Final answer:
Emotional labour involves the effort and control needed to express organizationally desired emotions during interpersonal transactions. It is relevant in roles where there is a need to maintain a positive demeanor for professionalism, which can sometimes lead to job burnout due to emotional exhaustion.
Step-by-step explanation:
Emotional labour refers to the effort, planning, and control required to express organizationally desired emotions during interpersonal interactions. The concept is particularly relevant in customer-facing roles where employees must often manage their emotional expressions regardless of their actual feelings to conform to professional standards or organizational expectations. This can include professions like flight attendants, service industry workers, and healthcare providers, where a consistent, positive demeanor is part of the job requirement.
Moreover, emotional labour involves aspects of impression management, where individuals actively work to control the impressions others have of them within professional settings. This may entail expressing emotions that are deemed appropriate for certain situations, even if they do not align with the individual's genuine feelings.
Additionally, the process of emotional labour is linked with potential job burnout, as the constant exertion of controlling one's emotions can lead to emotional exhaustion. This is especially true in high-stress jobs that demand much interpersonal interaction and emotional engagement.