English
РусскийEmotional Empathy During Service Encounters: the Price for Caring
Abstract
This study examines the relationship between Emotional Empathy (EE) and Depressed Mood at Work among front line employees (FLEs). The goal was to test the hypothesis that Depressed Mood increases with displays of Emotional Empathy. One-hundred fifty-nine FLEs completed a survey that measured Emotional Empathy, work strain and related key constructs. Respondents were unaware of the research hypothesis, guaranteed confidentiality and represented a complete random sample. FLEs reported significantly higher levels of work strain associated with displays of Emotional Empathy. Moreover, the Strain-to-Empathy relationship was not mediated by job tenure, FLE sense of task importance or an index of potential role stressors. Unfortunately, the results suggest that FLEs are rewarded for not emotionally identifying with their customers; it appears one can escape work strain by emotionally detaching from customers. To the extent that successful service encounters hinge on positive interaction between FLE and customer, managers are challenged to develop practices that facilitate displays of empathy. Potential remedial practices are reviewed.
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