Emotion Regulation Dynamics in Interpersonal Workplace Relationships

Emotion regulation and emotional labor researchers have begun addressing the importance of dynamic features of emotion regulation in the workplace. Although many emotion regulation studies have been conducted in the service sector, less have been conducted among employees in occupations with ongoing interactions with clients. We conducted in-depth interviews with 42 aged care workers and managers from residential and community aged care providers in China. Using template analysis approach, we found the dynamics of emotion regulation switching from response-focused to antecedent-focused strategies to regulate one emotion within an emotional episode and different emotions between emotional episodes. Organizational display rules impact the initial round of regulation, and interpersonal relationships between aged care employees and clients impact later round of regulation. Four types of interpersonal relationships were identified in this Chinese sample: transactional, professional, filial and family relations...