Beyond surface and deep acting: investigating interaction avoidance in coworkers’ daily relationships and its consequences

Research on emotional labour toward coworkers focused on surface acting and deep acting, thereby applying the knowledge on emotional labour in service but neglecting specific features of coworkers' relationships. Addressing this issue, we develop and test a conceptual model in which surface acting and deep acting are complemented by another behavioural strategy toward coworkers: interaction avoidance. We conceptualise emotional labour and interaction avoidance as social exchange responses to negative and positive experiences with coworkers, and exhaustion as a well-being consequence of these responses. We conducted a 10-day diary study (N = 146, n = 986 days) and found that negative experiences with coworkers predicted avoiding interactions with them the next day. Positive experiences predicted next day's deep acting, and unexpectedly, surface acting toward coworkers. Interaction avoidance was related to evening exhaustion and mediated the relationship between negative experiences and exhaustion the next day. Surface acting was also related to exhaustion in the evening. Our results highlight that employees can use more strategies than surface acting and deep acting, in particular, interaction avoidance when aiming not to show their originally felt emotions to their coworkers. However, avoiding interaction comes with costs, so employees should consider its impact on their well-being.