Emotional labor definition. Emotional Labor 2022-10-16

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Emotional labor is a term used to describe the effort, planning, and control that goes into managing one's own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. It is a type of labor that is often invisible and unpaid, and is typically performed by women and other marginalized groups.

The concept of emotional labor was first introduced by sociologist Arlie Hochschild in 1983, in her book "The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling." Hochschild observed that many jobs, particularly those in the service industry, require employees to regulate their emotions in order to effectively interact with customers and clients. She referred to this as "surface acting," in which employees put on a façade of positive emotions in order to fulfill the emotional needs of their customers, even if they are feeling negative emotions themselves.

In addition to surface acting, Hochschild also identified "deep acting," in which employees attempt to genuinely change their own emotions in order to better align with the emotional expectations of their job. Deep acting can be more draining and emotionally taxing than surface acting, as it requires a greater level of emotional effort and control.

Emotional labor is not limited to the service industry. It is a pervasive aspect of many jobs, particularly those that involve caring for others, such as teaching, nursing, and social work. It is also common in leadership roles, where employees are expected to maintain a positive attitude and serve as a role model for their team.

The performance of emotional labor can have both positive and negative consequences. On the one hand, it can help employees effectively navigate challenging or emotionally charged situations, and can also contribute to customer satisfaction and loyalty. On the other hand, the constant effort to regulate and manage one's emotions can be emotionally draining and lead to burnout.

It is important for employers to recognize and value the emotional labor that their employees perform, and to provide support and resources to help them manage the emotional demands of their job. This could include things like providing training on emotional intelligence and self-care, as well as setting boundaries and allowing for breaks to recharge.

In conclusion, emotional labor is a type of labor that involves the effort, planning, and control of one's own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. It is a prevalent aspect of many jobs, and can have both positive and negative consequences. Employers have a responsibility to recognize and value the emotional labor of their employees, and to provide support and resources to help them manage the emotional demands of their job.

Emotional Labor: What It Is and What It Is Not

emotional labor definition

Flight attendants working at this company go through a specific training program. Further, employees must often relinquish part of their independence to the control of their company, including such things as wearing uniforms, and regulation of their mannerisms, body language, and emotional expressions Paules, 1991. It's worth noting that the same study did not find any correlation between deep acting and emotional exhaustion. University of California Press. As an employer, understanding emotional labor is critical to ensure that employees are not being inequitably forced to absorb all emotional labor. University Of California Press; 2012.

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Emotional Labor

emotional labor definition

On the other hand, emotion work involves all those tasks that we do to make others happy and retain positive relationships with our friends, family, and partners. On the one hand, it can facilitate task performance by regulating interactions and precluding interpersonal problems. Share this: Facebook Facebook logo Twitter Twitter logo Reddit Reddit logo LinkedIn LinkedIn logo WhatsApp WhatsApp logo Introduction Emotional labor is the display of expected emotions by service agents during service encounters. It is requesting the time and energy of a marginalized person to educate someone who exists in a more privileged position in society. In this respect, employees are being required to control and use their own emotions in order to influence the emotional state of others.

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What Is Emotional Labor? Definition & Examples

emotional labor definition

So, there's nothing wrong with letting them know how you feel. Rational work is the ability to think cognitively and analytically, while emotional work means to think more practically and with more reason. Apart from sharing your feelings with coworkers, you can also let your manager know how you feel. Besides, such workplace policy should explain employee rights. Your colleagues might have some practical tips to help you get through the day easily.

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Emotional Labor in the Workplace: Emotional Labor Definition

emotional labor definition

For people with less privilege, this emotional labour is a constant part of their existence in order to stay safe for example, just think of How can we be sensitive to emotional labour? It is the effort and control it takes to display the organizationally appropriate sentiment—whether that is cheerfulness, compassion, discipline, or neutrality—when personal emotions run counter to those expected and required. The bodies of such workers experience most of the work-related stress. As a result, such workers need to provide customers with impeccable service. Our academic experts are ready and waiting to assist with any writing project you may have. There are lots of terms that can be applied to the broader view of emotional labor. With respect to emotional labor, not having the tools to complete your work can leave practitioners feeling stuck and stressed about their ability to do their job well. Rather, the reward is dependent on the level of general cognitive demands required by the job.

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Feminism 101: What is Emotional Labor?

emotional labor definition

Workplace Emotional labor in the workplace consists of practices and rules for employees that are implemented for the sake of satisfying customers. American Journal of Sociology. Fast food, fast talk: service work and the routinization of everyday life. Emotional work is not always visible, but it is critical to address within and outside of DEI roles. Creating a workplace policy that empowers employees will surely help workers feel respected in the workplace, which will help them be less emotionally exhausted. Retrieved 9 June 2020.

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What Is Emotional Labour?

emotional labor definition

Many of the professions that expect emotional regulation are traditionally jobs held by women—teachers, flight attendants, servers at a restaurant, et cetera. Furthermore, Albrecht and Zemke 1985; p. As emotional labor becomes acknowledged in an increasing number of social arenas, its definition has become less agreed-upon. I think this is why we also need to understand why emotional labour is an extremely important topic of conversation when it comes to marginalised individuals. In The Managed Heart, Hochschild talks about the survey she did at Delta Airlines. A short definition will follow for each one of the acting mechanisms below. The basic purpose of display rules is to dictate the emotions that employees express.

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What is Emotional Labor?

emotional labor definition

When emotional labor has left the professional sphere and has entered the domestic realm; when it is used to describe a household list of domestic chores, whether or not those chores are done happily or grumpily, it has become diluted to the point of being in danger of losing its meaning. According to their results, there was a high link between emotional labor and fatigue. Users without a subscription are not able to see the full content on this page. And it is a high stakes issue because it happens at your job and potentially affects your livelihood. Specific management interventions and the practices required to achieve the desirable emotional labour will be defined along with the techniques to ensuring it. Review of General Psychology.

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Emotional labor: What it is and what it is not — Clockify

emotional labor definition

And, when it comes to employees, this act will make them feel more appreciated — and emotional labor will feel less burdensome. Please do not ask the person whom you have offended to explain it to you. Indeed, the term has become increasingly popular because of the emphasis on providing a quality service see Total Quality Management so that the customer or client is satisfied not only with the service provided but also with the service encounter itself. Today, the concept is often applied to the domain of personal relationships, generally referencing the invisible work of managing other people's emotions and well-being. In other words, recognizing and supporting the effort of emotional labor, just like physical labor, is helpful to value the employee. Doing household chores As Hochschild explained in the previously mentioned interview, taking care of household chores doesn't necessarily have to be emotional labor. There are many things we can do to try and decrease the emotional labour in others and, whether larger or smaller, they can all help to ease the burden.


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emotional labor definition

To grow psychological safety and reduce emotional labor, employers can create practices for productive conflict. Create new systems that enable autonomy for employees, such as not punishing when employees speak up for themselves. As we mentioned, emotional dissonance is a disagreement between felt and displayed emotions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Start by asking your partner if you can sit down to talk about something that's been weighing on you, so they're prepared. In this survey, the participants were 264 female Korean toll collectors.

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Definitions of Emotional Labour

emotional labor definition

The Impact of Emotional Labor The most basic impact of emotional labor on the people it is demanded of is exhaustion. What is emotional labor? No smile this morning? This is particularly essential in situations when workers have to deal with rude customers. While front line employees may sometimes share those objectives, they do not always do so by sacrificing their emotions. However, for other researchers, such as Gemma Hartley, the definition of emotional labor expands to non-work-related areas like households. Tip 3: Create workplace policy that protects employees Managers should create a specific workplace policy that will protect not only customers but workers as well.


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