Relationship between emotional labor and burnout among sports coaches in South Korea: Moderating role of social support

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the moderating effect of social support in the relationship between three strategies of emotional labor (surface acting, deep acting, and genuine expression) and burnout among sports coaches in South Korea. Data were collected from 259 athletic coaches who were working at secondary schools at Gyeongsangnam-do in South Korea. Results indicated that three emotional labor strategies explained a significant amount of variance in each of the three dimensions of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment). In regard to the moderating effect, social support significantly moderated the relationship between surface acting and overall burnout. Specifically, the positive effect of surface acting on burnout was weaker for coaches with a high level of social support than those with a low level of social support. Some ways to engage in appropriate emotional labor strategies and to create environments where social support can be easily accessed were discussed.