Emotion Regulation in Bank Employees-Regulation, Antecedents and Mediators, and Impact on Well-Being

This study tested to what extent Italian bank employees - working as consultants or at-the-counter - regulate their emotions (Emotional Labor, EL) so as to bring them in line with job requirements, and the frequency, nature, and effects of EL on their well-being. Employees answered questions on personal, work-related and psychological variables. The results showed that EL is a salient aspect of such jobs. Workers performed both Surface Acting and Deep Acting, and frequently reported Emotional Consonance too. SA and EC were negatively related. SA was more likely the higher the number of interactions with clients per day- itself negatively related to interaction duration. EC was more likely the higher the Involvement in the present job role - itself highly negatively related with number of client-interactions. Life Satisfaction was related negatively to SA, and positively related to EC. Emotional labor correlated with reported level of one or more Burnout components; Exhausted and Depersonalized employees reported less Life Satisfaction, and more frequent Negative emotions; Positive emotions were felt more often by Involved employees, and by those who felt Realized in their job. The study confirmed the hypothesis that emotion regulation is significantly associated to various aspects of well-being in bank employees.