Cross-national validation of the resources depletion-recovery modelan empirical study of Spanish and British theme park employees

  1. Quiñones García, Cristina 1
  2. Rodríguez Carvajal, Raquel 2
  3. Griffiths, Mark D. 3
  4. Clarke, Nicholas 4
  1. 1 Open University
    info

    Open University

    Milton Keynes, Reino Unido

    ROR https://ror.org/05mzfcs16

  2. 2 Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
    info

    Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

    Madrid, España

    ROR https://ror.org/01cby8j38

  3. 3 Nottingham Trent University
    info

    Nottingham Trent University

    Nottingham, Reino Unido

    ROR https://ror.org/04xyxjd90

  4. 4 University of Southampton
    info

    University of Southampton

    Southampton, Reino Unido

    ROR https://ror.org/01ryk1543

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Journal:
Aloma: revista de psicologia, ciències de l'educació i de l'esport

ISSN: 1138-3194

Year of publication: 2015

Volume: 33

Issue: 2

Pages: 107-117

Type: Article

DOI: 10.51698/ALOMA.2015.33.2.107-117 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openOpen access editor

More publications in: Aloma: revista de psicologia, ciències de l'educació i de l'esport

Abstract

Surface acting (SA) refers to the strategy whereby front-line employees hide their own emotions and fake those required of them within customer service transactions. Although researchers have associated SA with burnout, evidence now suggests that this could be an indirect relationship. Building on the Conservation of Resources theory, it was hypothesised that the combined effect of emotional effort and lack of rewarding interactions with customers triggered by SA would explain the strong association between SA and burnout (Studies 1 and 2). Furthermore, building on psychological recovery literature, it was hypothesised that the effort invested in SA would be a weaker predictor of front-line employees� burnout in cases when they reported higher levels of recovery ability as opposed to lower levels (Study 2). A cross-national and cross-sectional design was used, and participants were theme park employees from UK (Study 1, NUK =204) and Spain (Study 2, NSpain=211). The explanatory role of emotional effort and rewarding interactions was supported, and the buffering effect of recovery ability was confirmed. Strategies aimed at minimising burnout risk for employees who deal with customers on a regular basis in these countries are discussed.

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