A Study on the Emotional Labor of Sales Workers at Department Stores

백화점 판매사원의 감정노동에 관한 연구

  • Bae, Jun-Chul (Department of Business Administration. Hanyang University) ;
  • Kim, Pan-Jin (Department of Business Administration. Chodang University)
  • Received : 2011.11.14
  • Accepted : 2011.09.10
  • Published : 2011.12.30

Abstract

Along with economic development, the service industry is growing as days go by. Therefore, companies should maximize customer satisfaction through continuous changes by providing services which are suitable for customer needs. The general service industry has a decisive effect on the rate of growth and profitability of a superior business. Therefore, many companies try to provide the best customer service to increase profitability. Because service to a customer is delivered through interactions with the employee, the employee's attitude has a strong influence on the customer's satisfaction level. For these, most service industries are required to provide new types of labor. It is often referred to 'Emotional Labor', and that is different from physical and mental labor. Service providers always provide a service for the customers with a smile, even though they conceal their emotions. The Purpose of this study is to identify theologically the fact of that Sales Workers at Department Stores emotional labor, according to the economization of service, has become to decide the predominance of competition among companies and represents the quality of service ; to confirm that their emotion management is a crucial part of the work; to identify the correlation among job stress and job satisfaction which are experienced in the process of performing display rules required by organization. To practice them, this study deals with the theological consideration of the emotional labor, job stress and job satisfaction. This study proceeded to evaluate how the emotional labor of sales workers at department stores effected on their job stress and satisfaction. The result of this study will be summarized below. First of all, the frequency of emotional display and attentiveness required to display emotions both have a similar effect on the level of job stress. In the case of the emotional dissonance, there isn't a great amount of proof that it effects the job stress. That shows us that the aspect of the latter, they express the feelings on their daily lives less than the former by the public awareness and gaze. so, once they could accept the latter, the effect on the job stress would be vanished. Second, a study was performed to figure out the effect of emotional labor on job stress. As a result, none of them make negative effects on the job satisfaction but the attentiveness to required display rules even have positive effects on it. that means the emotional labor has an indirect effect on the job satisfaction through some intermediation stuff. Third, the role conflict of job stress factors has a negative effect on job satisfaction, Although role ambiguity has a negative effect on that as well, I couldn't find appropriate proof for that. As far as I figured out, job stress can only increase job dissatisfaction. In other hands, the sales workers would have tendencies to have more motivation to work hard rather than reveal their job stress and complain about work. Finally, emotional laborers always work close to job stress. This can maximize service for the customers, but it increases stress of the laborers providing services at the same time. Then, they can not provide high quality service. It is no doubt that we need to begin managing it systematically. In conclusion, the work satisfaction of the sales workers is connected to the service quality for the customers directly.

서비스업의 대부분에서는 감정노동이라고 하는 새로운 형태의 노동을 제공하도록 요구 받는다. 이에 따라 많은 판매사원들은 자신의 감정을 숨긴 채 고객들에게 항상 웃음으로 서비스를 제공하게 된다. 이에 본 연구에서는 백화점 판매사원의 감정노동에 관하여 실증적 연구를 진행하였다. 감정노동, 직무스트레스, 직무만족의 관계를 기초로 하여 실증분석을 시도하였다. 연구결과 첫째, 감정노동은 직무스트레스에 유의한 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 즉 감정노동이 증가함에 따라서 직무스트레스가 증가하는 것으로 나타났다. 둘째, 감정노동과 직무만족의 관계를 살펴본 결과 유의한 결과를 제시하지 못하였다. 이는 감정노동이 직무만족에 직접적인 영향보다는 간접적인 영향을 제공한다고 볼 수 있을 것이다. 셋째, 직무스트레스와 직무만족 간에 관계를 보면 역할갈등요인이 유의한 결과를 제시하고 있다. 이는 역할갈등이 증가할수록 직무만족이 떨어진다는 것을 의미하는 결과를 나타내고 있다. 이러한 결과를 통하여 감정노동이 판매사원들의 직무스트레스 및 직무만족에 직, 간접적인 영향을 미치므로 이에 대한 관리를 필요로 할 것이다. 이는 서비스를 제공하는 판매사원의 직무만족이 궁극적으로 고객 서비스 품질로 이어질 것이므로 아주 의미하는 바가 크다고 할 수 있다.

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