A new western-themed family steakhouse requires its employees to dress like cowboys and cowgirls from head-to-toe with cowboy hats, bandanas, red-and-white checkered shirts, blue jeans, and cowboy boots. The employees are not allowed to have tattoos or pierced body parts, either, because that doesn't fit the cowboy stereotype. The owners believe that this specific appearance is needed to generate the emotional reaction it is seeking from its customers. What does this illustrate?
A) emotional labor
B) emotional contagion
C) aesthetic labor
D) contrived emotion
E) emotional construction

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario illustrates aesthetic labor, which refers to the effort employees put into presenting a certain image or appearance to create a specific emotional reaction from customers. In this case, the steakhouse owners believe that the cowboy/cowgirl attire is necessary to create the desired emotional reaction.

A New Western-Themed Family Steakhouse Requires Its Employees to Dress