Emotional labor strategies and job burnout in preschool teachers: Psychological capital as a mediator and moderator

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Preschool teachers can easily become exhausted and worn out, otherwise known as job burnout. Studies have explored the effects of emotional labor strategies and psychological capital on job burnout; however, few have examined their trilateral relationship, especially the role of psychological capital with respect to emotional labor strategies and job burnout.

OBJECTIVE:

This study explored the mediating and moderating effects of psychological capital in the relationship between three kinds of emotional labor strategies and job burnout in preschool teachers.

METHODS:

A cross-sectional study was conducted among preschool teachers in China. A total of 355 preschool teachers completed a self-report questionnaire, including three scales that measured emotional labor strategies, psychological capital, and job burnout. Resultant data were analyzed based on correlations, multiple regressions, and structural equation modeling.

RESULTS:

Results showed that for preschool teachers, two emotional labor strategies (deep acting and expression of natural emotion) were found to be negatively correlated with psychological capital and positively correlated with job burnout. However, surface acting was positively correlated with psychological capital and negatively correlated with job burnout. Psychological capital partially mediated the effects of the three emotional labor strategies on job burnout. Additionally, psychological capital significantly moderated the effects of surface acting and deep acting on job burnout.

CONCLUSIONS:

Psychological capital can significantly mediate and moderate the effects of emotional labor strategies on job burnout.

Keywords

Occupational mental health positive psychology mediating effect moderating effect

1 Introduction

Job burnout has been studied extensively over prior decades, resulting in numerous achievements [1, 2]. Teachers have attracted wide attention as a high-risk group [3, 4]; however, research on educators’ job burnout has mainly focused on teachers in middle schools or colleges and rarely on those in preschools. Preschool teachers are educators who teach the youngest pupils and are the foundation of basic education, reflecting the importance of their roles [5]. Thus, studying job burnout among preschool teachers will elicit worthwhile insights regarding teachers and children. In this study, we explored the effects of emotional labor strategies and psychological capital on job burnout among preschool teachers based on the job demands–resources (JDR) model with particular focus on the trilateral relations among these three variables.

1.1 Job burnout

Job burnout represents a state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion caused by working pressure or throwback [6 –8]. Generally, job burnout is thought to consist of three dimensions, namely emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment [9]. Emotional exhaustion is considered the most representative indicator of burnout, characterized by lack of activity [10]. Depersonalization is associated with interpersonal relations and is manifested by apathy or a lack of empathy towards others [11]. Reduced personal accomplishment refers to feeling less sense of purpose around a job, reduced self-efficacy, and little to no sense of success or willingness to work hard [12]. The JD-R model, proposed by Demerouti and colleagues, is one of the most important theories describing job burnout [13]. This model holds that every job carries risk factors related to motivation and working pressure, which can be classified into two major categories: job demands and job resources. Job demands refer to sources of ambient pressure and include workload, time pressure, job responsibilities, job–family conflict, interpersonal obligations, emotional labor, and one’s physical environment [14 –16]. Job demands induce energy depletion, in which employees try their best to satisfy perceived job demands by devoting increased physical and mental effort to task completion. Energy consumption and perceived pressure around job demands become gradually intensified, leading to physical and mental fatigue [17]. Thus, job demands and job burnout are positively correlated. Job resources are mainly external, including social support, work independence, opportunities for decision-making involvement, and feedback-based rewards [18]. Job resources can stimulate employees’ working motivation; contribute to their growth, learning, development, and progress; enhance their independence and perceived competence; and promote their willingness to make an effort and apply their talents to accomplish tasks [19, 20]. Job resources tend to be negatively correlated with job burnout. Many empirical studies have substantiated the JD-R model. Xanthopoulou et al. criticized that the model simply interprets resources as those in the working environment, and ignored individuals’ mental capacity or personal resources [21]. Xanthopoulou et al. further stated that individual resources can serve similar purposes to job resources [21].

1.2 Emotional labor strategies

Emotional labor is a new form of labor [22]; that is, service labor providers contribute physical and mental labor along with emotional labor, which involves efficient emotional management [23, 24]. Hochschild proposed the concept of emotional labor and noted that flight attendants must adjust their facial expressions and body language to align with those required by the organization [25]. Morris and Feldman defined emotional labor as a process in which individuals, in an attempt to meet organizational objectives, try to adjust their emotions, feelings, and behaviors accordingly [26]. In the event of perceived differences between personal emotional performance and required emotional performance, individuals often adopt strategies to adapt. This method of modifying emotional labor is called an emotional labor strategy [27, 28]. Based on previous studies, Diefendorff et al. proposed three such strategies: expression of natural emotion, surface acting, and deep acting [27]. Expression of natural emotion refers to the naturally appearing emotional expressions that align with the demands of an organization. Deep acting is an emotional labor strategy in which individuals alter their emotional expression and their internal emotional experiences. By contrast, surface acting only changes external emotional expressions without changing inner emotional feelings [27]. Emotional labor can yield either active or negative results. Active results contribute to the achievement of service goals and to coordinating a relationship with the service target, thereby improving one’s sense of professional achievement and organizational performance [29]. Negative results may induce emotional fatigue, increased absenteeism, and increased employee turnover [30, 31]. Based on the JD-R model, emotional labor can be regarded as a job demand and a major source of pressure [32, 33].

Emotional labor strategies reflect the various forms of emotional labor and may influence burnout in different ways. Brotheridge et al. found that surface acting could positively predict one’s level of depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment; deep acting, on the contrary, negatively predicted the two dimensions of job burnout [34, 35]. Bozionelos et al. found surface acting to be positively correlated with job burnout, whereas deep acting was negatively correlated with it [35]. Näring et al. noted that expression of natural emotion was negatively correlated with job burnout among teachers [36]. Teachers and staff associated with the service industry each belong to populations prone to high emotional labor [37]. Compared with other teacher groups, preschool teachers may require more emotional devotion to their work, translating into intensive emotional labor. Therefore, we propose Hypothesis 1: Three kinds of emotional labor strategies correlate differently with job burnout in preschool teachers.

1.3 Psychological capital

Psychological capital is a comprehensive positive psychological resource and a higher-order factor encompassing self-efficacy, hope, optimism, and resiliency [38, 39]. Self-efficacy is the confidence and desire to devote efforts to realizing success in the face of challenges. Hope is analogous with perseverance and adjusting to achieve desired targets when necessary. Optimism is defined as making active attributions about one’s current and future success. Resiliency involves persistence and rapid recovery from environmental stress or personal problems [40, 41]. Psychological capital is a state-like psychological resource, somewhat between a state and trait variable [40, 42]. Many studies have shown that psychological capital, as a positive psychological resource, extensively influences individuals’ attitudes and behaviors [40 , 42–45]. For example, a meta-analysis by Avey et al. revealed that psychological capital positively predicted the active attitudes [e.g., job satisfaction and organizational commitment], behaviors [e.g., organizational citizen behaviors], and job performance of employees and negatively predicted negative attitudes [e.g., turnover intention and work pressure] and behaviors (e.g., transgression) [46]. In the JD-R model, psychological capital is regarded as an individual resource with an effect similar to job resources; hence, it should be negatively correlated with job burnout. Research has supported this assumption. Avey et al. found high psychological capital to weaken stress responses and effectively reduce turnover [47]. Peng indicated that psychological capital can significantly predict job burnout among nurses [41]. Xanthopoulou et al. discovered that individual resources could relieve the negative effects of job demands, reduce physical and mental fatigue from working, and mediate the effects of job resources on job burnout [21]. Norman et al. found psychological capital to negatively predict depersonalization [48, 49]. Based on these studies, we put forth Hypothesis 2: psychological capital is significantly and negatively correlated with job burnout.

1.4 Trilateral relations among emotional labor strategies, psychological capital, and job burnout

Although the effects of emotional labor strategies and psychological capital on job burnout have been studied, scarce research has assessed these three variables through a single model to unveil their trilateral relationship. Based on the JD-R model, the effects of job demands and job resources on job burnout are relatively independent yet mutually synergic [17]. On one hand, psychological capital may mediate the effects of emotional labor strategies on job burnout; different emotional labor strategies reflect distinct means of emotional expression management and consume psychological resources differently. Diefendorff et al. considered the expression of natural emotion to reflect consistency between an individual’s emotional expression and organizational requirements, framing itas a spontaneous emotional expression that consumes the fewest psychological resources [27]. Deep acting occurs when an individual must adjust his or inner emotional experience to remain consistent with external emotional expression, which consumes psychological resources. Surface acting only changes external emotional expression; it does not modify internal emotional feelings but still consumes considerable psychological resources [50]. As a state-like psychological resource, psychological capital may be reduced due to excessive emotional labor and may play a mediating role between emotional labor strategies and job burnout (Hypothesis 3). On the other hand, psychological capital is a positive individual resource that is relatively stable and can provide individuals with energy during energy consumption from job demands, hence alleviating the effects of work stress and negative emotions on job burnout. As reported, the relationship between emotional labor and job burnout appears to be moderated by many individual psychological characteristics, such as emotional intelligence [29]. Psychological capital may have a similar effect. Thus, we hypothesize that psychological capital may relieve the effect of emotional labor strategies on job burnout and play a moderating role between these two variables (Hypothesis 4).

2 Methods

2.1 Participants and procedure

Participants were 355 female teachers from 12 kindergartens. Teachers were between 20 and39 years old (M = 26.24; SD = 3.61), and their number of years worked spanned from 0.5 to 19. Participants were informed of the purpose and voluntary nature of the study and completed the accompanying questionnaire in a classroom environment. The researchers obtained informed consent from all participants before questionnaire completion. All participants received 20 RMB (approximately USD $3.50) as compensation. Three incomplete questionnaires were excluded from analysis among the 355 collected.

2.2 Instruments

2.2.1 The Emotional Labor Strategy Scale

The Emotional Labor Strategy Scale, developed by Diefendorff et al., is a 14-item self-report measure measuring three emotional labor strategies: expression of natural emotion (3 items), deep acting (4 items), and surface acting (7 items) [27]. Sample items include the following: “The emotions I express to customers are genuine”, “I try to actually experience the emotions that I must show to customers”, and “I fake the emotions I show when dealing with customers.” In the current study, “customers” in each item was changed to “children.” The Emotional Labor Strategy Scale was translated into Chinese by Huang and colleagues and demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity [51]. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the three subscales were 0.70, 0.73, and 0.85, respectively, in this study.

2.2.2 The Psychological Capital Questionnaire

The Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ), developed by Luthans et al., is a 24-item self-report scale including four dimensions: self-efficacy, optimism, resiliency, and hope [40]. Items are rated on a 6-point Likert-type scale (1 = strongly disagree, 6 = strongly agree). Sample items include, “I usually take stressful things at work in stride”, and “I always look on the bright side of things regarding my job.” Scale scores are the sum of items with reverse-coding of relevant items. The Chinese vision of the PCQ was found to have good reliability and validity [3, 41]. In this study, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the four subscales were 0.71, 0.78, 0.75, and 0.82, respectively.

2.2.3 Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators Survey

The Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators Survey (MBI-ES), developed by Maslach et al., is a 22-item self-report measure of teachers’ level of burnout, containing three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment [52]. Items are rated on a 6-point Likert-type scale (0 = never, 6 = every day). Sample items are “I feel emotionally drained by my work” and “I don’t really care what happens to some students.”This survey has been widely used in China and has good reliability and validity [53]. In this study, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the three subscales were 0.85, 0.83, and 0.81, respectively.

2.3 Data analysis

Data analyses were performed using SPSS. Correlation analyses and regression analyses were conducted, and the structural equation model was generated in AMOS 17.0.

3 Results

3.1 Sample characteristics

Table 1 presents participants’ demographic information.

Table 1
Sample characteristics

Category N (%) Mean (SD) Range

Age (years) 26.24 (3.61) 20–39

20–25 122 (34.70)

26–29 169 (48.00)

30 and above 61 (17.30)

Marriage

Married 219 (62.20)

Unmarried 133 (37.80)

Years of working 4.27 (3.82) 0.5–20

0–5 234 (66.48)

6–9 76 (21.59)

11 and above 42 (11.93)

Category	N (%)	Mean (SD)	Range
Age (years)		26.24 (3.61)	20–39
20–25	122 (34.70)
26–29	169 (48.00)
30 and above	61 (17.30)
Marriage
Married	219 (62.20)
Unmarried	133 (37.80)
Years of working		4.27 (3.82)	0.5–20
0–5	234 (66.48)
6–9	76 (21.59)
11 and above	42 (11.93)

3.2 Correlation analysis

Table 2 presents the descriptive statistics and bivariate correlations among assessed variables. Results show that for preschool teachers, expression of natural emotion and deep acting were negatively correlated with psychological capital dimensions (self-efficacy, optimism, resiliency, and hope) and positively correlated with burnout dimensions (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment). Surface acting was positively correlated with psychological capital dimensions and negatively correlated with all burnout dimensions. Additionally, the four dimensions of psychological capital were significantly correlated with the three dimensions of job burnout.

Table 2
Bivariate correlation among all observed variables

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1. Naturally emotion

2. Deep acting 0.38^

3. Surface acting –0.18^ –0.29^

4. Self-efficacy 0.33^ 0.14^ –0.24^

5. Optimism 0.28^** 0.13^* –0.22^ 0.67^

6. Resiliency 0.27^ 0.17^ –0.24^ 0.59^ 0.62^

7. Hope 0.29^ 0.13^* –0.20^ 0.47^ 0.56^ 0.52^

8. Emotional exhaustion –0.34^ –0.22^ 0.27^ –0.53^ –0.52^ –0.41^ –0.40^

9. Depersonalization –0.38^ –0.27^ 0.27^ –0.44^ –0.42^ –0.38^ –0.33^ 0.74^

10. RPA –0.31^ –0.26^ 0.17^ –0.34^ –0.38^ –0.32^ –0.34^ 0.28^ 0.39^

Mean 3.63 3.72 3.36 4.05 4.06 4.11 3.95 1.62 2.4 2.47

SD 0.63 0.64 0.63 0.85 0.85 0.71 0.61 1.17 1.19 1.26

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
1. Naturally emotion
2. Deep acting	0.38^**
3. Surface acting	–0.18^**	–0.29^**
4. Self-efficacy	0.33^**	0.14^**	–0.24^**
5. Optimism	0.28^**	0.13^*	–0.22^**	0.67^**
6. Resiliency	0.27^**	0.17^**	–0.24^**	0.59^**	0.62^**
7. Hope	0.29^**	0.13^*	–0.20^**	0.47^**	0.56^**	0.52^**
8. Emotional exhaustion	–0.34^**	–0.22^**	0.27^**	–0.53^**	–0.52^**	–0.41^**	–0.40^**
9. Depersonalization	–0.38^**	–0.27^**	0.27^**	–0.44^**	–0.42^**	–0.38^**	–0.33^**	0.74^**
10. RPA	–0.31^**	–0.26^**	0.17^**	–0.34^**	–0.38^**	–0.32^**	–0.34^**	0.28^**	0.39^**
Mean	3.63	3.72	3.36	4.05	4.06	4.11	3.95	1.62	2.4	2.47
SD	0.63	0.64	0.63	0.85	0.85	0.71	0.61	1.17	1.19	1.26

Note: RPA, reduced personal accomplishment; ^*p < 0.05; ^**p < 0.01.

3.3 Testing psychological capital as a mediator

In the mediation effects analysis, psychological capital and job burnout were each regarded as latent variables. To verify the structural relations of the latent structured model, a two-step procedure introduced by Anderson and Gerbing was adapted to analyze the mediation effect [54]. First, the measurement model was tested to assess the extent to which each latent variable was represented by its indicators. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine whether the measurement model fit the sample data adequately [55]. To avoid common method variance, Harman’s Single-Factor Test was used, which means to test the significance of fitting index difference between the single factor model and multi-factor model. In this study, a two-factor model, which was consisted with two latent variables (psychological capital and job burnout) and seven observed variables (self-efficacy, optimism, resiliency, hope, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment), (see Fig. 1), and a single dimension model (psychological capital and job burnout were combined) were compared, see Table 3. The proposed two-factor model provided the better fit index, and all the factor loadings for the indicators on the latent variables were significant (p < 0.01), indicating that both the two latent constructs were well represented by their indicators.

Fig.1

Measurement model of psychological capital and job burnout. Note: All factor loadings were standardized.

Table 3

Measurement Models comparison

	χ²/df	Δ χ ²	RMSEA	SRMR	CFI
2-factor model (Baseline Model)	2.83	–	0.07	0.01	0.98
Single dimension model	6.36	139^**	0.18	0.07	0.85

Next, maximum likelihood estimation was used to test the structural model. The direct effects of the predictor variables (expression of naturally emotion, deep acting, and surface acting) on the dependent variable (job burnout) without mediators were tested separately. The directly standardized path coefficients were all significant [β (natural emotion) = –0.42, p < 0.01; β (deep acting) = –0.28, p < 0.01; β (surface acting) = 0.30, p < 0.01]. Then, three partially mediated models (Models A–C) containing the mediator (psychological capital) and direct paths from emotional labor strategies to job burnout were tested successively. The results and fitness index are presented in Fig. 2 and Table 4. Lastly, the partial mediating effects of psychological capital between emotional labor strategies and job burnout were tested for significance by adopting the Bootstrap estimation procedure in AMOS (a bootstrap sample of 1,000 was specified). Results revealed that the indirect effects of expression of natural emotion (β= –0.22, p < 0.01), deep acting (β= –0.12, p < 0.05), and surface acting (β= 0.19, p < 0.01) on job burnout through psychological capital were all significant with associated 95% confidence intervals of (–0.12, –0.31), (–0.03, –0.21), and (0.11, 0.26), respectively, all excluding zero. Taken together, these results suggest that psychological capital significantly mediated the effects of emotional labor strategies on job burnout.

Fig.2

Mediating effects of psychological capitalbetween emotional labor strategies and job burnout. Note: All path coefficients were standardized.

Table 4

Models fitness indexes

Models	χ²/df	CFI	SRMR	RMSEA
Model a	2.01	0.99	0.03	0.05
Model b	3.16	0.97	0.05	0.07
Model c	2.22	0.98	0.04	0.05

Table 5

Hierarchical regression analysis

Models	Steps	Independent	β	t	ΔR²
	Step 1	Demographic variables	0.01
	Step 2	Psychological capital	–0.58	–13.53^**	0.32^**
Model 1	Step 3	Expression of naturally emotion	–0.24	–5.45^**	0.05^**
	Step 4	Psychological capital×Naturally	–0.05	–1.16	<0.01
Model 2	Step 3	Deep acting	–0.21	–5.07^**	0.04^**
	Step 4	Psychological capital×Deep acting	–0.08	–2.04^*	0.01^*
Model 3	Step 3	Surface acting	0.13	2.96^**	0.02^**
	Step 4	Psychological capital×Surface acting	–0.12	–2.81^**	0.02^**

3.4 Testing psychological capital as a moderator

Psychological capital may also moderate the effects of the three emotional labor strategies on job burnout. We tested these hypotheses using stepwise regression analysis in which the mean of self-efficacy, optimism, resiliency, and hope was considered the outcome of psychological capital, and the mean of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment was considered the result of job burnout. Psychological capital, emotional labor strategies, and job burnout were centralized before testing for moderating effect to reduce problems related to multi-co-linearity between the interaction term and the main effects [56, 57]. In Model 1, demographic variables, psychological capital, and expression of natural emotion were entered into the regression equation successively. Then, in Step 4, the interaction of expression of natural emotion and psychological capital was added. Results show that the interaction did not significantly predict job burnout in the fourth step (β= –0.05, p = 0.25). The same method was used to test the moderating effect of psychological capital between deep acting and job burnout (see Step 4 in Model 2) and between surface acting and job burnout (see Step 4 in Model 3). Findings revealed that psychological capital significantly moderated the effects of deep acting (β= –0.08, p = 0.04), and surface acting (β= –0.12, p < 0.01) on job burnout.

To illustrate the moderating effects of psychological capital between deep acting and job burnout and between surface acting and job burnout, we plotted the regression of deep acting and surface acting on job burnout at high and low levels of psychological capital (high, above the median; low, below the median; see Figs. 3 and Figs. 4). Results indicate that in the low psychological capital group, surface acting significantly predicted job burnout (β= 0.29, p < 0.01), but the relationship between deep acting and job burnout was not significant (β= –011, p = 0.12). However, in the high psychological capital group, the association between surface acting and job burnout was not significant (β= 0.06, p = 0.40), and deep acting significantly predicted job burnout (β= –0.46, p < 0.01).

Fig.3

Moderating effect of psychological capital between deep acting and job burnout.

Fig.4

Moderating effect of psychological capital between surface acting and job burnout.

4 Discussion

In this study, which involved preschool teachers, we discussed the effects of emotional labor strategies and psychological capital on job burnout and explored the mediating and moderating roles of psychological capital between different emotional labor strategies and job burnout. Expression of natural emotion, deep acting, and psychological capital were all significantly and positively correlated with job burnout, whereas surface acting was significantly and negatively correlated with job burnout. Psychological capital significantly mediated the effects of emotional labor strategies on job burnout. Additionally, psychological capital significantly mediated the effects of deep acting and surface acting on job burnout.

Consistent with previous studies, we also found that expression of natural emotion and deep acting could each negatively predict job burnout; surface acting could positively predict job burnout; and psychological capital significantly reduced job burnout [34 , 47]. The theoretical contributions and innovations of this study involved the incorporation of these three variables into the same model. First, psychological capital was found to partially mediate the effects of emotional labor strategies on job burnout. Based on the JD-R model, burnout was generated due to an imbalance between job demands and resources. Preschool teachers consume abundant internal resources [psychological capital]in response to job demands, but this loss of psychological resources leads to further exhaustion and burnout. To maintain sufficient psychological resources, preschool teachers reduce their devotion to their jobs and treat children coolly, which leads to depersonalization.

Different emotional labor strategies consume psychological resources differently [27]. Zapf indicated that individuals using surface acting should strive to maintain external emotional expression. Additionally, the inconsistency between internal feelings and external expression can reduce one’s sense of self-authenticity and induce emotional maladjustment, both of which consume certain psychological resources (psychological capital) [50]. If this resource cannot be efficiently supplemented, individuals using surface acting experience exhaustion and burnout. Thus, surface acting negatively affected psychological capital and increased job burnout. Conversely, although deep acting consumed psychological capital by regulating internal and external emotions, it also unified individuals’ internal feelings and external emotional expression. Such internal–external unification can generate a greater sense of authenticity [58], which can lead to increased psychological resources [59]. Thus, deep acting may enhance psychological capital and reduce job burnout. Expression of natural emotion is a spontaneous and automatic emotional labor strategy that does not require adjustment; thus, it does not consume psychological energy and instead results in increased occupational happiness and psychological capital, thereby reducing the risk of job burnout [60]. Therefore, psychological capital can mediate the effects of the three kinds of emotional labor strategies on job burnout.

Additionally, psychological capital was found to significantly moderate the effects of surface acting and deep acting on job burnout. For preschool teachers with a large amount of psychological capital, deep labor could significantly affect job burnout; whereas surface labor was found not to be significantly correlated with job burnout. For those with low psychological capital, however, surface labor could significantly influence job burnout; deep labor was not significantly correlated with burnout. According to the JD-R model, psychological capital is an important personal resource similar to job resources [21, 61]. When personal or job resources are sufficient, individuals can effectively address the challenges of job demands and relieve the effects of work stress on job burnout [62, 63]. Surface acting denotes incongruence between external emotional expression and internal emotional experiences, which consumes substantial psychological resources and can contribute to conflict, a poor sense of authenticity, and job burnout. High psychological capital can effectively supplement the consumption of psychological resources due to surface acting and efficiently relieve accompanying negative effects. For teachers with low psychological capital, more resources are consumed as the degree of surface acting intensifies, amplifying overdraft of psychological resources and increasing burnout [64]. Deep acting, another emotional labor strategy, restrains negative emotions perceived to meet job demands but can also involve the positive meaning of work to realize internal adjustment [27]. In this process, teachers should devote themselves to certain endeavors and consume psychological energy or resources; however, deep acting also results in consistency between internal experience and external expression and raises one’s sense of achievement and authenticity to acquire more resources [65, 66]. Psychological capital is a positive psychological resource, and individuals with higher psychological capital can examine diverse life events from a more positive perspective to better self-regulate and unify internal emotional experiences and external emotional expression, reducing job burnout [67]. Thus, deep acting was correlated with job burnout only in the high psychological capital group in this study. The effect of expression of natural emotion, which does not consume psychological resources, on job burnout was more stable and thus not influenced by psychological capital [68].

5 Implications and limitations

This study has some merits. Theoretically, we tested and developed the JD-R model of job burnout to some extent, particularly substantiating the viewpoint of Xanthopoulou et al. that personal resources function similarly to job resources and can significantly reduce job burnout [21]. Moreover, the trilateral relations among emotional labor strategy, psychological capital, and job burnout were analyzed and could be reasonably interpreted within the framework of the JD-R model to further enhance its applicability. Practically, we found that preschool teachers suffered from modest job burnout, which was uniquely associated with different emotional labor strategies. Teachers should thus be trained in implementing positive emotional labor strategies to minimize burnout [69]. In particular, psychological capital was shown to mediate the effects of emotional labor strategies on job burnout in addition to effectively relieving the negative effects of surface acting, thus magnifying the positive effect of deep acting on job burnout. Psychological capital is an individual psychological resource [70, 71]. Avey et al. found that psychological capital can be significantly enhanced through micro-intervention [42]; as such, assisting preschool teachers in increasing their psychological capital may be an effective way to reduce job burnout.

This study also has some limitations. First, participants were enrolled from only two cities in West China, and all were women, and the vast majority of the participants were relatively inexperienced (234 of 354 participants worked 5 years or less) and young (291 participants are under 30 years of age). We didn’t factor age and experience into the analysis. The findings should therefore be interpreted with caution. Secondly, this cross-sectional study did not clarify the causality of variables. A cross-lagged panel correlation paradigm and longitudinal study should be used to further validate the effects of emotional labor strategies and psychological capital on job burnout.

6 Conclusions

In this study, we found that different emotional labor strategies correlated uniquely with job burnout in preschool teachers. Psychological capital appeared to significantly mediate and moderate the effect of emotional labor strategies on job burnout.

Conflict of interest

None to report.

Funding

This study was funded by the MOE (Ministry of Education in China) Project of Humanities and Social Sciences (No. 19YJC190020); the Social Sciences Planning Project of Sichuan Province (No. SC18C003); the Project Supported by Center for Early Childhood Education Research of Sichuan Province (No. CECER-2019-B01).

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