Abstract
Based on the conservation of resources theory, this study examines how the occupational stigma perception among dirty work practitioners affects their choice of emotional labor strategies, and explores the mediating role of ambivalent occupational identification, as well as the moderating role of leaders’ emotional intelligence. The study surveys 449 aged care workers at two different time points, and the findings indicate that occupational stigma perception has a positive influence on surface acting and a negative influence on deep acting. Additionally, ambivalent occupational identification serves as a mediator between occupational stigma perception and emotional labor. Furthermore, leaders’ emotional intelligence moderates the relationship between ambivalent occupational identification and emotional labor, as well as the mediating role of ambivalent occupational identification in the relationship between occupational stigma perception and emotional labor. This study contributes to the literature by presenting and validating the pathway through which occupational stigma perception affects employees’ emotional labor, and provides management suggestions for coping with the negative effects of occupational stigma. The findings have important theoretical and practical implications for organizations and managers in effectively managing emotional labor among employees.
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Acknowledgements
This research was supported by the National College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program of China (CY2023002), the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province (G2021501006), the National Social Science Fund of China (23BGL239) and the Liaoning Soft Science Foundation Think Tank Expert Project (2022JH4/10100003).
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Appendix
Appendix
Items measuring occupational stigma perception (Source Shantz & Booth, 2014)
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1.
Most people who are not aged care workers have a lot more negative thoughts about aged care workers than they actually express.
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2.
Most people who are not aged care workers judge aged care workers on the basis of their job and the work that they do on the job.
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3.
Most people who are not aged care workers have a problem viewing aged care workers as equals.
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4.
My being an aged care worker influences how people who are not aged care workers act with me.
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5.
When interacting with people who are not aged care workers, I feel like they interpret all my behaviors in terms of the fact that I am a aged care workers.
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6.
Stereotypes about aged care workers have affected me personally.
Items measuring Ambivalent occupational identification (Source: Ashforth, 2013).
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1.
I have mixed feelings about my affiliation with this occupation.
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2.
I’ m torn between loving and hating this occupation.
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3.
I feel conflicted about being part of this occupation.
Items Measuring Leaders’ Emotional Intelligence (Source Wong & Law, 2002)
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1.
My leader has a good sense of why they have certain feelings most of the time.
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2.
My leader has a good understanding of their own emotions.
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3.
My leader really understands what they feel.
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4.
My leader always knows whether or not they are happy. Others’ emotion appraisal.
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5.
My leader always knows their team members’ emotions from their behavior.
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6.
My leader is a good observer of others’ emotions.
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7.
My leader is sensitive to the feelings and emotions of others.
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8.
My leader has a good understanding of the emotions of people around them. Use of emotion.
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9.
My leader always sets goals for themselves and then tries their best to achieve them.
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10.
My leader always tells themselves they are a competent person.
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11.
My leader is a self-motivated person.
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12.
My leader would always encourage themselves to try their best. Regulation of emotion.
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13.
My leader is able to control their temper and handle difficulties rationally.
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14.
My leader is quite capable of controlling their own emotions.
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15.
My leader can always calm down quickly when they are very angry.
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16.
My leader has good control of their own emotions.
Items Measuring Deep Acting (source Grandey, 2003)
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1.
I tried to experience the emotions I had to show to the customer.
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2.
I worked hard to feel the emotions that I needed to show to this customer.
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3.
I made a strong effort to feel the emotions that I needed to display toward this customer.
Items Measuring Surface Acting (Source Grandey, 2003)
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1.
I just pretended to have the emotions that I needed to display to this customer.
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2.
I put on a “mask” to display the emotions my manager wants me to display.
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3.
I put on a “show” or “performance” when interacting with this customer.
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Meng, L., Zhang, XF., Li, JM. et al. Occupational stigma perception and emotional labor: the role of Ambivalent occupational identification and leaders’ emotional intelligence. Curr Psychol 43, 17225–17238 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-05686-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-05686-2