Unmasking the surface acting and emotional exhaustion of frontline employees in UK’s fine dining sector

Drawing on the self-regulatory resource depletion theory, we unmask the process of surface acting and emotional exhaustion that takes place in the fine dining sector. We test a hypothesis and respond to three research questions using data with closed and open-ended questions from a purposive sample of frontline employees in the UK (N = 134). The findings offer a novel five-stage well-being model that explains how specific work conditions (Stage 1) trigger emotions that frontline fine dining employees regulate with surface acting (Stage 2), a phenomenon that gains momentum and magnitude as it continues, requiring employees to use resources (stage 3) which are limited and quickly depleted leading to emotional exhaustion (Stage 4), a negative work outcome that front-line employees in fine-dining use various strategies to cope with (Stage 5). Implications for practitioners are discussed and future directions for workplace wellness programmes are proposed.