Looking for Patterns Across Nations

The data presented in these chapters reflect responses completed by over 2600 public servants in twelve nations on six continents—Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. Responses confirm that emotional labor is experienced around the globe. While distinct patterns that differentiate collectivist from individualist cultures, or eastern from Western nations, or global north from global south, do not emerge, there are patterns that appear. For example, there is a positive relationship between emotive capacity and feelings of personal fulfillment in eleven nations, and there is a positive relationship between emotive capacity and job satisfaction in nine. There is also a positive relationship between the authentic expression of emotion and feelings of personal fulfillment in seven countries, while emotive pretending increases burnout in half of the countries surveyed. In no country does pretending decrease burnout. We attribute variations across countries to the unique blend of national culture, governance traditions, and contextual factors. In sum, the uniqueness of each nation shapes and sculpts what is otherwise a universal characteristic of public service.