Effect of emotional labor on emotional exhaustion and work attitudes among hospitality employees in India

Abstract

The present research explores the relationship of emotional labor strategies (i.e., surface and deep acting) with emotional exhaustion, organizational commitment, and turnover intentions among employees in the hospitality industry in India. Data were collected from 204 frontline hotel employees representing different departments. The results of the study demonstrate that surface acting is positively related with emotional exhaustion and turnover intentions and negatively related to affective organizational commitment. Moreover, deep acting was observed to have a negative influence on emotional exhaustion. The findings of the study indicate that frequent use of surface acting may have detrimental consequences for employees as well as for the organization. Managerial implications of the study are discussed.