HR practices perceptions, emotional exhaustion, and work outcomes: A conservation-of-resources theory in the Chinese context

Abstract The conservation‐of‐resources theory provided the theoretical underpinning for the relationship among HR practices perceived by employees, emotional exhaustion, and work outcomes ( job satisfaction and job performance). To fully understand the underlying mechanism of the relationship, the study examined (1) the main and interactive effects of HR practices and employee age on emotional exhaustion and (2) the mediating effect of job satisfaction on the relationship between emotional exhaustion and job performance. Data were obtained from manufacturing workers in a privately owned company in the People's Republic of China. Empirical results lent strong support for the main, moderated, and mediated effects mentioned previously. However, contrary to our hypotheses the research result indicated that the relationship between low‐commitment HR practices and emotional exhaustion was stronger for older employees than for younger ones. This contrasting finding demonstrated the criticality of an organization's commitment to employees, particularly to older employees, which further supported and enriched the conservation‐of‐resources theory in the Chinese context.