Ambiguity, appraisal, and affect: examining the connections between goal perceptions, emotional labour, and exhaustion

Although public management scholars have examined the causes and consequences of goal ambiguity in public organizations, we know less about how goal perceptions intersect with emotional labour (EL) to shape attitudes in the public workplace. To address this gap, we draw from appraisal theory to examine the connection between goal perceptions and EL in U.S. government agencies. We then explore how these two concepts work in concert to shape one aspect of burnout, emotional exhaustion. Our evidence suggests that goal perceptions and EL interact such that goal characteristics appear more threatening under heavy emotional work demands.

Automated summary

By drawing on appraisal theory, this study examines how goal perceptions and emotional labor interact in U.S. government agencies to shape emotional exhaustion in the workplace. Findings suggest that under heavy emotional work demands, goal characteristics are perceived as more threatening.