Emotional labour in university lecturers : considerations for higher education institutions

Berry, KE; Cassidy, SF

Abstract

Emotional labour is a state that exists when there is a discrepancy between the emotional demeanour that an individual displays and the genuinely felt emotions that would be inappropriate to display (Mann 1999b). The study examined levels of emotional labour in university lecturers and compared these data to other occupations. Employing a mixed methods design, a sample of 61 university lecturers participated in the study. Emotional labour was measured using Mann’s Emotional Requirements Inventory (MERI). Results showed that university lecturers reported significantly higher levels of emotional labour than other occupations including mental health nurses and a mix of frontline and back office employees. Age and length of service were found to be significant factors for emotional labour in university lecturers. Qualitative findings identified the main themes as increased workloads, eroding job autonomy, uncertainty about the future and job satisfaction. Based on findings from the study, a conceptual model of emotional labour in higher education was proposed, the Higher Education Emotional Labour Model (HEEL). Implications for university senior management in recognising the high levels of emotional labour levels were considered. Further suggested research directions considered include work to determine the frequency of emotional labour in university lecturers, testing the validity of the proposed Higher Education Emotional Labour Model and investigating the job role characteristics of a university lecturer.

Citation

Berry, K., & Cassidy, S. (2013). Emotional labour in university lecturers : considerations for higher education institutions. Journal of Curriculum and Teaching, 2(2), https://doi.org/10.5430/jct.v2n2p22

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 28, 2013
• Publication Date: Nov 1, 2013
• Deposit Date: Jul 14, 2015
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 5, 2016
• Journal: Journal of Curriculum and Teaching
• Print ISSN: 1927-2677
• Electronic ISSN: 1927-2685
• Publisher: Sciedu Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 2
• Issue: 2
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.5430/jct.v2n2p22
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5430/jct.v2n2p22
• Related Public URLs: http://www.sciedu.ca/journal/index.php/jct/index