The mediating role of emotional labor in the relationship between perceptions of organizational politics and job dissatisfaction
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Abstract
Background. While previous research has explored the negative impacts of perceptions of organizational politics on several job attitudes, the emotional mechanisms underlying this relationship remain insufficiently understood. Therefore, there is a need to clarify the role of phenomena such as emotional labor, which explain the emotional expressions of employees, in this process.
Aim. This study examined the mediating role of emotional labor in the relationship between employees’ perceptions of organizational politics and job dissatisfaction.
Method. To achieve this purpose, a cross-sectional digital survey was conducted among 387 employees from 26 different sectors in Istanbul, Türkiye. The data were analyzed through linear regression tests.
Findings. Organizational politics were positively associated with job dissatisfaction and surface acting. Surface acting significantly mediated the relationship between organizational politics and job dissatisfaction. Unlike expectations, deep acting showed a weak positive correlation with job dissatisfaction, while naturally felt emotions are not significantly related to job dissatisfaction.
Conclusion. Surface acting significantly contributed to the explanation of the undesired effects of organizational politics on employees. Participants reported that they displayed fake behaviors as a reaction to the political behaviors of other employees. This, in turn, helped them better cope with the political behaviors that were displayed in the workplace. Accordingly, in order to promote and enhance employee job satisfaction, political behaviors exhibited in the workplace should be minimized.
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