Self-efficacy as a Mediator and Moderator Between Emotional Labor and Job Satisfaction: A Case Study of Public Service Employees in Taiwan

This study examines the perplexing relationship between emotional labor and job satisfaction in the public service arena and in a non-Western context. The results of regression analyses from a dataset of 315 frontline employees in Taiwan support the concept that different forms of emotional labor have distinct patterns of relationship with job satisfaction. Furthermore, self-efficacy mediates the positive effect of emotional labor and alleviates its negative relationship with job satisfaction. These findings are a reminder that while emotional labor can be taxing, the potential for job satisfaction to increase, rather than decrease, through effective management of such labor should not be underestimated.