Organisations increasingly demand various forms of ‘emotional labour’. The recent fascination with emotional intelligence (EQ) is focussed on bringing emotions into the ‘service’ of the organisation, as an added value that the organisation can appropriate. But emotional labour may have its costs for those who cannot reconcile how they privately feel about the ‘public performance’ required of them, especially in jobs where it is a requirement but no training is provided, and where there is a positive bias towards certain people—gender based—doing it.
Case Study
Marriage, M. (2018) Men Only: Inside the charity fundraiser where hostesses are put on show. Financial Times 23 January. Available at: https://www.ft.com/content/075d679e-0033-11e8-9650-9c0ad2d7c5b5
Final Assignment Question
Is emotional labour a minimum requirement in the workplace, or a behaviour that both male and female employees are motivated to engage in and earn a reward for in Western businesses? Illustrate your answer with examples and issues drawn from the real-life case study of the President’s Club scandal in 2018.
Guidance
Does ‘service with a smile’ fall disproportionately on women in a work context?
Are women ‘just better’ at emotional labour?
Does this essentialist view hold up in relation to the literature?
What would a more critical approach to the study of emotions as a formal workplace issue look like?
Further Reading
Bryman, A. (2004) The Disneyization of Society. London: Sage. Ch. 5 looks at emotional labour.
Callahan, J.L., & McCollum, E.E., (2002) Obscured Variability: The Distinction Between Emotion Work and Emotional Labour. In. N. M. Ashkanasy., W. J. Zerbe., & C.E.J. Hartel (Eds.), Managing Emotions in the Workplace, pp. 219-231. New York: ME Sharpe.
Linstead, S., L. Fulop and S. Lilley (2009) Management and Organization: A Critical Text. 2nd ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave. Ch. 9 provides an introduction to emotions and identity.
Morris, J.A., & Feldman, D.C. (1996) The Dimensions, Antecedents, and Consequences of Emotional La