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Emotion work in the Hellenic frontline services environment: how it relates to emotional exhaustion and work attitudes

Bozionelos, Nikos; Kiamou, Konstantina

Authors

Nikos Bozionelos

Konstantina Kiamou



Abstract

The relationship of emotional work with emotional exhaustion and a variety of attitudes towards the job and the organization was investigated in a sample of Hellenes (Greek) employees in the banking industry who were performing frontline service jobs. Emotion work was conceptualized and operationalized in terms of five dimensions: surface acting, deep acting, frequency of emotional display, intensity of displayed emotion, and variety of displayed emotions. The results suggested a weak mediating role of emotional exhaustion in the relationship between emotion work and work attitudes. The results also revealed the presence of a substantial number of interaction effects in the relationship of emotion work with emotional exhaustion and work attitudes. In particular, emotion work was related to emotional exhaustion solely by means of interactions, and the largest part of the relationship of emotion work with work attitudes was also due to interaction effects. In the cases that main effects were present these were mainly caused by an allegedly secondary dimension of emotion work, the variety of displayed emotions, and not by any of the primary dimensions. The national cultural characteristics provided an account for the identified relationship pattern between emotion work, emotional exhaustion and work attitudes. In general, the study revealed the importance of the interactions between the dimensions of emotion work, and was also suggestive of the role of the national cultural context in the way emotion work is associated with outcomes that are of interest to employees and organizations.

Citation

Bozionelos, N., & Kiamou, K. (2008). Emotion work in the Hellenic frontline services environment: how it relates to emotional exhaustion and work attitudes. The international journal of human resource management, 19(6), 1108-1130. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585190802051410

Journal Article Type Article
Online Publication Date Jun 12, 2008
Publication Date 2008-06
Deposit Date Nov 13, 2014
Journal International Journal Of Human Resource Management
Print ISSN 0958-5192
Electronic ISSN 1466-4399
Publisher Routledge
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 19
Issue 6
Pages 1108-1130
DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/09585190802051410
Keywords Management of Technology and Innovation; Strategy and Management; Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management
Public URL https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/469704
Publisher URL https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09585190802051410