Showing papers on "Employer branding published in 2016"

Employer image and employer branding: What we know and what we need to know

Abstract: In this article, we review theory and research on employer image and employer branding published since 2001. The review is wide ranging. First, we define employer image and distinguish it from similar constructs such as reputation and identity. We find that the literature has used two conceptualizations of images: an elementalistic perspective (e.g., distinction between symbolic and instrumental organizational attributes) and a holistic perspective (i.e., overall ratings of organizational attractiveness). Second, we discuss the effects of favorable organizational images, including better recruitment outcomes, more differentiation, stronger emotional bonds, and financial returns. Third, we review the antecedents and formation of image with a focus on organizational (e.g., recruiters) and nonorganizational sources [e.g., word of mouth (WOM)]. Fourth, we discuss the theoretical mediating mechanisms responsible for image effects and the moderators of image-outcome relationships. Finally, we address practical ...

An integrated model of customer-brand engagement: Drivers and consequences

Abstract: Customer-brand engagement is emerging as an influential area of modern marketing. Yet, the domain is at an early stage of development, reliant on conceptual reasoning. The purpose of this article is to provide clarity in the domain and to develop an integrated customer-brand engagement model. Customer-brand engagement is conceptualised and empirically supported as a psychological state, distinct to behavioural manifestations, which are considered a consequence of customer-brand engagement. The proposed model conceptualises two contributors to customer-brand engagement, namely a firm-led platform for driving engagement and customer-centred influences. A quantitative approach using structural equation modelling supports the hypotheses. The empirical assessment is measured across both product and service brands, with model support in both contexts. The empirical contribution of the firm-led platform for engagement provides insight for practitioners as to how they may actionably influence customer-brand engagement, whereas the demonstrated consequences highlight the real benefits for organisations in doing so. The model measures the impact of customer-brand engagement upon brand value and brand loyalty, demonstrating the customer’s role in value creation. The research appears to be the first to empirically measure both firm-led and customer-centred antecedents to customer-brand engagement in a comprehensive model, offering a significant contribution to the domain.

A consumer-perceived consumer-based brand equity scale

Abstract: Brand equity is an essential concept in marketing academia and practice. The term came into use during the late 1980s, and the importance of conceptualizing, measuring and managing brand equity has grown rapidly in the eyes of practitioners and academics alike. Despite the importance of the concept, and the need for brand equity measures, the literature lacks an empirically based consumer-perceived brand equity scale. This article develops a brand equity conceptualization and scale determined by dimensions that consumers perceive. This consumer-perceived consumer-based brand equity scale is made up of four dimensions: quality, preference, social influence and sustainability. This new robust scale contributes to the theoretical understanding of consumer-based brand equity measurement, and assists brand managers in measuring brand equity and understanding how consumers value brands in order to develop successful brand strategies.

Antecedents and Consequences of Employer Branding

Abstract: This study reviewed and analysed the phenomenon of employer branding. We began with a review of recent research in employer branding. Next, drawing the theoretical knowledge from OB, HRM, and marketing, a framework is developed depicting the antecedents of employer branding and its impact on the company performance. For this, primary data were collected administering a questionnaire survey on 347 top-level executives in 209 companies in India, and secondary data were collected on financial performance. The results revealed that realistic job previews, perceived organizational support, equity in reward administration, perceived organizational prestige, organizational trust, leadership of top management, psychological contract obligations, and corporate social responsibility influence employer branding, which in turn impact non-financial and financial performance of companies. Furthermore, leadership of top management is the most potent predictor of employer branding. Greater deviation of the existing state from the ideal state of antecedents adversely affects employer branding. Management can use this framework for developing strategy towards implementation of employer branding.

Exploring the Relationship between Employer Branding and Employee Retention

Abstract: The employment environment, nowadays, is becoming increasingly competitive. In such competitive environment, employer branding is fast emerging as a long-term human resource (HR) strategy to attrac...

Motivations to interact with brands on Facebook – Towards a typology of consumer–brand interactions

Abstract: In recent years, Facebook and other social media have become key players in branding activities. However, empirical research on consumer–brand interactions on Facebook is still in its infancy. Therefore, the aim of this research is to provide additional insights to brand managers on how to adapt their approaches to increase consumers’ interactions with brands on Facebook. In this study, we apply the uses and gratification theory proposed by Katz to develop a new typology of consumers based on consumer motivations to interact with brands on Facebook, and explore the type and intensity of these interactions. We identify five main motivations that might influence consumers’ interactions with a brand on Facebook: (i) social influence, (ii) search for information, (iii) entertainment, (iv) trust and (v) reward. Building on these five motivations, a classification using clustering techniques reveals four different groups of consumers: (i) ‘brand detached’, (ii) ‘brand profiteers’, (iii) ‘brand companions’ and (iv) ‘brand reliants’. Our results provide valuable and applicable insights for social media marketing activities, which will assist brand managers to develop strategies for effectively reaching and influencing the most desirable groups of consumers.

Mapping the domain of the fragmented field of internal branding

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to build a comprehensive conceptual framework of internal branding, to demarcate this field from employer branding and to develop an updated definition of internal branding that incorporates the findings of the literature review and emerging views in branding. Design/methodology/approach – This research conducts a systematic review of the internal branding and employer branding literature following previously established procedures. Findings – The major findings of this research are that internal branding comprises five key components within a supportive corporate culture, namely, brand ideologies, brand leadership, brand-centred human resource management (HRM), internal brand communication and internal brand communities; and that internal branding is related yet distinct from employer branding in its discipline, focus, components, outcomes and the role of the brand. The paper concludes with a comprehensive definition of internal branding derived from the conceptual ...

Employer Branding Revisited

Abstract: In 1996, employer branding was introduced into the lexicon of human resources and marketing. Twenty years later, many of the foundational concepts of employer branding have been researched. Despite...

City branding research and practice: An integrative review

Abstract: Closing the gap between theory and practice presents a major challenge for branding. However, a disconnect has formed between city branding research and practice. This article argues that the divergent evolutionary paths of city branding research and practice contribute to this disconnect. Specifically, we review the evolution of city branding research and practice through a macroscopic lens in order to delineate major shifts in the philosophies and assumptions shaping each trajectory. In terms of practice, we map the development of city brand management over five waves covering primitive attempts to adjust what cities mean to people, boosterish city promotion, entrepreneurial urban governance, formalised city marketing and, finally, a rhetorical city brand focus. We then identify four major waves in city branding research: (i) initial possibilities, (ii) application and adaption of existing branding theory, (iii) development of a critical lens and (iv) progressive approaches that intersect with the co-creation branding paradigm. As well as providing a basis for mutual understanding and collaboration between researchers and practitioners, examination of both evolutionary paths indicates major research gaps in the city branding literature that appear particularly pertinent to bridging the city branding theory-practice gap.

Heritage branding orientation: The case of Ach. Brito and the dynamics between corporate and product heritage brands

Abstract: The notion of heritage branding orientation is introduced and explicated. Heritage branding orientation is designated as embracing both product and corporate brands and differs from corporate heritage brand orientation which has an explicit corporate focus. Empirical insights are drawn from an in-depth and longitudinal case study of Ach. Brito, a celebrated Portuguese manufacturer of soaps and toiletries. This study shows how, by the pursuance of a strategy derived from a heritage branding orientation, Ach. Brito – after a prolonged period of decline – achieved a dramatic strategic turnaround. The findings reveal how institutional heritage can be a strategic resource via its adoption and activation at both the product and corporate levels. Moreover, the study explains how the bi-lateral interplay between product and corporate brand levels can be mutually reinforcing. In instrumental terms, the study demonstrates how heritage can be activated and articulated in different ways. For instance, it can reposition both product and/or corporate brands; it can be meaningfully informed by product brand heritage and shape corporate heritage and can be of strategic importance to both medium-sized and small enterprises.

Antecedents and consequences of bank reputation: a comparison of the United Kingdom and Spain

Abstract: Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the key antecedents and consequences of bank reputation and whether their relative importance varies across countries. Design/methodology/approach The sample consists of 900 bank customers, representative of the national populations in the UK (500) and Spain (400), two of the countries in which the weight of the financial system on the gross domestic product is much bigger than that of other European countries. The research hypotheses were tested by conducting a multi-group analysis with covariance-based structural equation modelling. Findings In contrast with previous studies, it was discovered that the most important cognitive antecedent of banks’ reputation is reliability/financial strength. This study reinforces the prominence of satisfaction as a key emotional aspect of reputation. Differences between the UK and Spain were found in the impact of employer branding and corporate social responsibility. The positive effect of bank reputation on consumer behaviour (loyalty and word of mouth) and the existence of cross-country differences as regards loyalty were also confirmed. Originality/value This is a systematic cross-country analysis of corporate reputation which includes not only cognitive antecedents but also emotional determinants that have been repeatedly ignored. This paper sheds light on whether the antecedents and consequences of corporate reputation vary across countries. The choice of the banking sector provides a unique opportunity to observe the determinants and outcomes of corporate reputation following an unstable time in the banking sector.

Engaging People with Employer Branding

Abstract: The preferences among employees are varied due to the changes in the 21st century's working environment. It is thus important to determine the factors that employees seek in an organization and their intention behavior to quit from their job in order to improve the issues of high attrition that happens in an organization. This research aims to determine the relationship between Employer Branding and Turnover Intention among employees in Malaysia's SME-ICT Industry. A cross sectional study and quantitative research methods were used in the study. Questionnaires were administered to employees in the SME-ICT firms in Selangor and 250 respondents cooperated in this study. Practically, this study adopts the concept employer branding and translates it into the SME environment, in an attempt to improve the organization's performance regarding employee's management. By using Smart Partial Least Square (PLS), the result translates the significant relationship between the development value in employer branding and turnover intention.

The Corporate Brand Identity and Reputation Matrix – The case of the Nobel Prize

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to explore corporate brand identity and reputation, with the aim of integrating them into a single managerial framework. The Nobel Prize serves as an in-depth field-based case study, and is analysed using the Corporate Brand Identity and Reputation Matrix (CBIRM), introduced here for the first time. Eight key reputation elements adapted from the literature and enriched by the case study are incorporated within an existing corporate brand identity framework. Among the key findings are structural links outlining essential connections among elements of corporate brand identity and reputation. The new framework provides a structure for managing a corporate/organisational brand. It is a potential tool in the definition, alignment and development of such brands. A limitation is that the communication dimension – the journey from identity to reputation and vice versa – is included, but not explored in detail. The originality of the article is two-fold: first, developing a new integrated framework; and second, refining and applying the framework to a distinctive research study of a specific organisational case, in this instance, the Nobel Prize. Specific quotes from extensive field interviews support the development of the new CBIRM and its broader managerial relevance and applicability.

The impact of age on consumer attachment to celebrities and endorsed brand attachment

Abstract: This study investigates developmental differences in self-determination needs as antecedents of consumers’ strong attachments to celebrities and, in turn, brand attachment. Applying lifespan development theory and self-determination theory, we propose that celebrity encouragement of consumer self-determination needs of autonomy (freedom), and relatedness (closeness) in the promotion of strong consumer–celebrity attachment, become less influential as consumers’ age. Results of two studies show the bounds of attachment theory and self-determination theory, and brand attachment, as an outcome of celebrity attachment. Findings from Study 1 show that autonomy and relatedness needs encouraged by celebrities become less influential in older consumers attachment to celebrities. Study 2 further identifies that self-determination needs (including autonomy and relatedness) strengthen younger adult consumers attachment to celebrities, which also encourages strong brand attachment when the celebrity is paired with a brand in an endorsement context. This study is important to human brand and brand managers in the development of attachment bonds between consumers and celebrities to strengthen endorsed brand attachment.

Modeling employee-based brand equity (EBBE) and perceived environmental uncertainty (PEU) on a firm’s performance

Abstract: Purpose This paper aims to examine the impact of employee-based brand equity (EBBE) and perceived environmental uncertainty (PEU) on firm performance. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through an e-mail survey from fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) firms in the UK and UAE. Sample sectors included cosmetics and toiletries, household care products, packaged food, soft drinks and tobacco firms. Quantitative data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings The results suggest strong support for the hypothesized relationships, thereby providing strong validation for the proposed model. One interesting finding was that the PEU affected employee brand equity significantly stronger in the UK than in the UAE. This phenomenon is explained in the discussion section. Research limitations/implications Although several studies have indicated several other elements for EBBE, such as brand commitment and brand citizen behavior, the authors borrowed King et al.’s (2012) EBBE concept and limited their variables on EBBE for brand endorsement, brand allegiance and brand consistent behavior. Practical implications Knowledge is expanded through an empirical study validating the proposed model, which provides meaningful insights for developing training tools for internal brand management. Firms have to increase the brand manager’s commitment to increase the employee brand equity, which in turn increases the firm’s performance. Originality/value This paper makes three imperative contributions to the branding literature: expanding the existing brand equity literature to incorporate employee brand equity; being the first known empirically tested PEU on employee brand equity; and empirically testing employee brand equity, which has been ignored in branding literature on firm performance.

Customer-based brand equity and human resource management image: Do retail customers really care about HRM and the employer brand?

Abstract: Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between an organization’s human resource management (HRM) image and its customer-based brand equity. Research into HRM in relation to branding has mostly dealt with how to attract and maintain employees through employer branding. The present study attempts to link HRM directly to marketing and branding aimed at customers as an altruistic dimension of the brand image and as something that applies to customers’ sociological needs. Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on a survey of Swedish customers in two different retail categories: groceries and home decoration. Findings: The results show that HRM image is distinct from a more traditional service image and that there is a significant relationship between favourable customer perceptions of an organization’s HRM and customers’ willingness to buy and pay a premium for products provided by the retail chain. This finding leads to the conclusion that HRM is not only relevant for employer branding, internal branding and operations management but also plays a significant role in building customer-based brand equity. The results show that further integration of HRM and brand management is needed, both in theory and practice. Originality/value: This study takes a holistic approach to marketing and is one of the first attempts to incorporate HRM and employer branding into the customer-based brand equity framework. Implications for future research, retailing and other businesses are discussed in the conclusion.

The role of place branding and image in the development of sectoral clusters: The case of Dubai

Abstract: This article contextualizes how place branding and image influence the development of Dubai’s key sectoral clusters, including the key determinants of growth and success under the impression of Porter’s cluster theory. The approach is exploratory and of a qualitative inductive nature. Data was collected through conducting 21 semi-structured interviews with Dubai’s marketing/communication managers and stakeholders. Findings suggest that Dubai’s traditional clusters, namely, trading, tourism and logistics that have strong place branding and image show strong signs of success owing to Dubai’s geographical location (that is, physical conditions). Among the new clusters, the financial sector is also benefitting from place branding. The results suggest that the success of traditional clusters have a positive spillover effect on the new clusters, in particular on construction and real estate. For policymakers it is worth to note that the recent success of the financial services cluster in Dubai will have positive impact on both, the traditional as well new clusters. The marketing and brand communication managers must consider the correlation and interplay of strength of activities amongst trading, tourism and logistics clusters and its implication while undertaking place branding for clients in their sector.

Country-of-origin fit: When does a discrepancy between brand origin and country of manufacture reduce consumers’ product evaluations?

Abstract: Country of origin (COO), which may refer to where a brand is based (brand origin) or where a product is manufactured (country of manufacture), is an important cue consumers consider when evaluating products. For products offered by bi-national or multi-national brands, brand origin and country of manufacture are often different, and we assert that this difference can act as a source of ambiguity that reduces consumers’ product evaluations. We refer to this consistency or lack of consistency between brand origin and country of manufacture as COO fit. In two studies, we demonstrate that a lack of fit between brand origin and country of manufacture can reduce consumers’ new product evaluations, even when the brand origin and country of manufacture are equally capable. In the first study, we establish this effect and show that it is moderated based on consumer traits. In the second, we identify brand positioning strategies that can shield brands from the ill effects of a lack of COO fit.

New Strategic Role for HR: Leading the Employer-Branding Process

Abstract: Increasingly, organizations are focusing on the implications of their employer brands and the processes that will differentiate them from competitors in order to offer a more attractive place for t...

The role of emotions in decision-making on employer brands: insights from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

Abstract: Branding is a key concept in marketing for which extensive research has provided valuable insights into how to attract and retain customers. However, far less is known about how to use branding to attract and retain employees. The work presented here aims to narrow this research gap by drawing on dual-process theories from research on decision-making. First, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we show that decision-making for employer first-choice brands (as compared to less attractive employer brands) is associated with increased activation in brain areas linked to emotions and with decreased activation in areas linked to working memory and reasoning. Second, our region-of-interest (ROI) analyses reveal that neural processing of employer brands differs from the processing of consumer brands. Results support our theorizing on dual-processing regarding the role of emotions in decision-making on employer brands and, further, they indicate that decision processes differ between employer and consumer brands.

The internal branding process and financial performance in service companies: An examination of the required steps

Abstract: The objective of this study is to test how internal branding affects financial performance in service companies. Our hypothesized model suggests that internal branding has an indirect effect on financial performance (measured in terms of turnover growth and profitability growth) through brand values adoption, organizational commitment, brand performance and market performance. Structural equation modeling is used for testing the model. The data set consisted of 124 effective responses from Finnish service companies. Importantly, differing from the majority of earlier studies, financial performance is measured with objective data. The effects of internal branding proceed sequentially from inside an organization to the outside, showing that its impact on financial performance is a result of a relatively complex process mediated by several factors. The results reveal that internal branding indirectly affects brand performance and market performance, but not financial performance.

Employer branding practices for young talents in IT companies (Russian experience)

Abstract: This article discusses the current Russian experience of information technology (IT) companies in building employer branding practices to attract and retain young talents. Focusing on generation theory and employer branding perspective, we identify the core employment values and preferences of young IT-professionals and consider the efficient employer branding tools used by three IT companies to cooperate with them in the conditions of ‘war for talents’.

Lasting footprints of the employer brand: can sustainable HRM lead to brand commitment?

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether both perceived sustainable organizational and supervisor support, which represent a sustainable human resource management (HRM) approach, can induce commitment to the employer brand. Design/methodology/approach – This study includes a diverse sample of 3,016 employees drawn from various German organizations. To test the developed hypotheses, a structural model that included all the hypothesized effects was built, using Mplus 7. Findings – Perceived sustainable supervisor support (PSSS) has a direct effect on brand commitment, whereas perceived sustainable organizational support (PSOS) only generates brand commitment indirectly, mediated by brand prestige, brand distinctiveness, and brand trust. The findings further underline that, compared with PSOS, PSSS has a stronger impact on trust in respect of the employer brand. Originality/value – By considering current employees and their commitment to the employer brand, this study takes an insider vi...

Corporate Reputations: Development, Maintenance, Change and Repair

Abstract: This chapter examines the impact employer branding and organisational communication activities have on the individual employee's formation of the psychological contract. The psychological contract refers to the individual employee's beliefs about the terms and conditions of a reciprocal exchange agreement between that person and the organization. Employer branding is a strategic human resource management (HRM) concept derived from the marketing discipline that relies on external and internal organisational communication activities to attract, retain and engage high-quality employees. Employer branding practitioners embrace the tools of marketing and brand management, including recruitment advertising events and publicity to promote the organisation's employer brand. The employee-related outcomes of the employee's assessment of psychological contract breach or fulfilment is one of the most widely researched aspects of the psychological contract literature. The organisation has successfully built its employer brand around the promise of a supportive worklife balance organisational culture while at the same time cleverly linking it to the organisation's broader corporate strategy.

What’s in a university logo? Building commitment in higher education

Abstract: Achieving commitment can be challenging for the service industry, particularly for universities. If these service organizations can align and convey that their identity or image is beneficial toward their stakeholders, commitment is achievable. The present article examines a specific form of brand identity and image, namely brand logo benefit, and establishes that self-congruence is the driver of ‘brand logo benefit’ and that brand logo benefit positively influences commitment. Drawing on the self-concept theory, the study develops and empirically tests a conceptual model using survey data collected from 478 students in Indonesia. The study demonstrates that self-congruence (actual or ideal) affects the perceived brand logo benefit and brand logo benefit positively affects commitment. In addition, brand logo benefit partially mediates the link between self-congruence and commitment. Results indicate that actual self-congruence is a slightly better predictor of brand logo benefit compared with ideal self-congruence. Interestingly, ideal self-congruence is a slightly better predictor of commitment. Discussions and implications are provided.