A grounded theory analysis for the experience of emotional labor in fitness workers

The purpose of this study is to understand the essential emotional labor of fitness workers. Fitness clubs are spaces that promote physical activity, and the participation rate of busy modern individuals is expected to continue increasing. The research method involved grounded theory analysis, targeting 10 research participants. The causal relationships between causal conditions, situational conditions, central phenomena, mediating conditions, and interaction strategies were analyzed for the participants in this study.<br/> Two important areas emerged from these results. The first area is the relationship between fitness practitioners and customers. The management of emotional labor by fitness workers plays a key role in motivating members and shaping customer satisfaction and loyalty. As a result, employees' emotional labor is crucial in providing differentiated services to customers. The second area is the inner world of fitness workers as shaped by their emotional labor. To deliver satisfactory service to customers, the participants in this study made efforts to manage their emotional labor by both increasing and decreasing it. In emotional labor situations, the research participants viewed self-development as important for enhancing responsibility and professionalism to improve the health of members.<br/> In the future, research on emotional labor is expected to be vital for understanding the fitness industry.