Abstract
The South African banking sector operates in a rapidly evolving and highly competitive environment, shaped by technological innovation, changing customer expectations, and stringent regulatory requirements. In this dynamic context, employee engagement and proactive behaviour are essential to sustain organisational performance. However, limited empirical research has examined the complex interaction between emotional labour, proactive behaviour and work engagement in this sector. This study investigated the moderating effect of emotional labour on the relationship between proactive behaviour and work engagement among employees at a South African commercial bank. Data was collected from 373 permanently employed banking professionals, using a positivist research philosophy and a quantitative approach. The Process Macro was used to test the hypothesised relationships. The research findings showed a positive relationship between proactive organisational and individual actions and the dimensions of work engagement, specifically vigour, dedication, and absorption. Proactive organisational behaviour significantly moderated the relationship between emotional labour and work engagement, suggesting that proactive organisational initiatives can mitigate emotional labour-associated strain. However, individual proactive behaviour did not moderate this relationship. The results underscore the importance of fostering proactive organisational climates and leadership practices that support employees to effectively manage emotional demands. This study advances understanding of the interaction between emotional labour and proactive work behaviour in predicting engagement outcomes within high-stress service environments. The findings suggest that banks should implement emotional regulation training, proactive support systems, and organisational interventions that enhance employees’ capacity to sustain engagement under emotionally demanding conditions. Policymakers and human resources practitioners should also consider integrating emotional competence and proactive work behaviour into talent management and well-being strategies to strengthen workforce resilience and organisational performance.