| 11. |
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| 12. |
- Näppä, Anna
(författare)
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Building Employer Brands: The Employee Perspective
- 2023
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Employer branding, or the creation and communication of an identifiable identity as an employer, has become a buzzword that interests both practitioners and researchers. Employer branding is considered a key tool for attracting, developing, and retaining the best employees and is believed to be the answer to the so-called “war for talent”. The question of human capital is of the essence for all companies but is particularly prevalent for service organizations. For example, organizations in tourism and hospitality rely on their employees to deliver complex experiences, while balancing high customer expectations and resources available. Attracting and retaining the right frontline employees is crucial due to their unique role as brand ambassadors who deliver the brand promise in each customer encounter. At the same time, employers in tourism and hospitality have been struggling with a negative industry image and high employee turnover, which has intensified even more in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.While employer branding has received a great deal of attention it still offers much research potential. Employer branding includes both current and potential employees, but most studies have focused on talent attraction rather than capturing perceptions of current employees. The majority of research has studied large companies with access to both expert knowledge and financial resources, and thus little is known about employer branding in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In addition, it is only recently the concept of co-creation entered the employer branding vocabulary, referring to the role of employees as active agents or partners to the brand rather than a mere target market. Co-creation has been thoroughly researched in the tourism and hospitality sphere, lending itself as a suitable context for addressing the gap relating to employee co-creation of the employer brand. Thus, the overall research purpose is to investigate how employer brands are perceived and built by employees. This is done with a focus on the tourism and hospitality context.Based on the current gaps in the literature, the following research aims were developed: 1. To explore employer brand management in SMEs2. To explore the role of employees as both target group and co-creators of employer brand equity in the context of tourism and hospitality.3. To investigate employees’ perceptions of their employer’s attractiveness, together with intentions to stay and recommend in tourism and hospitality. Special attention is paid to the role of creativity and innovation. 4. To investigate which employer attributes are related to perceptions about the tourism and hospitality industry and the likelihood to stay. These aims were researched in four individual papers. To reach the overall purpose, a mixed methods approach was applied. The first two papers took a qualitative approach: the first paper used observational data, while the second used in-depth interviews. The two latter papers were quantitative in nature. This research contributes to two areas: the employer branding literature, as well as research on tourism and hospitality. In particular, it highlights employer branding as a co-creational practice and performance, where employees build the brand by participating in internal processes, representing the brand towards outsiders, and simply being part of the collective brand identity. The possibility to do innovative and creative work seems to be an important driver for staying with and recommending one’s current employer. In terms of perceptions of work in tourism and hospitality, there are two levels to consider: the individual employer as well as the industry itself. The results emphasize the role of industry reputation and general industry attractiveness in retaining employees. This research also focuses on the roles and perspectives of current employees which has been lacking in the employer branding literature. The dissertation begins with defining the context of tourism and hospitality and current state of employer branding as an area, moving then to describing the identified gaps and landing in an overall research problem. The most relevant theories are discussed in the second chapter to lay the theoretical foundation together with a review on employer branding and employer brand equity. The second chapter also explains the concept of co-creation and the effects of the industry on the employer brand(ing) and concludes with a justification for the research aims. Chapter three explains the methodological choices for the dissertation and the individual papers and findings from the papers are described in chapter four. Finally, the fifth chapter presents the overall conclusions and implications for theory and practice.
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
- Näppä, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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I just work here! Employees as co-creators of the employer brand
- 2023
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1502-2250 .- 1502-2269. ; 23:1, s. 73-93
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study explores the role of employees as both a target group and co-creators of employer brand equity in tourism and hospitality. Extant research has largely focused on the effects of external employer brands; however, studies on internal employer branding have been lacking. The research problem is addressed through the conceptual lens of employer brand equity. To provide empirical insights into employee experiences, exploratory in-depth interviews were conducted with 16 employees in hotels, restaurants, and retail stores in Northern Sweden. While employees constitute a target market for internal employer branding, they also co-create the employer value proposition. Employees act as brand members, representatives, advocates and influencers, increasing knowledge about the organization internally and externally. However, in practice, companies in the service sector seem to place more focus on the customer experience than on reminding the employees of the brand promise towards them. This study identifies and describes the role of employees in the employer branding process by developing a new conceptual framework. Thereby, it adds to the understanding of co-creation in employer branding, an under-researched area which has been suggested to become a new paradigm in the employer branding literature.
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
- Parding, Karolina, et al.
(författare)
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Workplace learning in transient workplaces: the tourism and hospitality industry in the Arctic region
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Workplace Learning. - : Emerald Publishing. - 1366-5626 .- 1758-7859. ; 35:9, s. 259-273
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: This paper aims to focus on conditions for workplace learning (WPL) in highly transient workplaces, exemplified by the tourism and hospitality sector in the Arctic region. The aim is to analyse and discuss how employees and employers view the conditions for employees’ WPL from their respective perspectives. Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on a qualitative approach. Ten interviews with employers and ten interviews with employees were carried out. This opens for different perspectives, including identifying “learning gaps”. The analysis was thematic, with a focus on opportunities and challenges for WPL in these transient workplace contexts. Findings: Overall, conditions for WPL seem unsatisfactory. On the one hand, both employees and employers see WPL as essential for staff retention. Employers also see WPL as a strategy for business development and, thus, profit. On the other hand, high staff turnover makes it challenging to strategically invest in and organize for WPL, especially formal learning. Hence, a Catch-22 situation emerges. Research limitations/implications: As this study is qualitative in its scope, generalizations are analytical rather than statistical. Originality/value: There is a shortage of studies on conditions for WPL, focusing particularly on transient workplaces. Moreover, by including employer and employee perspectives, the authors contribute to a gap in the literature. The empirical contribution of this paper thus lies in using a theoretical WPL framework on transient workplaces, exemplified by the tourism and hospitality industries in the Arctic region.
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| 18. |
- Strandberg, Carola, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Places in good graces : The role of emotional connections to a place on word-of-mouth
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Business Research. - : Elsevier. - 0148-2963 .- 1873-7978. ; 119, s. 444-452
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The role of emotional connections to places has largely been studied with a focus on place visitors. However, while residents are considered integral to the place brand, their perspectives generally have been overlooked. This study aims to increase the understanding of the relationships between place image, self-congruity, place attachment, and positive word-of-mouth among residents and visitors of a place. A conceptual model is advanced from identity and attachment theories. Responses from 654 residents and visitors in two Swedish cities were collected through an online survey, and the conceptual model was tested across the two city samples using structural equation modelling. Findings indicate that affective place image is positively related to positive word-of-mouth and that this relationship is mediated by place attachment for both residents and visitors. The results further show that self-congruity acts as a mediator between affective place image and place attachment for visitors but not for residents.
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| 19. |
- Strandberg, Carola, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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The multidimensionality of place identity: A systematic concept analysis and framework of place-related identity elements
- 2024
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Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Psychology. - : Elsevier. - 0272-4944 .- 1522-9610. ; 95
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This article offers a systematic concept analysis of place identity, a concept central to place branding, suffering from conceptual confusion. The study provides an overview of related terminology, theoretical foundations, conceptualizations, and associated operationalizations of place-related identity concepts. Building on identity theory and a thematic analysis of measurement items gathered, a framework conceptualizing place-related identity elements is proposed, distinguishing between different dimensions of identification. Results show a range of cognitive, affective, and conative and evaluative elements of place identity/identification and applicable testable sub-dimensions. Findings show how different labels have been applied to identify what appear to be conceptually equivalent constructs. Potential links between elements, outcomes, and related concepts are discussed and recommendations for measurement approaches, construction of measurement scales, and future research are presented. Results highlight the need for research in the area to exert stringency when applying the terms in their research and to carefully define and delineate concepts when gathering data and reporting results.
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| 20. |
- Strandberg, Carola, 1981-
(författare)
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Through the Looking Glass : An Identity-Based View of Place Branding
- 2023
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Places of today face intense global competition for crucial resources. Attracting visitors and retaining residents is vital especially for post-industrial cities and rural places facing a loss of traditional industrial jobs, and urbanization and centralization of the population and economy. To attract resources and target groups like tourists and residents, place managers and authorities are increasingly turning to place branding. A recent stream of literature has adopted an identity-based view of place branding building on an understanding that like the formation of the place itself is an open-ended process, constantly renegotiated and socially constructed so is that of place branding. It depicts place branding as an identity construction process, an ongoing process of multilogue between different place stakeholders involved as active participants in the co-creation of the place brand experience, expression, and communication. In this light, effective place branding strategies must be based on a brand identity that reflects the perceptions of its stakeholders, communicated to and with key stakeholders. This highlights the need for place managers to understand place stakeholders’ perceptions to be able to mirror, articulate and reinforce them in the brand identity and place brand communication. There is however a lack of focus in extant research on the perspective of residents, a primary stakeholder group. Furthermore, questions remain regarding the drivers behind this process, especially regarding the role of person–place bonds in relation to place-related behavioral outcomes.Therefore, the purpose of this thesis was: To investigate place-related identity concepts within an identity-based view of place branding. The current research sought to deepen the understanding of the identity-based view by 1) developing the understanding of how place-related identity aspects can be leveraged to influence the place-related behavioral intentions of key place stakeholders, focusing specifically on residents as a primary stakeholder group, and 2) to contribute to further conceptual and operational clarity regarding the elusive concept of place identity and related concepts underlying this process. Drawing on identity-based place branding literature in combination with identity, congruity, and attachment theory four research questions (RQs) were formulated: RQ1: How can the identity perspectives expressed in residents’ place image be characterized? RQ2: What is the relationship between place image, place attachment, self-congruity, and positive place word-of-mouth (WOM) across different stakeholder groups? RQ3: What is the relationship between place image, place attachment, self-congruity, and likelihood to stay in a place across cities of different sizes? RQ4: How can the concept of place identity be measured? To answer the research questions four studies were conducted, one qualitative, two quantitative and one conceptual, the results from each study presented in a research paper. In response to RQ1 the qualitative study highlights the different identity perspectives manifested by residents when describing their place perceptions. The place identity perspectives expressed in residents’ place image descriptions evidence both subject identity perspectives - through personal and social identity perspectives, and object identity perspectives – in terms of person, people/social (in-/out) group, and place object identity perspectives. These perspectives influence the content of place image descriptions both in terms of what residents describe – in terms of object identity, and how they describe it – depending on which identity lens is applied and from whose point of view. The results highlight the need for priming to activate a specific stakeholder identity when gathering place image perceptions and designing place branding campaigns.Quantitative findings in response to RQ2 applicable across two cities of different size indicate that affective place image influences positive WOM and that this relationship is mediated by place attachment for both residents and visitors. Interestingly, while the connection between affective place image and place attachment is stronger for residents, the connection between place attachment and positive WOM is significant also for visitors. Contrary to previous studies, the findings suggest that self-congruity with residents’ image may not offer sufficient symbolic value to inspire WOM behavior. Results however support that self-congruity plays a mediating role between affective place image and place attachment which is stronger for visitors than for residents. The findings highlight the need to successfully reflect the self-concept of key stakeholders in communication messages to strengthen emotional brand connections and consequently WOM behavior. When targeting residents, communication is best centered around aspects reflecting the place’s identity while, additionally, communication reflecting residents’ image may be targeted towards visitors to increase the probability of positive WOM.Findings concerning RQ3 show a positive relationship between place image and residents’ likelihood to stay, mediated by place attachment. The relationship between place image and place attachment is mediated by resident self-congruity. Implications include that perceived resident image fit may not offer any direct influence on residents’ likelihood to stay but is important to instill place attachment which impacts resident retention. Implications highlight the multifaceted nature of place self-congruity, the importance of careful consideration of constructs when operationalizing identification with a place, and that place attachment should not be used to measure residents’ likelihood to stay. Future research is encouraged to include images of both place and place consumers when studying residents’ place self-congruity. Implications highlight the capacity for place branding policies supporting inclusive community practices to unify and retain residents. Results from the conceptual study related to RQ4 show a range of elements and sub-dimensions relevant to measure the place identity/identification construct. Findings show how different labels have been applied to identify what appears to be conceptually equivalent constructs and vice-versa. A framework is presented of the cognitive, affective, and conative and evaluative elements of place identity/identification including their sub-dimensions. Results highlight the need to exert stringency when applying the terms in research and to carefully define and delineate concepts when gathering data and reporting results.Further theoretical and managerial contributions and suggestions for future research are discussed in the final chapter of the thesis. The four papers are presented as Appendices, three of which have been published and the fourth is being revised to be submitted for review in a scholarly journal.
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