Emotional Labor, Occupational Identity, and Work Engagement among Portuguese First Responders

• Soraia A. de Sousa Oliveira ^[1] ; Carla M. Santos de Carvalho ^[1] ; Ana L. Sousa Pinto ^[1] ; Sonia M. Guedes Gondim ^[2]
  1. [1] Universidade de Coimbra

     Universidade de Coimbra

     Coimbra (Sé Nova), Portugal

     
  2. [2] Universidade Federal da Bahia

     Universidade Federal da Bahia

     Brasil

     
• Localización: Revista de psicología del trabajo y de las organizaciones = Journal of work and organizational psychology, ISSN 1576-5962, Vol. 40, Nº 3, 2024, págs. 179-194
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.5093/jwop2024a15
• Títulos paralelos:
  • Trabajo emocional, identidad ocupacional e implicación en el trabajo en equipos portugueses de intervención rápida
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo (pdf)
• Resumen
  • español

    Los equipos de intervención rápida, incluidos policías y bomberos, se enfrentan a situaciones emocionalmente intensas y de alto riesgo, lo que hace necesario un manejo emocional eficaz para mantener la implicación en el trabajo y la identidad ocupacional. Este estudio, basado en las teorías del trabajo emocional y la identidad social, analizó datos de 248 miembros de equipos de intervención rápida para explorar el impacto del trabajo emocional en la implicación en el trabajo, con la identidad ocupacional como mediadora. Los resultados indican que los bomberos se enfrentan a mayores exigencias para expresar emociones positivas y expresan mayor identidad ocupacional e implicación en el trabajo que los policías. La expresión de emociones positivas facilitó la implicación en el trabajo, mientras que la actuación superficial y la supresión de emociones negativas afectaron negativamente a ambos resultados, particularmente en los policías. El análisis de mediación pone de manifiesto que la identidad ocupacional es un mecanismo clave que conecta el trabajo emocional con la implicación en el trabajo. Estos hallazgos destacan el papel estabilizador de la identidad ocupacional en la implicación en el trabajo a pesar de las exigencias del trabajo emocional. El estudio subraya la necesidad de intervenciones específicas y adaptadas a cada ocupación en los miembros de equipos de intervención rápida para mitigar el agotamiento emocional y mantener la implicación en el trabajo.

  • English

    First responders, including police officers and firefighters, face emotionally intense, high-risk situations, necessitating effective emotional management to sustain work engagement and occupational identity. This study, grounded in emotional labor and social identity theories, analyzed data from 248 first responders to explore the impact of emotional labor on work engagement, with occupational identity as a mediator. Results showed that firefighters faced higher demands for positive emotion expression and reported greater occupational identity and work engagement than police officers. Positive emotion expression enhanced work engagement, while surface-acting and negative emotion suppression negatively affected both outcomes, particularly for police officers. Mediation analysis revealed occupational identity as a key mechanism linking emotional labor to work engagement. These findings highlight the stabilizing role of occupational identity in work engagement despite emotional labor demands. The study emphasizes the need for targeted and occupation-specific interventions among first responders to mitigate emotional exhaustion and sustain engagement.

• Referencias bibliográficas
  • Al-Shaqsi, S. (2010). Models of international emergency medical service (EMS) systems. Oman Medical Journal, 25(4), 320-323. https://doi.org/10.5001/omj.2010.92
  • Alves, J. S. C., Bendassolli, P. F., & Gondim, S. M. G. (2017). Trabalho emocional como preditor de burnout entre policiais militares....
  • Arjmand, H.-A., O’Donnell, M. L., Putica, A., Sadler, N., Peck, T., Nursey, J., & Varker, T. (2024). Mental health treatment for first...
  • Ashforth, B. E., & Humphrey, R. H. (1993). Emotional labor in service roles: The influence of identity. The Academy of Management Review,...
  • Au, W. T., Wong, Y. Y., Leung, K. M., & Chiu, S. M. (2019). Effectiveness of emotional fitness training in police. Journal of Police and...
  • Bakker, A. B. (2009). Building engagement in the workplace. In R. J. Burke & C. L. Cooper (Eds.), The peak performing organization (pp....
  • Bakker, A. B., & Heuven, E. (2006). Emotional dissonance, burnout, and in-role performance among nurses and police officers. International...
  • Bakker, A. B., & Oerlemans, W. G. M. (2019). Daily job crafting and momentary work engagement: A self-determination and self-regulation...
  • Bakker, A. B., Schaufeli, W. B., Leiter, M. P., & Taris, T. W. (2008). Work engagement: An emerging concept in occupational health psychology....
  • Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84(2), 191-215. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.84.2.191
  • Basinska, B. A., & Dåderman, A. M. (2019). Work values of police officers and their relationship with job burnout and work engagement....
  • Bernabé, M., Lisbona, A., Palací, F. J., & Martín-Aragón, M. (2016). Social identity and engagement: An exploratory study at university....
  • Best, R. G., Downey, R. G., & Jones, R. G. (1997). Incumbent perceptions of emotional work requirements. Paper Presented at the 12th Annual...
  • Bhowmick, S., & Mulla, Z. (2016). Emotional labour of policing: Does authenticity play a role? International Journal of Police Science...
  • Black, A., & Lumsden, K. (2021). Emotional labour in policing. In J. Phillips, C. Westaby, A. Fowler, & J. Waters (Eds.), Emotional...
  • Britt, T. W. (2003). Aspects of identity predict engagement in work under adverse conditions. Self and Identity, 2(1), 31-45. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298860309022
  • Brotheridge, C. M., & Grandey, A. A. (2002). Emotional labor and burnout: Comparing two perspectives of “people work”. Journal of Vocational...
  • Brotheridge, C. M., & Lee, R. T. (2003). Development and validation of the Emotional Labour Scale. Journal of Occupational and Organizational...
  • Bryant, R. A. (2022). The nature of posttraumatic stress disorder in treatment-seeking first responders. European Journal of Psychotraumatology,...
  • Cameron, J. E. (2004). A three-factor model of social identity. Self and Identity, 3(3), 239-262. https://doi.org/10.1080/13576500444000047
  • Caruso, D. R., & Salovey, P. (2004). The emotionally intelligent manager: How to develop and use the four key emotional skills of leadership....
  • Carvalho, C. M. S., Pinto, A. L. S., Oliveira, S. A. de S., Graça, A. C. G., & Coelho de Moura, R. F. R. M. (2024). Does professional...
  • Castellano, E., Muñoz-Navarro, R., Toledo, M. S., Spontón, C., & Medrano, L. A. (2019). Cognitive processes of emotional regulation, burnout...
  • Chang, T.-W., Chen, Y.-S., & Lin, C.-Y. (2022). The myth of organizational change process: A study of uniting organizational identity,...
  • Chen, J., Li, N., Shi, Y., & Du, J. (2023). Cross-cultural assessment of the effect of spatial information on firefighters’ wayfinding...
  • Cheung, F. Y., & Tang, C. S. (2010). Effects of age, gender, and emotional labor strategies on job outcomes: Moderated mediation analyses....
  • Childs, E., & de Wit, H. (2014). Regular exercise is associated with emotional resilience to acute stress in healthy adults. Frontiers...
  • Cohen, J. (1992). A power primer. Psychological Bulletin, 112(1), 155-159. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.112.1.155
  • Cronbach, L. J. (1951). Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometrika, 16(3), 297-334. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02310555
  • Cropanzano, R., Rupp, D. E., & Byrne, Z. S. (2003). The relationship of emotional exhaustion to work attitudes, job performance, and organizational...
  • Daus, C. S., & Brown, S. (2012). The emotion work of police. In N. M. Ashkanasy, C. E. J. Härtel, & W. J. Zerbe (Eds.), Experiencing...
  • Decree-Law 243/2015, October 19th. Diário da República, 1.a Série - N.o 204 9054. https://dre.pt/dre/detalhe/decreto-lei/243-2015-70737912
  • Decree-Law 247/2007, June 27th. Diário da República 122, Série I. https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/decreto-lei/2007-75452698
  • Dias, P. C., Oliveira, Í. M., Rodrigues, A., & Peixoto, R. (2023). Burnout: Personal and work factors in volunteer and career firefighters....
  • Diefendorff, J. M., & Gosserand, R. H. (2003). Understanding the emotional labor process: A control theory perspective. Journal of Organizational...
  • Doyle, J. N., Campbell, M. A., & Gryshchuk, L. (2021). Occupational stress and anger: Mediating effects of resiliency in first responders....
  • Eberth, J., & Sedlmeier, P. (2012). The effects of mindfulness meditation: A meta-analysis. Mindfulness, 3(3), 174-189. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-012-0101-x
  • Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American...
  • Gabriel, A. S., Diefendorff, J. M., & Erickson, R. J. (2011). The relations of daily task accomplishment satisfaction with changes in...
  • Gondim, S. M. G. (2002). Grupos focais como técnica de investigação qualitativa: desafios metodológicos. Paidéia (Ribeirão Preto), 12(24),...
  • Grandey, A. A. (2003). When “the show must go on”: Surface acting and deep acting as determinants of emotional exhaustion and peer-rated service...
  • Grandey, A. A., Fisk, G. M., & Steiner, D. D. (2005). Must “service with a smile” be stressful? The moderating role of personal control...
  • Gross, J. J. (1998). The emerging field of emotion regulation: An integrative review. Review of General Psychology, 2(3), 271-299. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.2.3.271
  • Gross, J. J., & Levenson, R. W. (1997). Hiding feelings: The acute effects of inhibiting negative and positive emotion. Journal of Abnormal...
  • Gryshchuk, L., Campbell, M. A., Brunelle, C., Doyle, J. N., & Nero, J. W. (2022). Profiles of vulnerability to alcohol use and mental...
  • Guedes, H. D., Gondim, S. M. G., & Hirschle, A. L. T. (2020). Trabalho emocional e engajamento no trabalho em policiais militares: Mediação...
  • Hambleton, R. K., & Swaminathan, H. (1985). Item response theory. Springer Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-1988-9
  • Haski-Leventhal, D., & McLeigh, J. D. (2009). Firefighters volunteering beyond their duty: An essential asset in rural communities. Journal...
  • Hayes, A. F. (2017). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach. Guilford publications...
  • Hill, M. M., & Hill, A. (2016). Investigação por questionário (2nd ed., 6th reprint). Sílabo.
  • Hirschi, A. (2012). Callings and work engagement: Moderated mediation model of work meaningfulness, occupational identity, and occupational...
  • Hochschild, A. R. (1983). The managed heart: Commercialization of human feeling (1st ed). University of California Press.
  • Howell, D. C. (2002). Statistical methods for psychology (5th ed.). Duxbury.
  • Hülsheger, U. R., Alberts, H. J. E. M., Feinholdt, A., & Lang, J. W. B. (2013). Benefits of mindfulness at work: The role of mindfulness...
  • Humphrey, R. H., Ashforth, B. E., & Diefendorff, J. M. (2015). The bright side of emotional labor. Journal of Organizational Behavior,...
  • Hyun, D. S., Jeung, D. Y., Kim, C., Ryu, H. Y., & Chang, S. J. (2020). Does emotional labor increase the risk of suicidal ideation among...
  • IBM Corp. (2022). IBM SPSS Statistics for Macintosh. IBM Corp.
  • Jääskeläinen, R. (2010). Think-aloud protocol. In Y. Gambier & L. van Doorslaer (Eds.), Handbook of translation studies (Vol. 1, pp. 371-373)....
  • Jacobs, E., & Keegan, R. J. (2022). Sustaining optimal performance when the stakes could not be higher: Emotional awareness and resilience...
  • Jones, S., Agud, K., & McSweeney, J. (2020). Barriers and facilitators to seeking mental health care among first responders: “Removing...
  • Kabat-Zin, J. (2022). Mindfulness: A vida como ela é. PRH Grupo Editorial Portugal, Lda.
  • Kalkman, J. P. (2023). Emotions: Involvement versus detachment. In Frontline Crisis Response (pp. 83-99). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009262170.006
  • Kammeyer-Mueller, J. D., Simon, L. S., & Judge, T. A. (2016). A head starts or a step behind? Understanding how dispositional and motivational...
  • Kaplan, J. B., Bergman, A. L., Christopher, M., Bowen, S., & Hunsinger, M. (2017). Role of resilience in mindfulness training for first...
  • Kern, M., Trumpold, K., & Zapf, D. (2021). Emotion work as a source of employee well- and ill-being: The moderating role of service interaction...
  • Lan, T., Chen, M., Zeng, X., & Liu, T. (2020). The influence of job and individual resources on work engagement among Chinese police officers:...
  • Lennie, S.-J., Sarah, E. C., & Sutton, A. (2020). Robocop - The depersonalisation of police officers and their emotions: A diary study...
  • Levy-Gigi, E., Bonanno, G. A., Shapiro, A. R., Richter-Levin, G., Kéri, S., & Sheppes, G. (2016). Emotion regulatory flexibility sheds...
  • Lim, J., & Moon, K.-K. (2024). The effect of emotional labor on psychological well-being in the context of South Korean firefighters:...
  • Llorens, S., Salanova, M., Chambel, M. J., Torrente, P., & Ângelo, R. P. (2022). Organizational drivers of burnout and work engagement:...
  • Machado, H. V. (2003). A identidade e o contexto organizacional: Perspectivas de análise. Revista de Administração Contemporânea, 7(spe),...
  • Marmar, C. R., McCaslin, S. E., Metzler, T. J., Best, S., Weiss, D. S., Fagan, J., Liberman, A., Pole, N., Otte, C., Yehuda, R., Mohr, D.,...
  • Martin, S. E. (1999). Police force or police service? Gender and emotional labor. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social...
  • Mastracci, S. H., & Adams, I. T. (2020). It’s not depersonalization, it’s emotional labor: Examining surface acting and use-of-force with...
  • McDonald, M. A., Meckes, S. J., & Lancaster, C. L. (2021). Compassion for oneself and others protects the mental health of first responders....
  • Meneghini, A. M., Colledani, D., Morandini, S., De France, K., & Hollenstein, T. (2024). Emotional engagement and caring relationships:...
  • Michinov, E. (2022). The moderating role of emotional intelligence on the relationship between conflict management styles and burnout among...
  • Miller-Fox, G. A. (2018). Emotional labor training typology for basic peace officer training curricula. Administrative Theory and Praxis,...
  • Morman, M. T., Schrodt, P., & Adamson, A. (2020). Firefighters’ job stress and the (un)intended consequences of relational quality with...
  • Morris, J. A., & Feldman, D. C. (1996). The dimensions, antecedents, and consequences of emotional labor. Academy of Management Review,...
  • Nascimento, T. G., & Souza, E. C. L. (2017). Escala trifatorial da identidade social (ETIS): Evidências de sua adequação psicométrica....
  • Needham, C., Griffiths, E., & Mangan, C. (2023). ‘While you’re there, can you just…’ The emotional labour of role extending in public...
  • Oliveira, A., Teixeira, F., Neto, F., & Maia, Â. (2021). Peer support in prehospital emergency: The first responders’ point of view. International...
  • Oliveira, S., Carvalho, C., Pinto, A., de Moura, R. C., & Santos-Costa, P. (2023). Emotional labor, occupational identity and work engagement...
  • Ondrejková, N., & Halamová, J. (2022). Stressful factors, experiences of compassion fatigue and self-care strategies in police officers....
  • Park, H.-S., Moon, K.-K., & Ha, T.-S. (2024). The impact of firefighters’ emotional labor on job performance: The moderating effects of...
  • Richardson, B. K., & James, E. P. (2017). The role of occupational identity in negotiating traumatic experiences: The case of a rural...
  • Rodrigues, M. O. (2018). Os polícias não choram (2nd ed). Prime Books.
  • Roca, A. C., Mateizer, A., Dan, C.-I., & Demerouti, E. (2021). Job demands and exhaustion in firefighters: The moderating role of work...
  • Ryan, M., Hasan, F., Molina, L., Cervoni, C., Palladino, J., Vujanovic, A. A., & Gonzalez, A. (2022). First responders and mental health....
  • Ryu, H. Y., Hyun, D. S., Jeung, D. Y., Kim, C. S., & Chang, S. J. (2020). Organizational climate effects on the relationship between emotional...
  • Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. D. (1990). Emotional intelligence. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 9(3), 185-211. https://doi.org/10.2190/DUGG-P24E-52WK-6CDG
  • Schaible, L. M. (2006). The impact of emotional labor, value dissonance, and occupational identity on police officers levels of cynicism and...
  • Schaufeli, W., & Bakker, A. B. (2004). UWES: Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (Preliminary Manual, Vol. v. 1.1). Utrecht University.
  • Schaufeli, W., Salanova, M., González-Romá, V., & Bakker, A. B. (2002). The measurement of engagement and burnout: A two sample confirmatory...
  • Shin, Y., Nam, J. K., Lee, A., & Kim, Y. (2023). Latent profile analysis of post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic growth among firefighters....
  • Sinval, J., Marques-Pinto, A., Queirós, C., & Marôco, J. (2018). Work engagement among rescue workers: Psychometric Properties of the...
  • Skorikov, V. B., & Vondracek, F. W. (2011). Occupational identity. In S. J. Schwartz, K. Luycks, & V. L. Vignoles (Eds.), Handbook...
  • Sloan, M. M. (2014). The consequences of emotional labor for public sector workers and the mitigating role of self-efficacy. American Review...
  • Sluss, D. M., & Ashforth, B. E. (2008). How relational and organizational identification converge: Processes and conditions. Organization...
  • Sowa, J. (2024). Volunteering and work-life balance. In J. Sowa (Ed.), Maintaining a sustainable work-life balance (pp. 23-29). Edward Elgar...
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). (2018). Disaster Technical Assistance Center Supplemental Research Bulletin...
  • Tajfel, H. (1974). Social identity and intergroup behaviour. Social Science Information, 13(2), 65-93. https://doi.org/10.1177/053901847401300204
  • Theoharakis, V., Wapshott, R., & Cham, L. (2024). Work engagement and the impact of a social identity crafting approach to leadership:...
  • Tims, M., Bakker, A. B., & Derks, D. (2013). The impact of job crafting on job demands, job resources, and well-being. Journal of Occupational...
  • van Gelderen, B. R., Bakker, A. B., Konijn, E., & Binnewies, C. (2014). Daily deliberative dissonance acting among police officers. Journal...
  • van Gelderen, B. R., Bakker, A. B., Konijn, E. A., & Demerouti, E. (2011). Daily suppression of discrete emotions during the work of police...
  • van Gelderen, B. R., & Bik, L. W. (2016). Affective organizational commitment, work engagement and service performance among police officers....
  • van Gelderen, B. R., Konijn, E. A., & Bakker, A. B. (2017). Emotional labor among police officers: A diary study relating strain, emotional...
  • Wolter, C., Maria, A. S., Gusy, B., Lesener, T., Kleiber, D., & Renneberg, B. (2019). Social support and work engagement in police work:...
  • Zhang, W., Meng, H., Yang, S., & Liu, D. (2018). The influence of professional identity, job satisfaction, and work engagement on turnover...