Keywords
Emotional labour
Job satisfaction
Occupational well-being
Beauty service professionals
Urban service workforce
Bengaluru
How to Cite
Abstract
Purpose:
Customer-facing service occupations are increasingly recognized as psychologically demanding work environments. Despite the rapid expansion of India's beauty and wellness industry, limited empirical attention has been directed toward understanding the occupational well-being of beauty salon employees. This study examines the relationship between psychosocial workplace stress and job satisfaction among beauty service professionals in Bengaluru, one of India's largest urban service economies.
Design/Methodology/Approach:
A quantitative cross-sectional research design was employed. Data were collected from 300 beauty salon employees, including hairstylists, beauticians, therapists, reception personnel, and support staff working across selected salons in Bengaluru. Psychosocial workplace stress and job satisfaction were measured using structured Likert-type instruments. Reliability analysis, descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, independent sample tests, one-way ANOVA, and linear regression analyses were performed using SPSS.
Findings:
The findings indicate moderate levels of psychosocial workplace stress and job satisfaction among beauty service professionals. Reliability coefficients demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency for both the Psychosocial Workplace Stress Scale (α = .848) and the Job Satisfaction Scale (α = .806). A statistically significant negative relationship was observed between psychosocial workplace stress and job satisfaction (r = -.515, p < .001). Regression analysis further revealed that workplace stress significantly predicted job satisfaction and explained 26.6% of the variance in employee satisfaction. Employees reporting higher stress levels consistently demonstrated lower levels of job satisfaction.
Practical Implications:
The findings highlight the need for salon owners, managers, and industry stakeholders to strengthen employee support systems, improve work scheduling practices, enhance supervisory support, and develop workplace well-being initiatives that address both psychological and organizational stressors.
Originality/Value: This study contributes to the emerging literature on occupational well-being within the beauty and wellness industry by providing empirical evidence from an under-researched service-sector workforce in India. It extends the application of the Job Demands–Resources framework to beauty service occupations and offers actionable insights for improving employee well-being in customer-facing service environments.
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