Service with a smile: A qualitative study of emotional labor in the restaurant industry

ABSTRACT

Restaurant staff are subjected to emotional labor due to the requirement of appearing welcoming and friendly to the people they are serving while experiencing high levels of stress. Emotional labor creates a dissonance between the person's outward presentation and their internal emotional experience. This study examined the impact of emotional labor on the lived experience of restaurant staff. This study's sample consisted of four female participants and four male participants, aged 27 to 40, who identified as restaurant staff in high-end restaurants in downtown Chicago. The interviews were administered using a semistructured format, which allowed participants the opportunity to elaborate using their own experiences. All interviews were conducted virtually via a secure video conferencing platform due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The interview data were qualitatively analyzed using interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) for an in-depth look at how people make sense of their personal lived experience. The results indicated that all eight participants experience challenges with emotional labor, including high expectations from guests, feelings of dehumanization, and implications to the high level of stress in their job. The aim of this study was to contribute to existing research in this area, to increase awareness of the high emotional demands of working in a restaurant, and to understand the lived experience of restaurant staff who undergo emotional labor. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)