Emotion Work in the Gym

Emotional labor is a type of emotion management that occurs when people modify their actual or displayed emotions to meet the demands of their job. Research indicates that individuals who feel as though they are acting in line with their perceived genuine feelings or true selves while they perform emotional labor typically do not experience negative effects. Workers who feel that they are acting in a manner that does not reflect their genuine feelings or is out of line with their true selves, however, generally do experience negative effects. Nevertheless, precise ways in which authenticity and emotional labor may interact have not been explored. This study investigates the ways in which employees at a university recreation center discursively construct their experiences of emotional labor and feelings of authenticity. The findings hold potential to improve Communication, Psychology, and Management scholars' understanding of the relationship between authenticity and emotional labor. A better understanding of this relationship may add clarity to researchers' somewhat opaque knowledge of the factors that mitigate the effects of emotional labor.