THE EFFECT OF EMOTIONAL LABOR ON PHARMACISTS’ JOB SATISFACTION AND THE MEDIATING ROLE OF EMOTIONAL EXHAUSTION

Objective: This study investigates the complex interplay among emotional labor strategies, emotional exhaustion, and job satisfaction, with a specific focus on examining the mediating role of emotional exhaustion. The primary objective of the research is to empirically evaluate the mediating influence of emotional exhaustion on the relationships between pharmacists' emotional labor behaviors (surface acting and deep acting) and their job satisfaction. Material and Method: The data for the study was collected through a survey of 186 pharmacists employed in various organizations in Karabük, Türkiye. The research hypotheses were tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), a robust analytical technique suited for examining complex multivariate relationships. Result and Discussion: The findings of the study reveal that deep acting, whereby pharmacists genuinely express their true emotions, has a direct negative effect on emotional exhaustion and a direct positive effect on job satisfaction. In contrast, the results indicate that surface acting, in which pharmacists suppress their authentic emotions and display artificial emotional responses, has a significant positive effect on emotional exhaustion, while its direct impact on job satisfaction is insignificant. Importantly, the study demonstrates that emotional exhaustion plays a partial mediating role in the relationships between both surface acting and job satisfaction, as well as between deep acting and job satisfaction. This suggests that the depletion of pharmacists' emotional resources is a crucial mechanism through which their emotional labor strategies influence their job satisfaction levels.