The Slater Story (Problem 5)

The Slater Story

Emotional LabourConceptualise emotion regulation (process of managing expressions and feelings by the two emotional labour strategies of surface and deep acting) as the core of emotional labour

Deep actingAntecedent focused form of emotion regulation, effects the perception and processing of emotional cues at the onset of an emotion (before they elicit behavioural, experiental or physiological response tendencies). When engaging in deep acting, individuals try to align required and true feelings. To reach this goal they can direct attention toward pleasurable things or thoughts to create this emotion. Consequently, deep acting results in genuine emotional displays of the required outcomes.

Surface actingResponse focused form of emotion regulation that is applied when the emotional reaction has already developed. It does not involve a change in feelings, but refers to the management of emotional expressions. Emotions are adjusted by suppressing, amplifying or faking emotions.

Emotional dissonance is considred in models of emptional labour. Defined as the descrepancy between felt emotions and emotions that are expressed to meet organisational display rules 3 aspects involved;1- emotions required by display rules2- expressed emotions3 - felt emotions"emotion-rules dissonance conceptualisation" 

Emotion rule dissonance is a form of person role conflict from incompatibility between felt emotions and required emotion.  Resulting in tension.Different to surface acting in the sense that surface acting is management of emotions and emotion rule dissonance is the emotional state as a result of conflict.Hulsheger et al (meta analysis)2 types of acting + genuine true emotion (harmony)emotion rule dissonance positive relationship with indicators of personal ill being ( emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, lack of accomplishment, strain, psychosomatic complaints) SUPPORTED- mediated by surface acting negative relationship with indicators of job related wellbeing (job sat, org attachment) SUPPORTEDMediated by surface acting SUPPORTED & performance outcomes (task performance SUPPORTED, emotional performance, cust sat NOT ENOUGH DATA) Mediated by surface acting NOT SUPPORTED

The relationship between surface acting and deep actingEgo depletionBaumeister et al, surface acting requires self control and regulation which deplete mental resources more so than deep acting, which does not require constant monitoring.Felt InauthenticityPeople desire authentic, self expressive behaviour, though display rules may not allow this. Deep acting, where displayed emotions are genuine there is no discrepancies between felt and displayed emotions.Authenticity of displayed emotions.People can differentiate between genuine/ fake emotional displays (i.e smiling facial muscles). Only authentic emotions have the desired effects on other individuals (Airline attendant puts on fake voice and people wince at them). Suggest surface acting negatively related and deep acting positively related to performance outcomes (emotional performance and customer satisfaction) Enhancement / imparement of social interactionsCote social interaction model of emotional labour suggests an emotional display is reviewed by the customer who responds to this, in turn effecting employees emotion state.

Effects of actingSurface acting;Depletes mental resources, compromises sense of authenticity and causes unpleasant social interactions with customers, prolonged negative outcomesHulsheger et al;Surface acting displays a positive relationship with indicators of personal ill being - SUPPORTED minus personal accomplishmentnegative relationship with indicators of job related well being - SUPPORTEDnegative relationship with performance outcomes -SOME SUPPORT BUT LACK OF GENERALISABILITYDeep actingHulsheger et alDeep acting positive relationship with performance outcomes - SOME SUPPORT BUT LACK OF GENERALISABILITY

Hulsheger et al summarysurface acting and emotion rule dissonance show strong positive relationships with exhaustion, depersonalisation, strain and psychosomatic complaints, negative relationships with job sat and org attachment.emotion rule - well being link may be explained by person-role conflict. Ego depletion inauthenticity, and ongoing experience of negative emotions and impairment of social interactions may be driving this link.Researching shows deep acting to be better, suggesting emotion labour does not need to be harmful to employees.

Dorman et al3 related interactions to describe stressful situations at work;1- social conflicts2- injustice, unfair treatment, non reciprocal behaviour3- antisocial behaviour at workSocial Conflicts at workdue to frequency suggested to be just as important as conflict with supervisorUnjust, unfair and non-reciprocal behaviourlack of organisational reciprocation leads to burnout,  similar effects suggested for customer relations. It is assumed that if cust tries to get the upper-hand, if they express expectations beyond what service provider thinks is acceptable, but still have to do this because of organisational demands, a stressful situation is created.Antisocial behaviour at workEither psychological, physical, direct, indirect, psychological aggression, can be intended or non-intendedEmotional labour and emotional dissonanceMorris & Feldmand emotional labour "the effort, planning and control needed to express organizationally desired emotions during interpersonal transactions"

Key aspect of emotional labour with regard to negative helath outcomes (burnout in particular) is emotional dissonance. Emotional dissonance depends on 3 variables;1- existance of display rules prescribing a certain emotional expression2- frequency and duration of interactions with customers in which display rules must be applied3- absolute and relative frequencey of negative social interactionsCauses psychological harm due to over taxing effort needed to show display emotions, causing psychological strain. Resource depletion - Conservation of Resources Theory

Implications of Dorman et al. 4 constructs to assess stressors in employee- customer interactions (difference between what cust expects and providors expectation of what to give)1- disproportionate cust expectations2- cust verbal aggression3- disliked cust4- ambiguous cust expectation (role ambiguity and uncertain goals)

Good person fit may reduce the neccesity of acting, however all employees find their true feelings do not always conform to their roles (qualitative)

Why Act?Display rulesawareness of emotional expectations held by organisation, predict the likeliness of acting. Supervisory action usually reinforces these roles. Either deep or surface acting can conform to this.Employees who feel positive at work, less need to act, less dissonance.

Emotional exhaustion- state of depletion and fatigue that is considered the main component of kjob burnout, acting may create an emotional exhaustion for 2 key reasons;1- experience of tension from emotional dissonance2- draining of resources whilst acting (COR)

Grandeyawareness of display rules + deep acting SUPPORTED+ w/ surface acting NSJ sat - w/ deep acting SJ sat - w/ surface acting Sdeep acting + emotional exhaustion NSsurface acting + emotional exhaustion SDeep acting + w/ ratings of affective delivery Ssurface acting - rating of affective delivery SDeep acting + ratings of breaking character NSsurface acting - ratings of breaking character NSActing mediates relationship of J sat and affective delivery SEmotional exhaustion mediates relationship of acting with affective delivery and breaking character NA

Process of emotional labourBrotheridge emotional labour lead to burnout mediated by1- rewarding social relationships2- Felt authenticity

                                                                                       Emotional labour burnout modelDemands -----     Emotional effort   -----     Resources             -----          Self- image     ------     Burnoutdisplay rules            deep and surface           rewards & social               authenticity         emotional strain                                          acting                               relationships                                            detachment, low                                                                                                                                                       accomplishment

Emotional labour triggered by role demands, though no interaction suggested as to how.  Workers decide to engage in either surface or deep acting, in line with other research, surface acting greater effort.Imbalance of emotional effort and rewardding relationships, increased strain, and may reduce this by less effort in future relationships.

Findings;In line with Conservation of Resource workers invest resources to help cope with service encounters (i.e acting) in order to recieve reward for investment (reciprication).  Burnout influenced by deep or surface acting and outcome +/- rewards in relation to expected.If - return = loss of resourceand suffer emotional exhaustion, in future try to conserve resources. If + increase energy and resources.

Emotion regulation and strain CoteSocial nteraction model incorportating social dynamics of emotion in explaining emotion regulation and its impact on strain ... this us a fedback loop2 directions of emotion regulation (not including acting)1- emotion amplification2- emotion supression4 intrapersonal aspects of emotion regulation and strain relationship1- emotional dissonance2- facial feedback3- personal control4- effortFind explanations

surface acting leads to strain because;- depletion of resources- surfice acting alters facial and body expression but leaves original centiment in tact- tension because of discrepency- because of this harms self authenticity- thus others may feel you're inauthentic and causes social tension

Cote social interaction model can contribute to COR, deep acting allows for spent resources to be recovered to a greater extent than engagement in surface actingSIM public displays of emotion communicate information during interpersonal encounter send and recieve emotion in feedback loop

extraversion = less strainjob autonomy buffer emotional regulation and exhaustionneuroticism = more strain

Copingrecover from lost resources activities non related to work

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