Emotional Labor: Putting the Service in Public Service

• Publisher:   M.E. Sharpe
• Number Of Pages:   238
• Publication Date:   2008-02
• ISBN-10 / ASIN:   0765621169
• ISBN-13 / EAN:   9780765621160

Most public service jobs require interpersonal contact that is either face-to-face or voice-to-voice - relational work that goes beyond testable job skills but is essential for job completion. This unique book focuses on this emotional labor and what it takes to perform it.The authors weave a powerful narrative of stories from the trenches gleaned through interviews, focus groups, and survey data. They go beyond the veneer of service delivery to the real, live, person-to-person interactions that give meaning to public service.For anyone who has ever felt apathetic toward government work, the words of caseworkers, investigators, administrators, attorneys, correctional staff, and 9/11 call-takers all show the human dimension of bureaucratic work and underscore what it means to work "with feeling."

Two topics that attract my interest are 1) Emotional Labor and 2) the Nature of Service to the Public. Mary Guy, Meredith Newman, and Sharon Mastracci explore both topics in a book titled Emotional Labor: Putting the Service in Public Service. The positives of the book: - The authors take a scientific approach to the topic
- A great deal of data and information are presented
- The concept of emotional labor is approached from a number of angles and viewpoints
- The concept of service is approached from a number of angles and viewpoints
- For those involved in Human Resources in the Public Sector, this is a very good introduction and also in-depth look at the topic
- A number of new ideas are presented, which can lead to a lot of discussion The negatives:
- It reads like a technical report or dissertation turned into a book
- The authors have a very strongly defined political point of view, which is fine in a book, but that leads to skipping over a lot of counter arguments and research
- Despite seeming to be an exhaustive look, the book skips over a lot of research on emotional labor. In truth, the book has more to do with public service than emotional labor as defined in the psychological literature.
- Many of the authors' arguments and viewpoints concerning pay come out of the comparable worth movement of the late 1970s, early 1980s. Yet, they do not discuss the relevant literature or counter arguments. In places, the book seems very dated despite having a 2008 copyright. Overall, if you are involved in human resources in the public sector or are a student involved in public administration or public service, you should buy and hold onto this book. It provides an excellent overview of a number of topics. There are not enough books dealing with the human resource aspects of service jobs, and this book does an excellent job of introducing the issues and problem areas involves in studying, analyzing, and paying for public service jobs.

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