Denna studie har haft som mål att undersöka hur tjänstemän inom myndigheterarbetar med sina känslor, inom deras arbete med enskilda individer, som ofta är iutsatta situationer. Vi vill med detta kunna svara på frågeställningar kring hurdessa tjänstemän arbetar med sina emotioner, men även om det kan uppståmotstridiga krav i arbetet och hur eventuella konsekvenser av dessa hanteras.Arbetet presenteras som kvalitativt, och har inslag av både deduktivt ochinduktivt tillvägagångssätt, med infallsvinklar av socialkonstruktivism ochhermeneutiska tankegångar. I utförandet av studien har vi använt oss av en semistrukturerad intervjuform med sammanlagt tio respondenter från tre olikamyndigheter, vilka är Arbetsförmedlingen, Socialförvaltningen ochSocialpsykiatrin. I arbetet har en bild av tjänstemannen växt fram, där det finnsbehov av att finna balans mellan empati och distansering gentemot enskildaindivider. Förutom detta framställs den administrativa delen som något somtynger ner motivationen och skapar stress, medan det kollegiala stödet ger enpositiv inverkan på arbetet. / This study has had its goal to see how official workers within governmentexercise of public authority, work with their emotions, when meeting withpeople in difficult circumstances. The aim is then to be able to answer suchquestions as “how do official workers deal with their emotions?”, but also ifthere can be cases where conflicts might occur within the worker and how theyhandle such consequences. This study is of quality nature, with hints of bothdeduction and induction practice, with social constructivism as approach andhermeneutics perspective. In the empirical gathering of information we haveused semi-structured interviews with a total of ten informants from threedifferent government organizations, consisting of Employment service, Socialservice center and Social psychiatry. Through this work a clearer portrait of theofficial worker has appeared, as a human in great need to find a balance betweenempathy and distance towards individuals. Apart from this the administrativepart of the work is what’s experienced as the anchor that weighs downmotivation and creates stress, while the positive aspect against this is with thesupport that comes from co-workers.

A sample of 816 metropolitan police officers in Thailand completed a survey consisting of a set of job characteristics, including job control, support, and job demands, in addition to measures of emotional labour (surface acting and deep acting), and a set of psychological outcomes, to test a proposition based on Karasek and Theorell's (1990) model. 1t was argued that the emotional labour requirements of police officers would act as a moderating factor that would impact adversely on their wellbeing. The survey instruments were translated and back-translated from the original English to Thai, and their psychometric properties were assessed through confirmatory factor analysis. Tests based on validation and cross-validation procedures indicated that the measurement model was valid and reliable. The effects of job characteristics on wellbeing were assessed through canonical correlation and hierarchical moderated multiple regression analyses. Results revealed that deep acting was inversely related to wellbeing, and had a moderating effect on the relationship between job demands and wellbeing/psychological distress. A moderating effect was also detected for surface acting on the relationship between co-worker support and wellbeing. Neither surface acting nor deep acting had a moderating effect on the relationship between job control and wellbeing/ psychological distress. Implications of the results and recommendations for future research are discussed together with methodological limitations of the study.

The primary purpose of this study was to explore and identify the meaning and importance of service for health professionals. Those who participated in this study are all registered nurses who each have between 10 and 40 years of clinical nursing and nurse lecturing experience. The participants each wrote two stories, one about the meaning of service and the other about the importance of service. Definitions of service generally suggest organised labour involving an act of help or assistance. Our intent was to understand what constituted service for each of us in the healthcare - and specifically the nursing practice/education - context.A secondary purpose of this qualitative research was guided by participatory and critical theory paradigms. Seven participants and I (as the initiating researcher) formed a co-operative inquiry group to undertake the research using a collaborative process. Within this method the leader and the group became co-participants and co-researchers. Nurses and women are identified as marginalised people and by honouring the principles of co-operative inquiry we were empowered through this process. While the initial data was analysed thematically by the lead researcher, the original 19 sub-themes were refined by participants into five themes.The findings of the participants are consistent with overseas studies on emotional labour and sentimental work. The five themes that emerged as the meaning of service are helping, giving, elements of service, acts of doing, and pride in work. Helping was defined as an attitude and an action, which often results in a spiritual connection. Giving involves stretching yourself, and altruistic behaviour that also incorporated a spiritual component. Five sub-themes merged to form the third theme elements of service; working with people, being a public servant, being a servant, need and duty. The complexity and hidden aspect of service work was expressed in acts of doing where being professional was paramount. The final theme, pride in work, acknowledged childhood conditioning and a sense of contributing to the greater good through our unique work as nurses. This study affirmed that service has much importance to those involved and deepened our understanding of the blend of meanings service expresses.

Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

<p>Further findings of the current study are: there are significant differences in stress based on employees&rsquo / gender and tenure, a significant difference in burnout with regards to gender and employment type, and significant differences between emotional labour based on gender and tenure. However, no significant difference was found between burnout and tenure, nor was there a significant difference between emotional labour and employment type. Recommendations are made to alleviate the effects of stress on call centre employees which in turn, will minimise the effects of burnout and emotional labour. Recommendations included the development of wellness programmes, stress management programmes, coping programmes and effective communications as a mean to shape employee perceptions regarding their interpretation of organisational demands, threats or opportunities and to enhance call centre employees&rsquo / performance within their work.</p>

<p>Further findings of the current study are: there are significant differences in stress based on employees&rsquo / gender and tenure, a significant difference in burnout with regards to gender and employment type, and significant differences between emotional labour based on gender and tenure. However, no significant difference was found between burnout and tenure, nor was there a significant difference between emotional labour and employment type. Recommendations are made to alleviate the effects of stress on call centre employees which in turn, will minimise the effects of burnout and emotional labour. Recommendations included the development of wellness programmes, stress management programmes, coping programmes and effective communications as a mean to shape employee perceptions regarding their interpretation of organisational demands, threats or opportunities and to enhance call centre employees&rsquo / performance within their work.</p>

Psychological detachment occurs in the absence of work ruminations during non-work time and is a vital component in the recovery from work-related fatigue, avoiding burnout, performance decrement and detrimental health-outcomes. Overcommitment to work entails excessive job involvement and resembles poor detachment. Detachment and overcommitment are influenced by characteristics of the worker, their work, and their leisure time, but few studies have examined the effects of work or leisure demands on detachment and overcommitment. The current study examined the activity demands, detachment and overcommitment ratings of 51 workers and university students by having participants complete nine internet-based surveys over four weeks, and analysing data with a multilevel modelling approach. Rates of psychological detachment were found to be increased by physically demanding leisure activities, and decreased by mentally demanding work activities when leisure activities were mentally undemanding. In addition, detachment rates were higher when work activities were emotionally demanding and leisure activities emotionally undemanding, and when work activities were emotionally undemanding and leisure activities emotionally demanding. Overcommitment was found to be increased by leisure activities which were mentally demanding or emotionally demanding. Work ruminations during leisure time were therefore found to be influenced by work and leisure demands, with the manipulation of leisure demands thereby offering a method through with to diminish or buffer the detrimental impact of arduous work demands on the recovery from fatigue.

Sjukhuskuratorer har samtal med patienter som lider till exempel av depression, ångest eller andra besvär orsakade av psykosociala faktorer så som stress, livskriser eller alkohol. I denna studie ställdes frågan vilka effekter det patientnära arbetet kan ha för sjukhuskuratorn. Syftet var att utifrån ett emotionsteoretiskt perspektiv undersöka hur sjukhuskuratorer upplever att de påverkas av det patientnära arbetet. I studien ställdes frågan vad sjukhuskuratorer upplever att det patientnära arbetet har för effekter för dem själva och hur sjukhuskuratorer hanterar det som uppkommer i det patientnära arbetet. Tidigare forskning har visat att andra yrkesgrupper på området, exempelvis sjuksköterskor och terapeuter i allmänhet, påverkas av att använda ett härbärgerande förhållningsätt. I denna studie intervjuades fyra sjukhuskuratorer om deras tankar och känslor kring arbetets effekter. Resultatet analyserades med hjälp av Hochschilds begrepp emotionellt lönearbete och Goffmans begrepp om främre och bakre region. Resultatet visar att det patientnära arbetet hade effekter. Sjukhuskuratorerna tog med sig tankar och känslor från det patientnära arbetet i den främre till den bakre regionen. Sjukhuskuratorerna hanterade det som uppkommit i det patientnära arbetet vid samtal med kollegor och handledning och när de fick stunder för sig själva. Samtliga sjukhuskuratorer ansåg att det patientnära arbetet har gjort dem mindre sociala, samt att det skapat ett behov av ensamhet och självreflektion. / Hospital social workers have patients suffering from a range of symptoms, amongst these are depression, distress or other disorders caused by psychosocial factors, such as stress, a life crisis or alcohol. In this study the question was asked what effects the patient-care can have for the hospital social worker. The purpose of this research study was to examine from the perspective of emotion theory, how hospital social workers felt they were affected by the patient-care. Our research questions were what effects the hospital social workers see that the patient-care have for themselves, and how the hospital social workers deal with what emerges from the patient-care. Earlier research has shown that other occupational groups, such as nurses and therapists in general, are affected by harbouring what arises in the patient-care. Four interviews with hospital social workers conducted about their thoughts and feelings on the effects of the job. The result has been analyzed with Hochschild’s notion of emotional labour and Goffman’s concepts front stage and back stage. The results show that the job does affect the worker. The hospital workers harbour thoughts and feelings that emerge in the patient-care on the front stage, until they are able to deal with it in different regions on the back stage through colleges, guidance and by themselves. All of our interviewed hospital social workers deemed that they had become less social due to the nature of the patient care. In addition they also thought that it had created a need of seclusion and self-reflection.

Emotions play a profound role in the workplace, especially in the human service profession. Service agents, for example educators, are expected to express socially desired emotions in a service interaction with learners. This direct face-to-face contact with learners requires a lot of emotions and in order to advance educational goals, teachers perform Emotion Work. Factors like the individual factor Emotional Intelligence and organisational factors like Job Autonomy, Supervisor- and Co-worker Support have a profound impact on how Emotion Work is experienced. Emotion Work has an influence on the experience of Well-Being. The objective of this research is to determine the relationship between Emotion Work, Emotional Intelligence, Organisational Factors and Well-Being within secondary schools in South Africa. The research method consists of a literature review and an empirical study. A cross-sectional survey design was used to collect the data. A non-probability convenience sample was taken from 257 educators in high schools in the Gauteng Province. The Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale (SEIS), The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (English version) (OBLI). Scale from the Frankfurt Emotion Work Scales (FEWS) and Organisational Factor Scale were used as measuring instruments. The statistical analysis was carried out with the SPSS-programme. The statistical methods utilised in the article consisted of descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients, factor analysis (using a principle components analysis), Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients and multiple regression analyses were used to analyse the data. A factor analysis confirmed two factors for Burnout, consisting of Exhaustion and Mental Distance; Emotion Work also consists of two factors namely Positive Emotion Work and Negative Emotion Work, Emotional Intelligence (four factors) consisting of Mood Regulation/Optimism, Emotion Management/Social Skills, Emotion Appraisal and Emotion Detachment. The OF (Organisational Factors) and UWES both showed acceptable internal consistencies. The analysis of Pearson correlations in this study showed that Exhaustion is negatively correlated with Job Autonomy, Supervisory Support and Engagement, while positively correlated with Negative Emotion Work and Mental Distance. Mental Distance is negatively correlated with Job Autonomy, Supervisory Support and Engagement and positively correlated with Negative Emotion Work. Engagement is positively correlated to Mood Regulation/Optimism, Emotion Management/Social Skills, Co-worker Support and Supervisory Support. Emotion Management/Social Skills is positively correlated to Emotion Appraisal and lastly Supervisor Support is positively correlated to Co-worker Support. A regression analysis with Engagement as dependent variable indicated that Positive Emotion Work, Negative Emotion Work, Mood Regulation/Optimisrn and Supervisor Support in an educator environment were the best predictors of Engagement. With Exhaustion as the dependent variable, Negative Emotion Work, Job Autonomy and Supervisor Support were the best predictors of Exhaustion and with Mental Distance as the dependent variable, Negative Emotion Work, Job Autonomy and Supervisor Support were the best predictors of Mental Distance. Recommendations are made for the educators' profession and for future research purposes. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007

Drawing on extensive empirical evidence, taken from a regional Employment Service, this PhD explores in depth, how frontliners cope with the experience of customers' violence on the frontline. Analysis of empirical data led to the finding that frontliners cope in a number of ways which were both collective and individual. The coping mechanisms used were influenced by the different organisational constructions of customer violence. This PhD has brought the emotional labour and the organisational violence literature together using insights from both to inform the other and aid understanding of not only organisational violence in general, but specifically the way that frontliners cope with the experience of customer violence. This is an aspect somewhat neglected in both the emotional labour literature and the organisational violence literature to differing extents. Although the emotional labour literature does examine ways that frontliners cope with the difficulties of customer service, it frequently fails to examine the interplay of the formal and informal organisation in influencing the means of coping used by frontliners and it has yet to consider the way that frontliners cope specifically with customer violence. The organisational violence literature tends to take the concept of violence as an unproblematic, objective term and ignores the fact that violence is a constructed subjective concept. I see this as problematic. The more interpretevist literature, which does recognise the polysemic nature of violence, only considers customer violence in passing. This literature completely fails to consider the part that the customer sovereignty plays in this violence, a significant omission, which I believe, has implications for our understanding of organisational violence. A number of theoretical points from this study have wider implications that are applicable to more than just the regional Employment Service explored. It was found that the customer sovereignty ideology played an important role in not only the ways that frontliners cope, but also in customer violence in general. Customer sovereignty underpinned the invisibility of violence and the concern for customers' well-being over those of frontliners. Both these findings were applicable to other frontline organisations. This study also found that the customer service ideology contributed towards conditions which fostered customer violence. This PhD also found that those with hierarchical power will be able, to some extent; to impose their construction of what is violent on those with less hierarchical power. However, this study emphasises the importance of human agency in arguing that those with less hierarchical power will still be able to contribute to creating organisational reality. Workers were not taken to be passive recipients of the dominant approach, but were helped shaped the construction of violence. This finding has implications for not only the construction of customer violence within organisations, but for the nature of power and the construction of organisational reality. This study has outlined many areas that need further consideration. The relationship between the customer service ideology and customer violence is currently under-researchedM. ore studies are needed examining this in different frontline settings, including both public and private sectors. Specifically, research is needed to consider the extent to which this ideology is used to justify customer violence and difficult frontline conditions in general. In examining the ways that frontliners cope with the experience of customer violence; this study integrated both the emotional labour and organisational violence literature. It is hoped that in using insights from both to inform the other, together with my own empirical research, this PhD has deepened understanding of not only the coping devices used by frontliners, but also customer violence in general.