At a time when job security is – well, not so secure – it’s only natural for workers to keep their heads down and power through tariff threats, nagging inflation concerns, and accelerating public (and private) job cuts. But a new paper – appearing in Industrial Marketing Management – explains that sentiments like that come with a price, both to one’s mental health and job satisfaction (if there’s any left).
The research, a joint project of Kash Afshar of the University of Mississippi and Omar Itani of Lebanese American University, wanted to explore the emotional strain on salespeople. From that, the pair gleaned some insight into how what they call “emotional labor” – the act of managing emotions to meet job demands – shapes one’s mental health. Their study exposed the pitfalls of emotional exhaustion, dissatisfaction, and poor customer interactions that arise from “faking it” on the job.
“We are all under pressure at work with deadlines and performance expectations,” Afshar, an assistant professor of marketing, said in a press release. “We wanted to explore what factors threaten employees’ mental health and contribute to emotional exhaustion. Emotional labor was a key factor of interest.”
Emotional Labor’s Toll
The researchers worked with a definition of emotional labor that refers to “managing emotions to fulfill the expectations of a job or social role, or pretending to feel differently than you actually do.”
Salespeople are no strangers to constant pressure (and rejection), which can still exert an overbearing strain on one’s mental health. According to the “2024 State of Mental Health in Sales” report, nearly three-quarters of sales professionals admit to mental health struggles.
Through their research, Afshar and Itani identified two types of emotional labor:
- Deep acting, which involves a sincere re-alignment of one’s feelings to the emotions expected of them.
- Surface acting, which consists of faking emotions without internal alignment.
In the end, the researchers discovered that surface acting posed more of a threat to one’s well-being than deep acting.
“Managing emotions to meet job demands can lead to burnout and job dissatisfaction,” Itani, also an associate professor of marketing, explained. “When employees are forced to put on a facade, it can harm customer interactions and overall performance.”
Customer Injustice and Burnout
The team also explored how customer behavior takes its own toll on sales professionals. Negative interactions, which they dubbed “customer injustice,” only makes things worse. Salespeople facing rude, unfair, or abusive customers experience heightened emotional exhaustion. This is especially true when they rely on surface acting to get by.
“We are limited in terms of our emotional and cognitive resources,” Afshar explained. “Spending those resources on emotional regulation reduces satisfaction and increases burnout.”
Afshar also warned that burnout doesn’t just translate to lost talent. It also threatens the financial stability of the larger organization.
“Salespeople are expensive employees,” he added. “If they burn out or disengage, companies lose revenue and valuable expertise.”
Mitigating Emotional Strain at Work
Emotional labor will always be a part of life at work – regardless of the occupation. And Afshar suggests that mindfulness exercises, take one example, can help employees cope.
“Mindfulness helps individuals create emotional distance from challenging situations without judgment,” he explained. “It allows employees to step back, view situations objectively, and avoid internalizing negative experiences.”
Itani added that organizational support is increasingly crucial in promoting mental well-being.
“A supportive workplace culture that encourages authenticity rather than forcing employees to ‘fake it’ can improve employee satisfaction and customer relationships,” he said.
Maintaining that kind of environment, the authors advise, includes providing mental health resources, fostering a culture of autonomy, and checking in with employees regularly. Cultivating the emotional intelligence of employees – through training at work, less formal coaching sessions, or promoting open communication in the workplace – can also boost their ability to manage their emotions more effectively.
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