دانلود رایگان مقاله انگلیسی نگهداری از کارمند: تاثیر برند سازی داخلی و نگرش های برند در سازمان های فروش - امرالد 2017

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships among internal branding, brand orientation, brand identification, brand commitment, and employees’ intention to stay. The study also examines the mediating roles played by brand identification and brand commitment on the relationship between brand orientation and retention. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 702 business-to-business salespeople working in 15 cement and building materials companies in Thailand. Hypotheses were tested and analyzed by means of a confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and a bootstrapping procedure. Findings – The results revealed that establishing an internal brand has a positive effect on brand orientation, which has a positive impact on brand attitudes, namely brand commitment and brand identification. Such attitudes in turn are positively related to employee retention. The direct relationship between brand orientation and intention to stay was found to be partially mediated by brand identification. Research limitations/implications – The current research took place among customer-facing staff (e.g., salespeople), which can be extended to back-end employees in order to better reflect the overall internal branding effort. Practical implications – Organizations may improve employee retention through an internal branding process, and internalization of brand attitudes. Such efforts are not only the job of brand managers, but a shared responsibility of all employees at all levels. Collaboration between brand management and human resource interventions is crucial to successfully implement these efforts. Originality/value – This study extends existing knowledge by investigating the relationships that have rarely been discussed in the human resource management and employee retention literature. It shows the importance of a brand-building mechanism at the cultural level, and the influential effect of brand attitudes on the turnover of salespeople.

Discussion

The primary objective of this study is to investigate the relationships among internal branding, brand orientation, brand identification, brand commitment, and intention to stay. Despite the growing scholarly attention paid to internal branding and its consequences, there is still the need to explore how organizations can actively encourage their employees to live the brand, and how to induce them to stay. Little research has empirically reported on these associations within one study (Punjaisri and Wilson, 2017), and the findings have rarely been discussed in the areas of HR management, particularly employee retention. The present study addresses this need by combining internal branding, brand orientation, brand attitudes, and retention into a comprehensive model, which has not been previously covered in the internal branding literature. Its results indicate that internal communication and training resulting in effective internal branding can support the successful implementation of brand orientation within the company. It confirms that treating employees as internal customers and providing them with a clear brand message can promote the brand values they hold (Foster et al., 2010; Mitchell, 2002). Employees are likely to absorb and perceive the organizational brand, and incorporate it within their mindset (de Chernatony and Segal-Horn, 2003; Hirvonen and Laukkanen, 2014). Consequently, the brand is espoused as an important aspect of organizational culture. This study advances the internal branding research by providing empirical data to confirm the association between these two variables. It also contributes to the literature by suggesting that the internal branding process involves capabilities from both marketing and HR practices to regulate and distribute employees’ comprehension and attention to support the organizational brand-building efforts. The process helps to anchor the brand concept in the hearts and minds of the employees for developing a brand-oriented culture from inside out (Baumgarth and Schmidt, 2010).