Emotional labor management in e-smile service: does pay-for-performance work?
Issued Date
2025-01-01
Resource Type
ISSN
1750614X
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-105024607217
Journal Title
Chinese Management Studies
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Chinese Management Studies (2025)
Suggested Citation
Zhang Z., Su M., Ding C., Zhao S. Emotional labor management in e-smile service: does pay-for-performance work?. Chinese Management Studies (2025). doi:10.1108/CMS-04-2024-0260 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/113589
Title
Emotional labor management in e-smile service: does pay-for-performance work?
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Purpose – This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of the pay-for-performance scheme in enhancing emotional labor management in e-smile service, drawing on self-determination theory. The authors develop a moderated mediation model, with perceived insider status as the moderator and two performance indicators as the outcome variables. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected in two waves from 387 online customer service agents in China. Hypotheses were tested using path analysis conducted in Mplus 7.4. Findings – The results indicate that pay-for-performance enhances both surface acting and deep acting in e-smile service. Surface acting positively impacts task performance, whereas deep acting enhances both task performance and proactive customer service performance. Furthermore, perceived insider status weakens the mediating effect of surface acting between pay-for-performance and task performance. Originality/value – This study sheds light on how pay-for-performance influences surface acting and deep acting emotional labor strategies through the dual pathways of control and autonomy. It highlights the effectiveness of pay-for-performance in managing emotional labor and promoting performance in the online service context, offering fresh insights that contrast findings from traditional face-to-face service settings.