Emotional salary in job performance of workers in the service sector

Abstract

High employee turnover and replacement costs in the Peruvian service sector demand non-monetary incentives that strengthen retention and performance. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of emotional salary on the job performance of employees in Chiclayo, Chimbote, and Metropolitan Lima. A quantitative, cross sectional, correlational study was conducted with 295 workers from three maintenance, communications, and electrical companies. Validated self-administered questionnaires were administered, and the relationship was analyzed using ordinal logistic regression. The results showed a medium level of emotional salary (38.6%) and a high level of job performance (40.0%). The model registered a significant fit (χ2= 38.9; p 0.001) and explained 52.4% of the variance in job performance (Nagelkerke’s R² = 0.524). Each level increase in emotional salary increased the likelihood of reaching higher performance categories by 40% (OR = 1.40; 95% CI 1.22-1.60). In conclusion, emotional salary exerts a positive and clinically relevant effect; implementing formal non-monetary recognition, flexibility, and well-being programs could translate into substantial improvements in productivity and retention in the Peruvian service sector.