Date of Defense

4-20-2026

Date of Graduation

5-2026

Department

Management

First Advisor

Chen Wang

Second Advisor

Christina Stamper

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between emotional dissonance and burnout among human resource (HR) professionals and explored whether HR experience moderated this relationship. Emotional dissonance, defined as the mismatch between felt and displayed emotions, is a frequent demand in many roles and may contribute to emotional exhaustion over time. The nature of HR work is often emotionally demanding; however, this population has received less focus in emotional labor research. A sample of 56 HR professionals completed a survey assessing emotional dissonance across 10 common HR tasks, burnout, HR experience, and demographic variables. The study found partial support for the hypotheses, finding that emotional dissonance was positively related to burnout, but that HR experience did not moderate the relationship. Post-hoc analyses revealed significant differences in emotional dissonance across specific HR tasks, with the highest levels reported for emotionally demanding and challenging tasks, such as disciplining and terminating employees. Gender differences were largely nonsignificant, with one exception observed for writing job descriptions in females. Additionally, qualitative data from open-ended survey responses was analyzed to provide deeper insight into these experiences. These responses highlight the emotional demands within HR work and suggest that emotional dissonance may function as a situational job demand that varies across tasks. The results emphasize the importance of recognizing and addressing emotional strain in HR roles to prevent negative outcomes associated with it and provide a foundation for future research on emotional labor in organizational settings.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Restricted

Download

Share

COinS