Philippines

Abstract

This chapter examines emotional labor in the Philippines, an archipelagic nation in the Pacific with a population of over 100 million people. A blend of multiple cultures and influences, its contemporary civil service borrows heavily from US public administration and overlays these with traditional and acquired cultural characteristics. Empirical evidence shows that in some ways, emotional labor in the Philippine public sector mirrors that of other countries, but its relationship to job-related outcomes may reflect its own particular culture and context. Emotive capacity relates positively with job satisfaction and personal fulfillment like in many other countries. Emotive pretending while performing one’s job duties has no effect on burnout, unlike in many other countries. Performing authentically—deep acting—has no relationship with job satisfaction and personal fulfillment, but it is positively related to burnout. This is unlike the Philippine private sector, where deep acting was previously found to reduce burnout. Cultural and contextual factors in the Philippine public sector may help to explain these findings.