Copyright © 2026 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

@article{182483,
        author = {RENUKA N and Dr.S. Mohan},
        title = {The Hidden Cost of Emotional Labor: Emotional Dissonance and Job Performance in IT Firms},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2025},
        volume = {12},
        number = {2},
        pages = {2147-2157},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=182483},
        abstract = {In today’s rapidly transforming Information Technology (IT) industry, employees frequently face expectations to conform to emotional display norms dictated by organizational culture and client interactions, often at odds with their authentic emotional experiences. This phenomenon—termed emotional dissonance—is a central element of emotional labor and poses a growing psychological burden. The present study explores how emotional dissonance affects job performance among IT professionals in Coimbatore, a leading technology hub in South India.
Using frameworks from organizational behavior and emotional labor theory, a quantitative approach was employed. Data were gathered from 200 IT employees across organizations of varying sizes through standardized questionnaires measuring emotional dissonance, perceived stress, job satisfaction, and job performance.
Findings indicate a significant negative relationship between emotional dissonance and job performance. Employees who frequently encounter emotional dissonance tend to exhibit diminished work efficiency, elevated levels of emotional fatigue, and a noticeable decline in overall job satisfaction (Lee & Han, 2022). Regression analysis further supported emotional dissonance as a strong negative predictor of performance outcomes, controlling for demographic variables like age, gender, and work experience.
The study highlights the psychological toll of emotional labor in high-demand IT roles and urges companies to adopt employee-centric strategies, such as emotional intelligence development, safe communication practices, and empathetic leadership, to foster mental wellness and sustain performance.},
        keywords = {Emotional dissonance, Emotional labor, Job performance, IT employees, Organizational behavior, Psychological stress, Job satisfaction, Emotional fatigue, Coimbatore, Emotional intelligence.},
        month = {July},
        }