The mediating role of person-job fit in the effect of emotional labour on organisational cynicism: a cross-sectional study on cabin crew members

Cabin crew members engage in more emotional labour due to their job demands and physical and mental labour, including a demanding work pace, irregular working hours, and extensive interaction with passengers from different cultural backgrounds or dealing with aggressive passengers. This study aims to explore the relationship between emotional labour and organisational cynicism by focusing on the mediating effect of person-job fit. The research data were collected through a survey administered to 561 cabin crew members employed in a ­medium-sized airline registered in Türkiye. The results indicate that person-job fit has a partial mediating effect on the effect of all sub-dimensions of emotional labour, namely surface acting, deep acting, and naturally felt emotions on the sub-dimensions of organisational cynicism (except for a full mediating effect of naturally felt emotions on behavioural cynicism). Other findings obtained from the analyses are discussed in detail in the study. The study concludes that person-job fit is vital for cabin crew members. Therefore, the study suggests that the airlines should concentrate on recruitment processes and practices to increase cabin crew members’ person-job fit. © 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.