Emotional Regulation at Walt Disney World: An Impression Management View

Abstract

In this article, the authors conceptually analyze the emotional regulation strategies used by Walt Disney World onstage employees as a way to fulfill requirements set forth by the corporation. Emotional regulation refers to the regulation of employees' emotions to fulfill occupational or organizational standards. The authors' framework for emotional regulation is inspired by Goffman's (1959) impression management, a type of performance in which individuals engage in activities in the presence of observers (i.e., an audience). A major finding is that most Walt Disney World onstage employees engage in “surface acting,” which has, for some of them, led to emotional exhaustion. Surface acting occurs when employees display emotions dictated by their job description—these emotions are not genuinely felt. This contrasts with “deep acting,” whereby employees actually feel the emotions that they are required to express. Another important finding is that similar workplaces worldwide have embraced Disney's norms, practices, and values of a customer-focused organizational philosophy (emotional regulation).

KEYWORDS:

• deep acting
• Disney
• emotional regulation
• Goffman
• impression management
• surface acting