Surface acting and exhaustion: The moderating role of eudaimonia

Abstract

Surface acting (faking emotions) is one of the stressors experienced by contact employees during service interactions with customers, and it has implications for workers' exhaustion. One challenge of research and practice is to identify moderators that help to better understand the positive relationships between surface acting and exhaustion. The present study proposes the two dimensions of eudaimonia beliefs about well-being (self-development and contribution-to-others beliefs) as moderators between surface acting and exhaustion. We performed regression analyses with 817 contact employees working in 118 health-care organizations providing services to people with intellectual disability. Results confirmed the hypotheses, showing that contribution-to-others strengthens the link from surface acting to exhaustion, whereas self-development weakens this relationship. Therefore, self-development beliefs act as a protector for workers when they have to deal with situations that require surface acting.

Why do people spend money to help vulnerable people?

“…It is possible that this difference between the two dimensions of eudaimonic well-being beliefs (one of them moderates and the other does not) is based on their somewhat distinct nature. As Pătraş, Martínez-Tur, Estreder, Gracia, and Moliner [ 65 ] argued, contribution-to-others beliefs are cognitions oriented towards other people. In the current study, this orientation towards others is achieved through prosocial spending.…”

Associando a atuação superficial dos gestores ao seu burnout e engagement: O papel moderador das crenças de bem-estar eudaimonicas

“…"Contribution-to-others" wellbeing beliefs (COWBs). To measure COWBs, we used the 4-item Beliefs about Wellbeing Scale by McMahan and Estes (2011b), adapted to the workplace (Pătraş et al, 2017). Managers were asked to indicate their opinion about the contribution of each facet (item) to wellbeing in the workplace.…”

“…Individuals define their wellbeing in eudaimonic terms when they look for a virtuous life, develop themselves and contribute to others (McMahan & Estes, 2011a). Eudaimonic wellbeing beliefs, specifically high beliefs in reaching wellbeing through contributions to others (COWBs), could moderate the link from surface acting to wellbeing (Pătraş et al, 2017). However, the moderation by COWBs may have different forms because two theoretical approaches, Cognitive Dissonance theory (Festinger, 1957) and the Job D-R model, support differential roles for COWBs.…”

“…Although research supports the negative impact of surface acting on wellbeing at work, some authors have mentioned some possible positive effects. For example, the amplification of positive emotions could increase job satisfaction and the sense of personal accomplishment (Côté & Morgan, 2002;Pătraş et al, 2017;Zapf & Holz, 2006). Based on this rationale, it is reasonable to expect that managers who are high in COWBs would also assume that surface acting is a necessary strategy to achieve adequate personal accomplishment in terms of creating a good climate among workers.…”

“…COWBs refer to the degree to which individuals think their own wellbeing is based on helping others (McMahan & Estes, 2011a). The moderating role of COWBs has been examined in service workers (Pătraş, Martínez-Tur, Gracia, & Moliner, 2017), but to our knowledge, this possibility has not been investigated in managers. Third, we conceptualize and measure wellbeing at work, considering its positive and negative sides.…”