Trudni klienci jako źródło stresu pracowników usług – mediacyjna rola negatywnych emocji

Authors:

• Dorota Szczygieł

Abstract

The article presents the results of a study conducted among service workers (N = 189, including 87 women) who work in a direct contact with customers. The study was designed to examine the effects of stressful customers behaviors, employees’ affective traits (i.e., dispositional negative and positive affectivity) and affective states (i.e., negative and positive emotions experienced during interactions with customers) on stress. It was hypothesized that stressful customers behaviors (i.e., disproportionate customer expectations and negative attitudes revealed by customers in their dealings with employees) are related to employees stress and their emotions experienced during interactions with customers. It was also predicted that emotions experienced by employees would mediate the association between stressful customers behaviors and employees stress. The results showed positive correlations between employees stress, stressful customers behaviors and negative emotions experienced by employees. Stressful customers behaviors were positively related to negative emotions experienced by employees. Stressful customers behaviors and positive emotions were unrelated. It was also observed that only negative emotions mediate the relationship between stressful customers behaviors and employees stress. The mediating role of positive emotions was not confirmed. These effects were observed beyondthe negative and positive affectivity of the employee.