The purpose of this exploratory study is to analyze the emotional dissonance among frontline hospitality employees, based on the habituation theory, by examining the responses of brain regions of interest to customers’ incivility. A survey and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)—measuring brain responsiveness—data were collected to compare the life/occupational stress between the frontline hospitality (i.e., customer interacting jobs) and nonhospitality (i.e., minimal or no customer interaction) employees and analyze the responses of brain regions of interest. Although the data from the survey suggested no significant difference between the two groups of employees, the fMRI analysis found significant habituation of the brain regions of interest among the frontline hospitality employees. The analysis outcomes confirm habituation theory and suggest managerial implications such as managing stress or burnout from emotional dissonance and improving employee welfare/fitness to relieve stress from emotional dissonance. The findings suggest the call for more in-depth analysis regarding emotional dissonance.

这项探索性研究的目的是基于惯性理论，通过研究感兴趣的大脑区域对客户不活跃度的响应，来分析一线酒店员工之间的情感失调。收集了一项调查和功能性磁共振成像（fMRI）（用于衡量大脑的反应能力）数据，以比较一线接待人员（即与客户互动的工作）和非热情好客（即与客户的互动很少或没有）之间的生活/职业压力，并进行分析感兴趣的大脑区域的反应。尽管来自调查的数据表明两组员工之间没有显着差异，但功能磁共振成像分析发现，前线酒店员工中感兴趣的大脑区域有明显的习惯化。分析结果证实了习惯理论并提出了管理上的含义，例如管理因情绪失调而引起的压力或倦怠，以及改善员工的福利/体适度以减轻因情绪失调而引起的压力。研究结果表明呼吁对情绪失调进行更深入的分析。