Customer-related social stressors and emotional exhaustion: The mediating role of surface and deep acting

The role of surface acting and deep acting in mediating the relationship between customer-related social stressors (CSS) and emotional exhaustion were examined in this study. Employees (N = 310) working in the call-center industry were surveyed. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results showed that two CSS components; disproportionate customer expectation and customer verbal aggression, were positively related to emotional exhaustion, and that surface acting fully mediated the relationship between disproportionate customer expectation and emotional exhaustion. Both theoretical and practical implications are discussed.