales that measured emotional job demands and emotional labor strategies was followed by in-depth interviews (n = 11) with EOL care practitioners from diverse disciplines. Survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while interview transcripts underwent thematic analysis.ResultsEOL care practitioners reported high emotional job demands, with deep acting being their preferred emotional labor strategy over surface acting. Three key themes emerged related to: (1) balancing emotional involvement and professional boundaries; (2) employing strategic emotional engagement; and (3) navigating cultural beliefs and family dynamics. This multidisciplinary workforce developed sophisticated practices to manage their emotions authentically while establishing protective psychological boundaries. These practices integrated the provision of emotional support with the navigation of tensions between Chinese cultural values and professional responsibilities.Significance of resultsThis study used mixed-methods to explore how traditional values were integrated into the everyday care practices of EOL practitioners in Hong Kong. The findings contribute to an innovative and culturally sensitive framework for exploring emotional labor in EOL care contexts. This is useful in both Chinese and multicultural care contexts.

Preterm birth (PTB) is a principal contributor to neonatal morbidity, wherein inflammation and dysregulated cell death pathways are implicated as key drivers in its pathogenesis. However, the role of the RIPK1/RIPK3-MLKL signaling axis, a critical regulator of necroptosis and inflammatory responses, remains poorly characterized in the context of PTB. Here, we sought to elucidate the role of RIPK1-mediated activation of the RIPK3-MLKL pathway in placental inflammation and its involvement in PTB pathogenesis. In vitro experiments were conducted using TNF-α-stimulated HTR8/SVneo trophoblasts, while an LPS-induced murine model was employed to mimic inflammation-associated PTB. RIPK1 expression was modulated via shRNA-mediated knockdown or pharmacological inhibition with GSK2982772 and Nec-1. Molecular analyses included qPCR, Western blotting, ELISA, and the assessment of necroptosis via PI staining. We found that TNF-α and LPS significantly upregulated RIPK1 expression and activated the RIPK3-MLKL pathway in both the cellular and animal models. RIPK1 knockdown or pharmacological inhibition attenuated TNF-α-induced proinflammatory cytokine release (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α), uric acid accumulation, RIPK3-MLKL pathway activation, and necroptosis in trophoblasts at both 24 and 48 h. Notably, in vivo treatment with Nec-1 ameliorated LPS-induced placental damage. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that RIPK1 drives inflammation and necroptosis in PTB through RIPK3-MLKL activation, suggesting that targeting RIPK1 may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for inflammation-associated preterm labor.

Purpose This study explores how active aging frameworks such as the active aging index (AAI), manage older workforces in rural Thailand and China. It examines the implications and limitations of using the AAI to oversee and quantify aging populations in low-income agrarian contexts, with a focus on managing older adults as a strategic labor resource. Design/methodology/approach Participatory action research is done in Talat Mai, Thailand, with 400 survey participants and 58 participants engaged in qualitative engagement. A dataset from Qixian County, Henan Province, China (n = 625) is also analyzed in addition to a Scopus literature search. Michel Foucault's concept of governmentality is used to explain how AAI mechanisms impact older adult labor participation, self-perception and local development roles. Findings In Thailand, the AAI supports community-based assessment of older adult capacity to work informally, guiding localized intervention strategies. In China, institutionalized AAI use and its adoption in the active aging scale enhance workforce-related planning and demographic targeting. However, both contexts reveal gaps in cultural fit, digital literacy and a risk of standardizing aging through labor-centric norms. Originality/value This paper reframes the AAI as a policy instrument for aging and a device for workforce governance and older staff management by aligning aging policy with labor strategy. Comparing two culturally distinct rural settings reveals how international aging metrics converge with national agendas and local labor conditions, reshaping the roles of older economic contributors.

Emotional labour has long been associated with personal and organizational outcomes such as burnout. However, theoretically dichotomising regulation into surface and deep acting may constrain the ecological validity of research as iterative and person-centered approaches to emotion regulation are not considered. Furthermore, recent research suggests self-compassion and experience may predict emotional labour regulation in psychologists, but specific mechanisms accounting for this relationship are unknown. We addressed these concerns by examining how self-compassion and career experience predict latent profiles of emotional labour regulation strategies in psychologists and subsequent burnout. We performed latent profile analysis, multinomial logistic regression, and a one-way between-groups ANOVA on data from 232 international psychologists across two time points. We found a similar but not identical pattern of latent profiles when compared to previous studies in different occupations. Self-compassion and career experience significantly predicted subsequent profile membership and profiles characterized by less surface acting and more authentic and genuine emotional displays had statistically significantly lower levels of emotional exhaustion. Our findings suggest that self-compassion promotes adaptive emotional labour regulation strategies in psychologists, that experienced clinicians express emotion more authentically, and that regulation that involves authentic and genuine expression is linked with lower emotional exhaustion.

BackgroundPsychiatric nurses engage in high levels of emotional labor, which can significantly influence their burnout and job performance. While prior research has linked emotional labor to burnout, the nuanced interplay between different emotional regulation strategies remains underexplored. This study examines the distinct roles of surface acting (modifying outward expressions without changing internal feelings) and deep acting (adjusting internal emotions to align with external expectations) in psychiatric nursing, identifying their differential associations on burnout through network bridge analysis and latent profile analysis.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted among 199 psychiatric nurses in a mental hospital in Wenzhou, China. Emotional labor was assessed using the Emotional Labor Scale, and burnout was measured with the Maslach Burnout Inventory-GS. Network bridge analysis was applied to identify key connections between emotional labor strategies and burnout dimensions. LPA was applied to reveal distinct emotional labor patterns.ResultsSurface acting emerged as the primary bridge linking emotional labor to burnout, displaying strong associations with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. LPA identified four emotional labor profiles: moderate emotional labor (63.32%), low emotional labor (5.03%), high emotional labor (23.62%), and deep acting dominant (8.04%). Nurses in the deep acting dominant profile exhibited significantly lower burnout levels compared to other groups (p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 0.90–1.28), suggesting that deep acting mitigates burnout risks.ConclusionThese findings highlight the maladaptive effects of surface acting and the protective role of deep acting. Targeted interventions fostering deep acting may enhance psychiatric nurses’ well-being and resilience. Future research should explore longitudinal shifts in emotional labor strategies.

This study examines the influence of emotional labor strategies on customer satisfaction in Jordanian small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with emotional intelligence (EI) serving as a moderating variable. Data from 190 customer-facing employees were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Results confirmed that deep acting has a positive influence on customer satisfaction, whereas surface acting has a negative impact. EI was found to mitigate the negative effect of surface acting, but unexpectedly, it also attenuated the positive effect of deep acting. The findings challenge the universal applicability of EI benefits, highlighting cultural particularities in service interactions. For Jordanian SMEs, prioritizing genuine emotional engagement (deep acting) in training is more critical than generic EI training.

The aim of this study was to examine organizational attractiveness, emotional labor, and happiness at work among physical education teachers and to determine whether these variables differ according to demographic characteristics. The study was conducted using a relational survey design. The population consisted of physical education teachers working in public and private schools on the European side of Istanbul. A total of 286 teachers participated in the study; however, following the data screening process, 57 questionnaires were excluded due to missing or invalid responses, and statistical analyses were conducted using data from 229 participants. Data were collected using the Organizational Attractiveness Scale, the Emotional Labor Scale, and the Short Happiness at Work Scale and analyzed with IBM SPSS 25.0 (IBM SPSS Corp.; Armonk, NY, USA). The findings indicated that organizational attractiveness differed significantly according to gender, while emotional labor strategies showed significant differences across age groups in certain sub-dimensions. However, no statistically significant relationships were found between organizational attractiveness, emotional labor, and happiness at work. These results suggest that happiness at work is a multidimensional and context-dependent construct that may not be explained solely by organizational perceptions or emotional labor strategies. Cite this article as: Kaya, A. (2026). Organizational attractiveness, emotional labor, and happiness at work: A study among physical education teachers. Research in Sports Science, 16, 0063, doi: 10.5152/rss.2026.25063

Introduction: The soil microbiome has enormous potential for degrading heavy metal Cd pollution, but microscale mass transfer processes and gene expression heterogeneity intricately regulate its functional activity. Traditional analytical methods often struggle to reveal degradation mechanisms due to the fragmentation of metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) and the spatial heterogeneity of biofilms. Methods: This study constructed a bioinformatics-driven dynamic diffusion model to systematically analyze the microbiome's ability to degrade heavy metal Cd. This approach integrated a three-dimensional rhizosphere pore structure reconstructed by X-ray micro-CT with time-series metatranscriptome data, using partial differential equations to describe the dynamic balance between heavy metal Cd transport and microbial degradation. A Bayesian dynamic linear model was also introduced to achieve bidirectional coupling between gene activity and physical mass transfer processes by real-time updating of the expression weights of key degradation genes, such as czcA and merA. Results: Quantitative analysis of the model revealed that siderophores and sulfides were the most effective pathways for Cd²⁺ conversion, reaching conversion rates of 78.2% and 89.4%, respectively. Pseudomonas and Thiobacillus were the most contributing degrading bacteria. At the gene level, czcA expression peaked within 24 hours (82.4 FPKM) and competed with organic acid secretion. merA expression continued to rise, reaching a peak at 48 hours (102.4 FPKM), and was tightly coupled to respiration. Model validation demonstrated a prediction error as low as 0.248 at a depth of 200 μm and a structural similarity of 0.808 across the time scale. Discussion: Iron reduction and sulfur precipitation are the most efficient blocking pathways, and Pseudomonas and Thiobacillus are the most critical degrading bacterial genera. The metabolic division of labor strategy of the microbial community is manifested in the early reliance on czcA-mediated ion efflux and organic acid chelation to achieve a rapid emergency response, and in the later stage, persistent detoxification through the merA-ETC system. The time-gradient defense strategy enables microorganisms to optimize energy utilization and maximize survival under heavy metal stress. This provides theoretical support for the patent development of related bioremediation technologies. Conclusion: This study reveals a temporal gradient defense strategy for microbial communities to cope with heavy metal Cd stress: an early, rapid emergency response relies on czcAmediated ion efflux and organic acid chelation, followed by sustained reductive detoxification via the merA-electron transport chain (ETC) system. This study not only confirms that iron reduction and sulfur precipitation are the most effective blocking pathways but, more importantly, establishes a dynamic modeling paradigm that integrates multi-omics data with physical laws, providing a theoretical basis and targeted regulatory strategies for the precise remediation of heavy metal Cd-contaminated soils.

Forecasts around AI portray its intrusion into everyday life, relationships, and work as inevitable—as an unexamined, foregone conclusion, a type of ‘common sense’ around this technology that does not perform functions as well its boosters promise. In this paper we unpack the common sense of AI promoted by tech owners and the press to the public, business owners, institutions, and government agencies as it manifests in discourse around and contracts focused on generative AI in the 2023 Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike and contract. This paper draws from science and technology studies (STS), social movement literature, and critical studies of technology to develop a spectrum of engagement with the “common sense” of AI to examine discourse around the SAG-AFTRA contract, and how the contract demands themselves respond – or fail to respond – to the challenges of defining AI as a subject that can be negotiated or refused in labor contracts. This spectrum of engagement allows us to better understand how the power to challenge the common sense of AI is and is not built through this contract. It also helps us draw out suggestions for labor strategies that enact intertwined concepts of reconfiguration and care from feminist STS to enact more powerful broad-based, bottom-up policy around AI and technology deployment.

ABSTRACT To explore the relationship and its mechanisms between empathy and burnout among preschool teachers, data from 1577 preschool teachers were analyzed using a multiverse-style analysis approach to test the robustness of the relationship between empathy and burnout. Based on the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) theory and the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this study employs Response Surface Analysis (RSA) to examine the relationship between empathy and occupational burnout, while exploring the mediating roles of three emotional labor strategies (surface acting, deep acting and natural acting) and the moderating effect of mindfulness. The translation strictly adheres to the original Chinese meaning, conforms to academic writing norms, and follows English idiomatic expressions in a single coherent paragraph. The results of the multiverse-style analysis indicate that the relationship between empathy and burnout is robust. RSA analysis shows that this relationship is curvilinear, where empathy positively affects burnout in the initial stages but negatively in the later stages. Surface acting and natural acting have mediating effects, whereas deep acting does not. Mindfulness moderates the relationship between empathy and both deep acting and natural acting, but not surface acting.

This longitudinal study examines the role of apprenticeship programs in addressing industry skill shortages and supporting national economic growth, while investigating persistent turnover within the Australian vocational education and training (VET) sector. Using metric data from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) spanning 1995–2024, trends in apprenticeship commencements, completions, and cancellations were analysed to identify drivers of turnover. Although peaks in commencements and cancellations aligned with the demand-driven access to university education policy (2012–2017), turnover remained consistently high both before and after the demand-driven system era. Findings indicate that turnover is more strongly influenced by broader economic conditions, funding and regulatory policies, adequacy of participant support systems, sector-specific occupational risks, demographic characteristics, and state-level variations in VET commitment. The study recommends targeted policy and programmatic interventions, including strengthened support during economic downturns, region-specific strategies for smaller labour markets, and enhanced policy oversight to improve apprenticeship completion rates and system effectiveness.

Purpose This study examines how action orientation moderates the indirect relationship between daily negative affect and work engagement through emotional labor strategies, thereby contributing to the understanding of individual differences in emotion regulation at work. Design/methodology/approach A five-day diary study was conducted with 139 employees, yielding 639 daily observations. Multilevel path analysis was used to test the proposed model. Findings Daily negative affect was positively associated with both surface acting and deep acting, but only surface acting negatively predicted work engagement. Action orientation moderated the indirect relationship between negative affect and engagement via surface acting: among action-oriented individuals, this detrimental pathway was weaker. Practical implications Organizations may consider individual differences in action orientation when designing interventions to support employee well-being and engagement in emotionally demanding roles. Originality/value This study advances the emotional labor literature by identifying action orientation as a key boundary condition, highlighting its role as a personal resource that buffers the adverse effects of negative affect on daily engagement through surface acting.

ABSTRACT Support at work is associated with increased job satisfaction among allied health professionals; however, the mechanisms by which this relationship operates are unknown. This study investigates how perceived organizational support (POS) impacts job satisfaction among allied health professionals, emphasizing the mediating role of emotional labor strategies, including surface acting and deep acting. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between July 4 and 23 August 2023, with 293 physical therapists. Mediation analysis was used to explore the relationships between POS, job satisfaction, and emotional labor. Findings indicate that POS directly enhances job satisfaction. Surface acting partially mediates this relationship, suggesting that professionals relying on surface acting may experience reduced job satisfaction. However, deep acting was not a significant mediator. Understanding the role of emotional labor in allied health professionals’ job satisfaction is crucial. Organizational support that fosters emotional self-regulation may help mitigate the negative effects of surface acting, promoting well-being and retention. This study offers valuable insights for healthcare administrators and policymakers.

Emotional labor among teachers in Raudhatul Athfal (RA), Islamic early childhood education in Indonesia, is a complex and underexplored phenomenon. This study aims to explore and provide preliminary findings of the emotional labor experiences of RA teachers. Using a qualitative case study design, ten female RA teachers from Bandung, Indonesia, were recruited through convenience sampling. This study utilized an open-ended online survey and Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis as data collection method and analysis, respectively. Three themes emerged. The first theme is Multirole Job Demands, with sub-themes: RA teachers’ job characteristics (n=10), multirole demands (n=8), cultural display rules (n=5), and spiritual educators as emotional labor intensifier (n=4). The second theme is Emotional Labor Strategies, with sub-themes: surface acting (n=6), and deep acting (n=3). The last theme is Islamic Framework in Emotional Labor, with sub-themes: Islamic practices as emotional regulation resources and strategies (n=6), spiritual meaning-making (n=9), and workplace spirituality (n=2). The overall emotional labor experiences of the RA teachers are discussed. The findings highlight key constructs that can be explored and directly measured in future research to validate the emotional labor process among RA teachers in Indonesia. Ultimately, this research can contribute to developing support programs for RA teachers that effectively promote their well-being. Keywords: surface acting, deep acting, early childhood teachers, spirituality, Islamic education

ABSTRACT Migration is often framed as a journey of opportunity, but for undocumented Zimbabwean migrants in South Africa, such imaginaries are undermined by the structural precarity of everyday life, marked by insecure work, deportability, and social exclusion. This paper examines how migrants strategically navigate this contradiction by constructing counter-narratives of success to maintain kin recognition and social legitimacy at home. Drawing on long-term ethnographic fieldwork in eMalahleni, the study explores how undocumented migrants selectively curate their self-presentation through aesthetic displays of fashionable clothing, fancy gadgets, and social media performances, while suppressing accounts of hardship. These sanitized accounts, often embellished with falsehoods, challenge the dominant discourse of migrant failure, exemplified by the metaphor of nhava izere mhepo (a bag full of air), and rework the moral economy of migration within transnational kinship networks. This paper argues that these practices of (mis)representation are not merely deceptive but constitute relational strategies of dignity preservation, status work, and affective labour under conditions of legal and economic marginality. By tracing how migrants manage visibility to audiences back home, the paper contributes to wider debates on undocumented migrancy, moral economies, and the politics of self presentation in post-apartheid South Africa.

Organizational support significantly influences nurses' work engagement, but how it affects the engagement of general intensive care unit (GICU) nurses through distinct emotional labor strategies remains unclear. This study aims to find how emotional labor influences the effect of organizational support on work engagement in GICU nurses. This cross-sectional survey was conducted from June to July 2024, involving 215 GICU nurses from five tertiary hospitals in Northeast China. Data were collected using demographic variable forms, emotional labor scales, nurse organizational support scales, and work engagement scales, and a structural equation model was established to analyze the relationships among emotional labor, organizational support, and work engagement in GICU nurses. Surface acting was negatively correlated with organizational support and work engagement, while deep acting, natural acting, and organizational support were positively correlated with work engagement (p < 0.05). The mediating effects of organizational support on work engagement were statistically significant through surface acting (β = 0.099, 95% CI [0.004, 0.219]) and through the combined pathways of deep and natural acting (β = 0.211, 95% CI [0.054, 0.539]). Emotional labor exhibits a double-edged sword effect in GICU nurses. Nursing managers can enhance nurses' work engagement by implementing relevant organizational support measures to reduce surface acting while promoting deep acting and natural acting.

Drawing on Conservation of Resources Theory and Social Identity Theory, this study investigates the relationships among occupational stigma, professional identity, surface acting, and turnover intention among hotel employees in China. Based on survey data from 767 hotel employees, structural equation modeling was employed to test the proposed hypotheses. Results indicate that occupational stigma negatively influences professional identity while positively affecting surface acting and turnover intention. Professional identity is found to reduce turnover intention, whereas surface acting increases it. Mediation analyses further reveal that both professional identity and surface acting mediate the relationship between occupational stigma and turnover intention, with the mediating effect of professional identity being notably stronger. This research contributes to the hospitality literature by deepening the understanding of occupational stigma and its impact on employees’ identity, emotional labor strategies, and turnover intentions, offering important implications for both practitioners and scholars.

Bet-hedging and division of labor: How phenotypic heterogeneity helps foodborne pathogens adapt to diverse environmental stresses.