Surface Acting, Team Support and Atypical Working Hours as Predictors of Work-Related Mental Health in the Hospitality Industry

Employees in the hospitality industry are frequently required to regulate their emotional expressions in interactions with customers. This form of emotional labor, particularly surface acting (i.e., displaying emotions that are not genuinely felt), has been linked to adverse work-related mental health outcomes. However, the extent to which surface acting is associated with burnout-related outcomes may depend on organizational and structural working conditions. This bachelor thesis was conducted at the University of Münster and investigates the relationship between surface acting and work-related mental health among hospitality employees. Work-related mental health is operationalized through emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and work engagement. In addition to examining the main effects of surface acting, the study focuses on the role of team support and atypical working hours (evening, night, and weekend work) as both direct predictors and moderators. Based on theories of emotional labor, stress, and the Job Demands–Resources framework, the following hypotheses are proposed: H1a–c (Main effects of surface acting): Surface acting is positively associated with emotional exhaustion (H1a) and depersonalization (H1b) and negatively associated with work engagement (H1c). H2a–c (Main effects of team support): Team support is negatively associated with emotional exhaustion (H2a) and depersonalization (H2b) and positively associated with work engagement (H2c). H3a–c (Main effects of atypical working hours): A higher proportion of evening, night, and weekend work is positively associated with emotional exhaustion (H3a) and depersonalization (H3b) and negatively associated with work engagement (H3c). H4a–c (Moderation by team support): Team support moderates the relationship between surface acting and work-related mental health, such that the positive association between surface acting and emotional exhaustion (H4a) and depersonalization (H4b), as well as the negative association with work engagement (H4c), is weaker when team support is high. H5a–c (Moderation by atypical working hours): Atypical working hours moderate the relationship between surface acting and work-related mental health, such that the positive association between surface acting and emotional exhaustion (H5a) and depersonalization (H5b), as well as the negative association with work engagement (H5c), is stronger when the proportion of evening, night, and weekend work is high. The study employs a cross-sectional survey design and tests the hypotheses using multiple linear regression analyses including interaction terms.