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Emotional labor assessments and episodic recall bias in public engagement

Author

Listed:
  • William G. Resh

    (University of Southern California)

  • Cynthia Wilkes

    (University of Southern California)

  • Carmen Mooradian

    (University of Southern California)

Abstract

In a survey of local officials in Los Angeles County we test individual-level job-related assessments as a function of a public employee’s induced recall of discrete citizen engagement and one’s intrinsic prosocial motivation through a randomized survey experiment. We explore whether tangible retentions of public service influence the relationship between self-concepts—such as reported prosociality—and job-related assessments. We find that the relationship between self-reports of prosociality and pay satisfaction are contingent upon those concepts being decontextualized, whereas discrete recall bias appears not to affect emotional burnout. In other words, subjects seem to accept the emotional labor of engagement as part of their jobs. However, contextualizing engagement may make them more cognizant of its unremunerated dimensions; and, positive reinforcement of engagement provides encouragement to further engagement. Our findings make the case that emotional labor involves a skill set that employees implicitly recognize merits remuneration and that reinforcing positive engagement outcomes inspires employee motivation.

Suggested Citation

  • William G. Resh & Cynthia Wilkes & Carmen Mooradian, 2020. "Emotional labor assessments and episodic recall bias in public engagement," Journal of Behavioral Public Administration, Center for Experimental and Behavioral Public Administration, vol. 3(2).
  • Handle: RePEc:bpd:articl:v:3:y:2020:i:2:jbpa.32.138
    DOI: 10.30636/jbpa.32.138
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Citizen engagement; Emotional burnout; Pay satisfaction; Emotional labor; Prosocial motivation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • Z00 - Other Special Topics - - General - - - General
    • D90 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - General

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