A Study on the Role of Employee in Delivering Consistency of Brand Identity and Brand Image

• Main Authors: Yi-Li Hsieh, 謝依俐
• Other Authors: Shih-Yi Chien
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/80232354509697195363

碩士 === 國立高雄第一科技大學 === 國際管理碩士學位學程 === 97 === Employees will consistently deliver on the brand promise across all contact points between the company and customers when they internalize the brand values. Without such internalization, the ability for employees to transfer the appropriate customer experience is unlikely. Internal branding is to ensure that employees deliver brand identity into brand reality for customers and other stakeholders, which is employees’ role of brand ultimate ambassadors, and their talks and behaviors in agreement with corporate brand message. Employees represent the identified link between the organization and customers, and thus a linear relationship exists to examine internal branding and employee brand commitment that affect employee citizenship behavior and customer brand perception. Besides the role of employee, supervisors and customers also play important roles to rate employees’ performance. Hence, the constructs of employee behaviors rated by supervisors and of corporate brand image rated by customers are included. Using a sample of 77 supervisor-franchisee-customer triads (1: 1: 5) of convenient store franchise system in Taiwan, the findings indicate that the dimension of internal branding－brand-centered HR activity is positively related to a franchisee’s brand commitment. Another dimension of internal branding－brand communication has positive influence on a franchisee’s brand commitment. Moreover, the other dimension of internal branding－brand leadership as transformational leadership is also positively related to a franchisee’s brand commitment. Finally, three different roles (supervisor, franchisee, and customers) are shown that they have no congruent perception to franchisees in the process of delivering consistency of brand identity and brand image. Some implication of this study, limitations, and directions for future research are also addressed.