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Beyond employer brand content : the role of employer brand process attributes in understanding employees' reactions toward their employer

Hira Kanwal (UGent) and Greet Van Hoye (UGent)
(2024) HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT. 63(1). p.67-86
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Abstract
Employees play a central role in organizational functioning and representation. HR managers thus strive to create an attractive employer image that stimulates employees' attachment and ambassadorship. However, presently, there is limited research about how employees perceive and react toward their organization's employer brand. More importantly, the studies available have focused on content attributes only (i.e., instrumental and symbolic image dimensions). This has resulted in limited (content-based) understanding of the construct and failure to incorporate its branding-related aspects (process attributes) which represent the crux of employer branding theory. Thus, using the HRM system strength theory and employer branding literature, this article examines three process characteristics (i.e., employer brand distinctiveness, consistency, and consensus) vis-à-vis instrumental and symbolic content attributes to understand employee reactions (i.e., employer attractiveness, organizational identification, and employee ambassadorship). Data were collected at two times through Prolific Academic with 254 UK and US employees. Results suggest that employer brand process attributes are valuable sources to enhance employees' identification with their organization. Moreover, distinctiveness and consistency seem especially instrumental in enhancing employees' attractiveness perceptions and display of positive ambassadorship. In addition, the process attributes explain significant incremental and unique variance beyond content attributes in employee reactions.
Keywords
employer branding, human resource management, employer branding process, HRM system strength, distinctiveness, consistency, consensus, instrumental-symbolic framework, ORGANIZATIONAL ATTRACTIVENESS, SCALE DEVELOPMENT, HR SYSTEM, STRENGTH, IMAGE, PERSONALITY, PERFORMANCE, DIMENSIONS, KNOWLEDGE, CONSENSUS

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Citation

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MLA
Kanwal, Hira, and Greet Van Hoye. “Beyond Employer Brand Content : The Role of Employer Brand Process Attributes in Understanding Employees’ Reactions toward Their Employer.” HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, vol. 63, no. 1, 2024, pp. 67–86, doi:10.1002/hrm.22187.
APA
Kanwal, H., & Van Hoye, G. (2024). Beyond employer brand content : the role of employer brand process attributes in understanding employees’ reactions toward their employer. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, 63(1), 67–86. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.22187
Chicago author-date
Kanwal, Hira, and Greet Van Hoye. 2024. “Beyond Employer Brand Content : The Role of Employer Brand Process Attributes in Understanding Employees’ Reactions toward Their Employer.” HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 63 (1): 67–86. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.22187.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Kanwal, Hira, and Greet Van Hoye. 2024. “Beyond Employer Brand Content : The Role of Employer Brand Process Attributes in Understanding Employees’ Reactions toward Their Employer.” HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 63 (1): 67–86. doi:10.1002/hrm.22187.
Vancouver
1.
Kanwal H, Van Hoye G. Beyond employer brand content : the role of employer brand process attributes in understanding employees’ reactions toward their employer. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT. 2024;63(1):67–86.
IEEE
[1]
H. Kanwal and G. Van Hoye, “Beyond employer brand content : the role of employer brand process attributes in understanding employees’ reactions toward their employer,” HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, vol. 63, no. 1, pp. 67–86, 2024.
@article{01H6H3J3FZH2EWAVRS3E2CRAXK,
  abstract     = {{Employees play a central role in organizational functioning and representation. HR managers thus strive to create an attractive employer image that stimulates employees' attachment and ambassadorship. However, presently, there is limited research about how employees perceive and react toward their organization's employer brand. More importantly, the studies available have focused on content attributes only (i.e., instrumental and symbolic image dimensions). This has resulted in limited (content-based) understanding of the construct and failure to incorporate its branding-related aspects (process attributes) which represent the crux of employer branding theory. Thus, using the HRM system strength theory and employer branding literature, this article examines three process characteristics (i.e., employer brand distinctiveness, consistency, and consensus) vis-à-vis instrumental and symbolic content attributes to understand employee reactions (i.e., employer attractiveness, organizational identification, and employee ambassadorship). Data were collected at two times through Prolific Academic with 254 UK and US employees. Results suggest that employer brand process attributes are valuable sources to enhance employees' identification with their organization. Moreover, distinctiveness and consistency seem especially instrumental in enhancing employees' attractiveness perceptions and display of positive ambassadorship. In addition, the process attributes explain significant incremental and unique variance beyond content attributes in employee reactions.}},
  author       = {{Kanwal, Hira and Van Hoye, Greet}},
  issn         = {{0090-4848}},
  journal      = {{HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT}},
  keywords     = {{employer branding,human resource management,employer branding process,HRM system strength,distinctiveness,consistency,consensus,instrumental-symbolic framework,ORGANIZATIONAL ATTRACTIVENESS,SCALE DEVELOPMENT,HR SYSTEM,STRENGTH,IMAGE,PERSONALITY,PERFORMANCE,DIMENSIONS,KNOWLEDGE,CONSENSUS}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{67--86}},
  title        = {{Beyond employer brand content : the role of employer brand process attributes in understanding employees' reactions toward their employer}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.22187}},
  volume       = {{63}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}

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