ABSTRACT
Objectives: This study aimed to explore the relationships between emotional labor, professional commitment, and self-efficacy among community pharmacists. Specifically, the study examined how self-efficacy influences professional commitment and the mediating role of emotional labor strategies in this relationship.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was employed, collecting data from 396 community pharmacists. The study used a convenience sampling method, and the survey included standardized measures of emotional labor, professional commitment, and self-efficacy. Descriptive statistics were used to examine the levels of these variables among participants. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to assess the interdependencies and the mediating effect of emotional labor strategies. The study was retrospective, and SPSS software was used for data analysis.
Results: General self-efficacy was positively correlated with emotional commitment (β = 0.275, p < 0.05) and continuance commitment (β = 0.364, p < 0.05), explaining 5% and 8% of their variances, respectively. Normative commitment was influenced by self-efficacy (β = 0.464, p < 0.05) and deep emotional labor (β = 0.134, p < 0.05), explaining 11% of its variance. Self-efficacy and deep emotional labor positively affected overall professional commitment (β = 0.368, p < 0.05), accounting for 15% of the variance.
Conclusion: The results highlight the crucial role of self-efficacy in managing the emotional demands of the pharmacy profession and fostering stronger professional commitment. Enhancing pharmacists' self-efficacy and emotional management skills could improve their job satisfaction and commitment to the profession. These findings have clinical implications for the development of training interventions aimed at supporting pharmacists in coping with the emotional aspects of their work, thus improving their overall professional well-being.