Employee emotional investment: An institutional logic perspective

Based on the conservation of resources (COR) theory, institutional logic, and institutional arrangements, this study conceptualized and examined employee emotional investment as an important factor that influenced hospitality employee job and personal outcomes. In Study 1 (N=211), the reliability of the modified employee emotional investment scale was examined. In Study 2 (N=250), first using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) the reliability, convergent and discriminant validity of the measure was confirmed. Second, partial-least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis of hospitality employees revealed that their emotional investment affected their work attitudes and behaviors. Organizational service climate and employee hierarchy in the organization were identified as significant antecedents of emotional investment. Emotional investment directly influenced employee resilience, organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), organizational commitment, and employee engagement. Emotional investment indirectly affected employee subjective wellbeing, whereas organizational commitment and employee engagement showed full mediation effects. The findings extended COR theory and revealed employee emotional investment as a distinct form of employee organizational behavior. Practical implications for hospitality managers are provided.