Managing Emotional Labor to Thrive at Work: Using Cognitive Computing.

Abstract Book of the 7th International Conference on Research in Human Resource Management

Year: 2025

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Managing Emotional Labor to Thrive at Work: Using Cognitive Computing.

Shibasis Chaulia

ABSTRACT:

Emotional labor leading to emotional exhaustion and burnout and their consequences has been a topic of interest for researchers for quite some time. However, transforming the negative consequences of emotional labor into positive outcomes has not been widely researched. This study explores whether cognitive computing, a dimension of artificial intelligence, can help personnel thrive at work. The psychological state, which is referred to as thriving at work, is a situation where personnel feel vitality, but also learn from work. Employees who thrive at work recover well from adversity, cope well with stress, which makes them more resilient and future-ready. Using the Conservation of Resources theory, this study specifies that cognitive computing can be used as a valuable organizational resource for employees in the service industry who often engage in surface acting. This can help employees replenish depleted resources, reduce the strain caused by emotional labor, and enable them to gain more positive outcomes from their work. This research makes a contribution by linking the literature on emotional labor and AI. Precisely, it deepens research into emotional labor by considering the role of AI-driven resources and adds to AI literature by advancing its function in enhancing employees’ well-being and positive job outcomes. From a practitioner’s point of view, cognitive computing can be adopted by service-oriented organizations to reduce the effect of surface acting and enhance employees’ vitality and learning at work.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Coping, Employee Well-Being, Surface Acting, Vitality and Learning