Employee emotional investment: An institutional logic perspective

• Published in: International journal of hospitality management 2024-09, Vol.122, p.103841, Article 103841
• Main Authors: Shulga, Lenna V., Busser, James A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Conservation of resources; Employee emotions; Employee engagement; Institutional logic; Service climate; Wellbeing
• ISSN: 0278-4319
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhm.2024.103841

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. •Introduces and defines employee institutional emotional investment as a distinctive form of OB.•Service climate and employee level in the hierarchy were antecedents of emotional investment.•Emotional investment affected engagement, resilience, organizational commitment, OCB-C, OCB-I.•Employee engagement and commitment fully mediated emotional investment and wellbeing.•Contributions to hospitality employee emotions management, COR theory and institutional logic.