Perceived Organizational Support and Psychological Empowerment as Determinants of Emotional Labor in the Call Center Context

Abstract

The purpose of the current research is to address the mediating role of psychological empowerment (PE) in the effect of perceived organizational support (POS) on emotional labor (EL). Drawing upon Social Exchange Theory and the Job Demands–Resources (JD–R) framework, this study highlights the ways in which external organizational resources and internal motivational processes jointly influence employee behavior in emotionally challenging work settings. Data were obtained via a questionnaire distributed to 200 call center employees employed in a customer service organization in Turkey, using a convenience sampling technique. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied for data analysis, utilizing SmartPLS version 4. The research results revealed that POS positively impacts deep emotional labor (deep acting). Additionally, POS positively influenced psychological empowerment dimensions that are meaning, self-determination, and impact. In turn, the meaning and self-determination dimensions were found to have a positive impact on deep emotional labor (deep acting). Moreover, the meaning facet of psychological empowerment played a partial mediation role in the association between POS and deep acting. These results suggest that psychological empowerment, alongside POS, may be an intrinsic motivator in shaping EL strategies within emotionally intensive service environments. In other words, employees’ perceptions of organizational resources activate not only external support mechanisms but also internal processes of meaning-making and autonomy, which in turn shape their emotional regulation strategies.