The Hidden Toll of Emotional Labor at Workplace: Evidence from Banking Industry of Pakistan

Abstract

Purpose – The current research investigates how emotional labor dimensions i.e., surface acting and deep acting impact employee turnover intentions while emotional exhaustion acts as a mediator in Pakistan's banking industry. The study applies Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model and Conservation of Resources (COR) theory to examine how surface acting and deep acting impact employee turnover intentions through emotional exhaustion as their intermediary pathway.

Research methodology – The research used a quantitative design to gather data from 248 banking employees through a structured questionnaire. The researchers performed statistical analysis by using SPSS and PROCESS Macro to evaluate both direct and mediation effects in their research.

Findings – The study results indicate that employees who practice both surface acting and deep acting demonstrate increased turnover intention. The study found that deep acting directly predicts emotional exhaustion which subsequently leads to increased turnover intention. The study found that emotional exhaustion serves as a mediator between deep acting and turnover intention. The research results showed that surface acting connects to emotional exhaustion at a significant level and emotional exhaustion functions as a mediator between surface acting and turnover intention.