Emotional Labor, Yarigai, and Well-being: The EPY Formation Model in Global Hospitality

Abstract Book of the 7th International Conference on Tourism Management and Hospitality

Year: 2026

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Emotional Labor, Yarigai, and Well-being: The EPY Formation Model in Global Hospitality

Prof Dr Yoshiko Ogawa

ABSTRACT:

This study presents the EPY Formation Model, a theoretical framework integrating emotional labor, psychological capital (PsyCap), and yarigai — a Japanese concept encapsulating intrinsic work meaning and fulfillment — to explain well-being development among hospitality professionals. While Hochschild’s emotional labor theory illuminates the psychological demands of service work, and Luthans’ PsyCap framework identifies positive psychological resources driving performance, existing models fail to account for culturally embedded motivational processes distinctive to Japanese hospitality. This study proposes a six-stage developmental model — Challenge Recognition, Mastery Experience, Goal Pursuit, Positive Reframing, Stress-Recovery Cycles, and Yarigai Integration — in which emotional labor, mediated by four moderating factors (organizational support, leadership quality, team dynamics, and individual characteristics), progressively builds psychological capital, which in turn cultivates yarigai and enhances well-being. To explore the theoretical validity of this model, a preliminary descriptive survey was conducted with four international cabin attendants representing diverse generational and organizational contexts: a senior manager at a Japanese full-service carrier, a retired educator with extensive JAL experience, a male cabin attendant at a Japanese LCC, and a Japanese national serving at an international carrier. Thematic analysis of responses revealed that emotional labor experiences, regardless of generational or organizational background, consistently functioned as catalysts for psychological growth, supporting the directionality of the EPY causal chain. The omotenashi spirit emerged as a culturally distinctive moderating factor facilitating the transition from surface to deep acting. This research contributes to hospitality management theory by proposing a culturally grounded model applicable to global service contexts.

Keywords: Emotional Labor; Hospitality; Psychological Capital; Well-Being; Yarigai