消極展現規則與工作倦怠: 以臺北市區公所員工為例調查情緒失調之中介效果與服務氣候之調節效果

Evidence has been obtained by a recent study of American public servants, which reveals that serving the public becomes daunting when the task requires workers to hide negative feelings—a condition known as negative display rules. To take the knowledge a step further, this study re-examines the relationship between negative display rules and occupational burnout using a non-Western sample, 415 employees in the Taipei City Government. The analysis centers on the mediating role of emotional dissonance. Notable conclusions drawn from the Taiwanese data include that (1) negative display rules are harmful to employees because of increased dissonance between felt and displayed emotions as a consequence of presenting oneself professionally; and (2) cultivating a climate for service can generate the perception of organizational support among employees and therefore reduces job burnout through mitigating stress caused by emotional dissonance. But, service climate also directs employees to focus on service quality, which will adversely create more pressure on those who experience the harmful effect of negative display rules. How to maximize the benefit and avoid the harm is a tough task faced by managers in all public service agencies.