Research Article
An Empirical Study on the Effects of Emotional Dissonance and Its Moderating Factors
Published: January 2009 · Vol. 38, No. 2 · pp. 379-405
Full Text
Abstract
Regarding the effects of emotional labor on the psychological well-being and attitudes of those who perform it, the concept of emotional dissonance has recently attracted attention. That is, the various negative effects of emotional labor occur primarily when emotional labor performers experience emotional dissonance in the process. In this regard, this study analyzed emotional dissonance and its effects among the various concepts related to emotional labor. Specifically, this study empirically examined the effects of emotional dissonance on the job- and organization-related attitudes of emotional labor workers, including job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intention. Additionally, among the various moderating factors that could mitigate these effects of emotional dissonance, this study sought to verify the roles of job autonomy and social support from supervisors and coworkers. Based on a survey of 234 clinical nurses working at a general hospital, it was found that emotional dissonance experienced in the process of performing emotional labor had negative relationships with their job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intention. That is, emotional dissonance decreased job satisfaction and organizational commitment while increasing turnover intention. Furthermore, it was confirmed that supervisor support and especially coworker support function as meaningful psychological job resources that replenish the easily depleted emotional resources of clinical nurses and mitigate the negative effects of emotional dissonance. However, contrary to expectations, job autonomy did not demonstrate such a buffering moderating effect. Discussion of the reasons for these analytical results, along with the implications and limitations of this study, were presented.
