Title: The hidden dimension of emotional labour: tactics to cope with emotional dissonance in French hypermarkets

Authors: Christophe Vignon; Sylvie Scoyez

Addresses: IGR/IAE – CREM UMR CNRS 6211, 11, rue Jean Mace CS 10803, 35708 Rennes cedex 7, Université de Rennes 1, France. ' PRES Université Lille Nord de France, LARIME IAE/UVHC, Rue des cent têtes les Tertiales, 59313 Valenciennes cedex 9, France

Abstract: This paper examines the tactics utilised by service workers to cope with the emotional dissonance that results from their compliance with the role scripts developed to meet customers| relational expectations. These tactics are examined in the framework of de Certeau|s theory (1984) on the basis of field surveys conducted with cashiers working in two French hypermarkets. The concept of tactic helps us to better understand how the cashiers cope with these dissonances. It helps us to shed some light on some types of behaviour which, a priori, seem irrational, and to understand the unintentional effects of managerial policies.

Keywords: emotional dissonance; hypermarkets; hypermarket cashiers; tactics; emotional labour; service workers; customer expectations; France; management policies.

DOI: 10.1504/IJWOE.2011.044593

International Journal of Work Organisation and Emotion, 2011 Vol.4 No.2, pp.113 - 135

Published online: 31 Dec 2011 *

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