Emotional Labor in the Service Economy

In today's service economy, many jobs require that applicants have a smiling face, helpful disposition and the ability to interact in a friendly manner with others. Or in the case of law enforcement or bill collecting, an employee can be required to be less friendly and more harsh in his or her interaction with customers or criminals.

Jobs that require emotional labor typically necessitate contact with other people external to or within the organization, usually involving face-to-face or voice-to-voice contact, especially in service work. Emotional labor requires employees to give something of themselves to others with whom they have no ongoing personal relationship.

Emotional Labor in the Service Economy, a special issue of THE ANNALS, discusses the many aspects of emotional labor in a variety of job settings and cross-disciplinary examples. Articles in this important issue highlight:

· Emotional Demands at Work

· Financial Penalty for Doing Caring Work

· Psychological Consequences of Emotional Labor

· Rules Regulating Emotional Displays in Jobs or Job Requirements

Emotional labor has gained increased recognition as it grows to affect productivity and generates profit. This special issue of THE ANNALS is a valuable resource to researchers, scholars and professionals in all areas to provide insight into this important topic.