Employee branding: A mixed method study for implementing an employee branding model in practice
Moncada, Atloc (2020)
2020
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2020052814867
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2020052814867
Tiivistelmä
Employees are the company’s most important asset for differentiation and creation of a connection with other stakeholders. They offer companies the largest opportunity for growth in today’s globalized and digitalized world that demands individualization, authenticity, and purpose.
The growing number of brand touchpoints between employees and consumers, increased demand of quality with regards to interactions, the consumers criticality of advertising, and the expectation of a coherent brand experience have highlighted the power of authentic human-to human interactions for businesses. Employee branding enables value creation not only for companies, but also for customers and the employees themselves. It creates the means for businesses to create a clear and structured plan to influence the hearts and minds of the individuals and provide them the tools to project the company’s values in their own authentic way.
The objective of this study is to create an employee branding model for a case company. The study starts by forming a theoretical framework around the definition of the concept of employee branding and related theories. The research focuses on determining the case company’s present state in order to develop a relevant employee branding model. The research is carried out using abductive mixed method research design and by applying action research strategy. The data collection is compiled from
the author’s own experience in the case company, by observation, by quantitative questionnaire, and by qualitative in-depth interviews.
The case company’s present state was found to be inadequate for direct employee branding implementation. However, the study identifies the case company’s key development areas by comparing the present state analysis to the developed theoretical framework. The study also produces a clear development plan and a roadmap to implement an employee branding model for the case company in addition to starting work on its implementation. It also provides extensive development to the case company’s comprehension of the subject and its possibilities to improve the case company’s business operations.
The future development ideas for the case company include recommendations in order to extend the implemented employee branding methods and their effects. In addition, the study and its comprehensive theoretical background provides the necessary theoretical framework and guidelines for its implementation for other organizations.
The growing number of brand touchpoints between employees and consumers, increased demand of quality with regards to interactions, the consumers criticality of advertising, and the expectation of a coherent brand experience have highlighted the power of authentic human-to human interactions for businesses. Employee branding enables value creation not only for companies, but also for customers and the employees themselves. It creates the means for businesses to create a clear and structured plan to influence the hearts and minds of the individuals and provide them the tools to project the company’s values in their own authentic way.
The objective of this study is to create an employee branding model for a case company. The study starts by forming a theoretical framework around the definition of the concept of employee branding and related theories. The research focuses on determining the case company’s present state in order to develop a relevant employee branding model. The research is carried out using abductive mixed method research design and by applying action research strategy. The data collection is compiled from
the author’s own experience in the case company, by observation, by quantitative questionnaire, and by qualitative in-depth interviews.
The case company’s present state was found to be inadequate for direct employee branding implementation. However, the study identifies the case company’s key development areas by comparing the present state analysis to the developed theoretical framework. The study also produces a clear development plan and a roadmap to implement an employee branding model for the case company in addition to starting work on its implementation. It also provides extensive development to the case company’s comprehension of the subject and its possibilities to improve the case company’s business operations.
The future development ideas for the case company include recommendations in order to extend the implemented employee branding methods and their effects. In addition, the study and its comprehensive theoretical background provides the necessary theoretical framework and guidelines for its implementation for other organizations.