A Review of the Research Progress on Emotional Labor of Service Employee in Service Encounter

Abstract

Emotional labor, as the main form of labor for service industry employees, has a significant impact on service quality and customer satisfaction. This study systematically reviews the emotional labor of frontline service personnel, revealing the definition, types, and theoretical basis of emotional labor. Research has found that emotional labor includes various types such as surface acting and deep acting, supported by theories such as resource conservation theory, role theory, and exchange theory. Emotional labor is not only influenced by various factors such as individual traits, organizational culture, and customer requirements, but also has a profound impact on the job satisfaction, occupational burnout, and mental health of service personnel. In addition, the study also introduced measurement and evaluation methods for emotional labor, as well as the limitations of current research, and proposed prospects for future research directions.