How Does Social Media Use Influence the Relationship Between Emotional Labor and Burnout?

Abstract

This study used data from an online questionnaire survey of public employees in Ghana and examined the relationship between emotional labor (surface acting and deep acting) and burnout (emotional exhaustion), as well as the moderating-mediating effects of social media use on that relationship. Surface acting has been found to be a stronger predictor of burnout than deep acting. Social media use reinforces the influence of surface acting on burnout but does not moderate the relationship between deep acting and burnout. Social media use mediates the relationship between deep acting and burnout, whereas a mediation effect is not found between surface acting and burnout. These findings suggest that public agencies should develop strategies to decrease stress arising from emotional labor and understand the relationship between emotional labor and social media use.