The buffering role of action orientation in emotional labor process: Personality systems interaction theory approach

This study aims to examine the relationship between daily emotional labor, state work engagement and state affective delivery, drawing on the Personality Systems Interaction Theory. Action orientation is expected to act as a buffer against the display and negative effects of emotional labor, provided that the employee shares similar values with the organization. Initially, the Turkish Action Control Scale was shown to be a reliable and valid measurement tool with a sample consisted of students and employees (N = 981). The study data were collected from employees for 5 consecutive workdays, yielding 639 measurements across 139 employees. The hierarchical linear modeling results showed that action orientation is negatively related to emotional labor, and positively related to work engagement and affective delivery. Surface acting mediated the relationship between action orientation and work engagement and the relationship between action orientation and affective delivery. Moreover, action orientation moderated the relationship between negative affect and surface acting and the relationship between surface acting and work engagement. The relationships were weaker for action oriented employees. The value congruence did not further moderate the interactions. The results indicated that action orientation has a buffering effect against both display and negative effects of surface acting.