Organizational culture and brand : A grounded theory assessment of employees' enablement to live the brand at a best place to work
Year: 2011
Type: article
Abstract: Employees are an organization's touch points with its customers, the living promise of what it says and does.Management's decision to create and sustain an organizational culture, enabling employees to live the organization's brand, is a strategic and a long-term strategy.An organization's culture -supporting its brand promisecan serve as a sustainable differentiation strategy to attract and retain both customers and employees, positively affecting the bottom line and its brand equity.The purpose of this research was to identify internal branding practices that serve as key determinants to develop employees' trust, brand commitment, and ultimately create behaviors employees should exhibit to deliver on the company's brand promise.This study examined Umpqua Bank (NASDQ: UMPQ) to understand why its employees have identified it a "Best Place" to work (2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011), as identified by Fortune magazine's annual survey recognizing America's top 100 employers.Their research methodology, identified as valid and reliable, recognizes organizations that make this list as having created and maintained a high level of trust with their employees.This study's goals were to: (a) understand why Umpqua's employees trust the bank; (b) identify what internal branding practices create and nurture this high organizational commitment; (c) how its employees define what it means to 'live the brand'; and (d) what living the brand looks like when employees deliver on Umpqua's brand promise with customers and each other.Field research, specifically grounded theory ethnography, was used to understand Umpqua's organizational culture as researchers have used it to gain an in-depth Organizational Culture & Brand understanding of management philosophy and processes.This iterative, qualitative research process -fielded January 2010 to January 2011 -included both secondary and primary data collection.Seventy employees participated through expert interviews and focus groups, drawn from a representative geographic and demographic sampling.Additionally, Umpqua made certain proprietary data available which not only initiated this study's initial construct development, but also contextualized primary data.Data collection and analysis culminated with data saturation, producing a proposed five-part conceptual model.The study's results also answered its four research questions, proposed two new conceptual constructs, extended existing and aligned with prior empirical studies, and identified new research opportunities.
Author: Tyler Laird Magee
Language: English
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W811337484