Between surface and deep acting: a phenomenological study of emotional labor among tour guides and travel agency operational staff

Lentera Negeri September 25, 2026 Volume 7, Number 1 2 authors

Abstract

Research on emotional labor in tourism relies mainly on hotel surveys and has not compared tour guides and office-based operational staff within the same organization. Grandey's (2000) seminal model assumes organizationally codified display rules whereas tourism-specific antecedent models emphasize prolonged interaction duration. This descriptive-transcendental phenomenological study addresses that gap with twelve informants (seven tour guides, five operational staff) from five licensed travel agencies in Semarang, Indonesia. Before data collection, two experienced academics reviewed the semi-structured interview guide, and it was pilot-tested in two interviews outside the sample. Interviews, participant observation, and reflective field notes were analyzed using the Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method in Atlas.ti. Thematic saturation was reached when no substantive new codes emerged after the eleventh interview, confirmed by the twelfth. Credibility was established through source triangulation, independent double coding (33% of transcripts; 87% agreement) and member checking with four informants; dependability was supported by an Atlas.ti audit trail and peer debriefing. Ten of twelve informants reported post-work emotional exhaustion, all twelve described unwritten yet binding display rules, and eight concealed personal distress for tourists. Strategies shifted from surface acting toward deep acting with tenure, and three informants with strong personal attachment to the profession described genuine expression. Exhaustion and a sense of meaningful work co-occurred in at least five informants. Extending Grandey (2000) and Busoi et al. (2022), the study makes three contributions: it extends the surface/deep/genuine typology to a previously uncompared pairing of field-based guides and office-based operational staff; it proposes interaction frequency, alongside duration, as a testable antecedent of emotional labor; and it foregrounds genuine expression as a marker of sustainable emotion regulation. Travel agencies, particularly SMEs, should treat emotional labor as a trainable competence.

Authors

  1. Nur Umi Putri Augustin

    Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi Pariwisata

  2. Andhi Supriyadi

    Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi Pariwisata

Keywords

Emotional laborTour guidesTravel agencyPhenomenologyEmotion managementExcellent service

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