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The purpose of this paper is to test whether employee characteristics (age, gender, role and experience) influence the effects of employer brand image, for warmth and competence, on employee satisfaction and engagement.

Members of the public were surveyed as to their satisfaction and engagement with their employer and their view of their employer brand image. Half were asked to evaluate their employer’s “warmth” and half its “competence”. The influence of employee characteristics was tested on a “base model” linking employer image to satisfaction and engagement using a mediated moderation model.

The base model proved valid; satisfaction partially mediates the influence of employer brand image on engagement. Age, experience gender, and whether the role involved customer contact moderate both the influence of the employer brand image and of satisfaction on engagement.

Engagement varies with employee characteristics, and both segmenting employees and promoting the employer brand image differentially to specific groups are ways to counter this effect.

The contexts in which employer brand image can influence employees in general and specific groups of employees in particular are not well understood. This is the first empirical study of the influence of employer brand image on employee engagement and one of few that considers the application of employee segmentation.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between an employer’s brand image (i.e. symbolic and functional attributes) and job seekers’ attraction to the firm among a sample of young workers.

Job seekers completed a questionnaire regarding their knowledge of a particular firm, their perceived image of that firm, and their attraction toward that firm in terms of future employment. Moderated regression analyses were used to test the hypotheses of interest.

Consistent with previous findings, both functional and symbolic attributes of the brand image were related to job seekers’ attraction to the firm. In contrast to previous research, work experience moderated the effect of symbolic, but not functional, attributes such that these effects became stronger with more experience. Symbolic and functional attributes also interacted to predict job seekers’ attraction to the firm.

The study is based on cross-sectional self-report data, which limits causal inference.

Results suggest that young workers are particularly influenced by symbolic attributes of the organizations’ brand image.

This paper compares the role of symbolic and functional attributes in predicting young workers’ attraction to the firm. Young workers are more influenced by symbolic attributes and these influences are stronger when individuals gain in work experience and when they perceive higher functional attributes.

To deal with the agenda of extensive research to establish employer branding as a valuable Human Resource (HR) practice, this study aims to examine perception of seafarer to explore the attributes related with employer branding in maritime industry. This study intends to explore the applicability of instrumental-symbolic framework of employer branding in maritime industry to understand the dimensions related with attractiveness of seafarers’ jobs.

Sample of the study is Indian seafarers include only officers from both deck and engine. Total 276 usable responses were considered at the end for data analysis.

Both, the instrumental and symbolic attributes explained significant variance in predicting attractiveness of seafarers’ occupation, thus supporting hypotheses 1 and 2. In particular, among instrumental dimensions, social/team activities, structure, advancement, travel opportunities and pay and benefits positively predicted seafarers’ attraction towards their job. As symbolic dimension, sincerity, competence and prestige was positively related, and ruggedness was negatively related to attractiveness of the present job among seafarers.

Overall, the present findings ascertain the utility of the framework as a conceptualization of employer brands and support the applicability of instrumental-symbolic framework for understanding the dimensions of occupational attractiveness in different context and culture, i.e. Indian Seafarers.

Although the popularity of employer branding is growing amongst human resources practitioners, but still, there is dearth of academic (mainly empirical research) literature on the subject, `appeals to management researchers (Cable and Turban, 2001; Backhaus and Tikoo, 2004, Edwards, 2009; alniacik and alniacik, 2012; Kucherov and Zavyalova, 2012). With this in consideration and to deal with the agenda of extensive research to establish employer branding as a valuable HR practice, the present study examines perception of seafarer to explore the attributes related with employer branding in maritime industry.

Although researchers agreed that corporate image and employer image are important factors affecting organizational attractiveness, understanding the role of social identity within the attracting process, in addition to exploring the relationship between corporate image and employer image, is still a research gap. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effect of corporate and employer image on organizational attractiveness in addition to understanding the moderating role of social identity on the relationship between corporate image and employer brand and organizational attractiveness.

The study used a survey method for data collection from fourth year students.

The findings show that both employer image and corporate image have a significant positive effect on organizational attractiveness . In addition, it has showed that social identity consciousness plays partial role as a moderator in the model.

This paper is one of the first papers that include corporate image, employer image, social identity consciousness and organizational attractiveness in the same model . In addition, it is one of the limited papers that considered both signal and social identity theory in attraction process.

The purpose of this study is to examine what kind of motives and practices company has for employer branding in power industry. The objective is to find out the benefits of employer branding and how it is targeted towards potential and current employees. In addition, the aim is to examine whether companies see employer branding as a process and what kind of processes they have for employer branding.

The theoretical perspective of this study is based on literature review, which provides a better understanding of employer branding. The empirical part is a qualitative case study of two large, international companies in the field of power industry. The data was gathered with interviews.

The main motives for employer branding are better employer image, more efficient recruitment and improved job satisfaction. Employer branding efforts are focused according to target group. Recruitment and educational co‐operation are the main objects of employer branding towards potential employees, whereas training and development are an essential part of employer branding towards current employees. This article also discovers that there is some kind of process aspect in the background of employer branding.

Companies invest in employer branding in order to get good applicants, retain employees and create the image of a great employer. Power industry is an internationally remarkable field of business. Energy and the solutions of power technology are always needed and there exist a major need for new experts in power industry. As limitations, this study includes only two power industry companies and the data is qualitative. Therefore, the results cannot be generalized in larger scale.

The competition of talented workforce will increase because of the decrease in working‐age population. Employer branding will become more prominent in the future when companies strive to gain competitive advantage.

This study determines the influence of employer image on industry attractiveness in small and medium-sized hospitality firms by using the instrumental-symbolic framework adapted from marketing literature.

A total of 405 employees and 429 family firm owners in Bavaria were surveyed using a quantitative research design. The authors used linear and hierarchical multiple regression analyses for hypothesis testing using the variables included in the instrumental-symbolic employer image framework.

The study revealed differences in perception between employees and owners. Data showed that employees' ratings for instrumental attributes, such as job security and income options, and symbolic attributes, such as industry attractiveness, significantly differ from those of owners. Consistent with the instrumental-symbolic framework, owners' perceptions of symbolic attributes predicted their perceived industry attractiveness.

Owners may examine how their industry's image needs to be changed to gain positive perception by current and potential employees. Policymakers may benefit from the study’s results that may help them find the right focal points for strategies in promoting Bavaria's hospitality sector. As a result, an adequate and positive image is created that attracts workers for this sector.

The study addresses the rather under-researched stakeholder group of existing hospitality employees, particularly with respect to employer image. Furthermore, owners and employees are compared, regardless of their individually different relationships to the business. Employer image is connected with overall perceived industry attractiveness, stating that the industry comprises individual employing businesses and thus depends on employer image.

One purpose of this paper is to emphasize the relationship between employees as brand ambassadors and the concept of an employer brand. Another is to consider cross-cultural employer branding in the context of global talent management. The authors also clarify the connection between organizational image, organizational identity and organizational reputation, and address how positive and negative brand reputation can affect an organization.

The authors use a literature review of findings with respect to topics such as competitive strategy and constructs from the literature on employer branding to identify some key research questions to address. They then consider cross-cultural employer branding and brand repair in the context of talent management, along with more key questions to address in each area.

A positive employer brand – with its strong contribution to brand reputation and to helping organizations attract and retain top talent to gain competitive advantage – is a key ingredient for organizational success. Employees are employer-brand ambassadors. Constant awareness of and attention to one’s employer brand can prevent a brand disaster. The payoff is that preventing damage to the reputation of one’s employer brand is much easier than repairing damage to it.

The purpose is to challenge researchers to think critically and analytically about employer branding, especially in the cross-cultural context. The editor plans to invite commentaries on this paper.

Es una revisión de la literatura. Tomando en consideración los resultados existentes se propone un proceso en tres etapas para ayudar a las empresas a recuperarse del efecto negativo en la marca de empleador resultante de conductas inapropiadas. Al final de cada sección se identifican cuestiones de investigación para el futuro.

Los autores llevan a cabo una revisión de la literatura sobre la marca de empleador, para resumir lo que se conoce e identificar preguntas de investigación que no han sido analizadas hasta el momento.

Los autores señalan la importancia estratégica de la marca de empleador y su efecto en la capacidad para competir en el mercado de talento. Se propone un proceso en tres etapas para ayudar a las empresas a recuperarse del efecto negativo en la marca de empleador resultante de conductas inapropiadas. Aún existen numerosas preguntas de investigación sin respuesta.

El artículo propone un proceso en tres etapas para ayudar a las empresas a recuperarse del efecto negativo en la marca de empleador resultante de conductas inapropiadas, e identifica preguntas de investigación a analizar en estudios futuros.

Marca de empleador, marca inter-cultural, reputación de marca, reparación de la marca, revisión de la literatura

Tipo de artículo – Artículo de investigación

É una revisão da literatura. Considerando os resultados existentes, se propõe um processo em três etapas para ajudar as empresas a se recuperar do efeito negativo na marca do empregador resultante de condutas inapropriadas. Ao final de cada seção se identificam questões de investigação para o futuro.

Os autores levam a cabo una revisão da literatura sobre a marca do empregador, para resumir o que se conhece e identificar perguntas de investigação que não foram analisadas até o momento.

Os autores destacam a importância estratégica da marca do empregador e seu efeito na capacidade para competir no mercado de talento. Se propõe um processo em três etapas para ajudar as empresas a se recuperar do efeito negativo na marca do empregador resultante de condutas inapropriadas. Ainda existem numerosas preguntas de investigação sem resposta.

O artigo propõe um processo em três etapas para ajudar as empresas a se recuperar do efeito negativo na marca do empregador resultante de condutas inapropriadas, e identifica preguntas de investigação a analisar em estudos futuros.

Marca do empregador, marca intercultural, reputação da marca, reparação da marca, revisão da literatura

Tipo de artículo – Artigo de investigação

The purpose of this paper is to establish the symbolic facet of perceived employer brand image (PEBI) as an antecedent of favourable brand-related identification and employee behaviours, namely, corporate brand identification (CBI) and brand citizenship behaviours (BCB).

A standardized questionnaire was used. Data collection occurred at a maximum care hospital in Germany (N = 366). Structural equation modelling was used in the data analysis.

A direct link between PEBI and BCB was theoretically derived from social exchange theory and could be empirically confirmed. In addition to a direct relationship, a mediated relationship based on social identity theory was outlined. PEBI influences BCB via CBI. The mediated pathway accounts for 70 per cent of the variance.

Understanding the impact of symbolic job offerings on favourable brand-related employee attitudes and behaviours should lead practitioners to focus on increasing employees’ perceptions of the employer’s prestige and sincerity, for example, by strengthening employee target group-oriented communications about corporate social responsibility or increasing out-group salience when communicating organizational achievements.

This paper transfers the concept of organizational attractiveness, organizational identification and favourable employee behaviours to a corporate brand focus. It is the first integration of the symbolic dimension of the instrumental-symbolic framework in an internal branding context.

Massive shifts in the recruitment landscape, the continually changing nature of work and workers, and extraordinary technological progress have combined to enable unparalleled advances in how current and prospective employees receive and process information about organizations. Once the domain of internal organizational public relations and human resources (HR) teams, most employment branding has moved beyond organizations’ control. This chapter provides a conceptual framework pertaining to third party employment branding, defined as communications, claims, or status-based classifications generated by parties outside of direct company control that shape, enhance, and differentiate organizations’ images as favorable or unfavorable employers. Specifically, the authors first theorize about the underlying mechanisms by which third party employment branding might signal prospective and current employees. Second, the authors develop a framework whereby we comprehensively review third party employment branding sources, thus identifying the different ways that third party employment branding might manifest. Third, using prototypical examples, the authors link the various signaling mechanisms to the various third party employment branding sources identified. Finally, the authors propose an ambitious future research agenda that considers not only the positive aspects of third party employment branding but also potential “dark sides.” Thus, the authors view this chapter as contributing to the broader employment branding literature, which should enhance scholarly endeavors to study it and practitioner efforts to leverage it.

This study aims to take a step toward integrating research regarding the image, role and identity of management accountants by understanding how employers’ perceptions of the ideal management accountant image differ from operational managers’ perceived role expectations, how management accountants perceive their identity and how those factors shape management accountants’ understanding of who they are and want to be.

A qualitative design draws upon the case company’s 100 job advertisements and 31 semi-structured interviews with management accountants and operational managers. Those data are entwined with role theory and its core concepts of expectations and identities and also early recruitment-related theoretical aspects such as image and employer branding.

The findings reveal how employers’ perceptions of the ideal image and operational managers’ role expectations shape and influence the identity of management accountants. However, management accountants distance themselves from a brand image and role expectations. They experience identity conflict between their current and desired identity, the perception of not being able to perform the currently desired role. Although this study presents some possible reasons and explanations, such as employer branding for the misalignment and discrepancy between perceptions of employer (image), expectations of operational managers (role) and management accountants’ self-conception of the role (identity), this study argues that the identity of a management accountant results from organizational aspects of image and role and individual aspects of identity.

Image and external role expectations can challenge identity construction and also serve as a source of conflict and frustration; thus, a more comprehensive approach to studying the identity of management accountants is necessary to understand what contributes to the fragility of their identity.

The results provide an understanding of the dynamics of the image, role and identity to support management accountants and employers and to further address the suggested dissonance and ambiguities.

This study contributes by showing how the dynamics and connections between the image, role and identity influence the identity construction of management accountants. Moreover, this study shows how overpromising as a part of employer branding might not reflect the reality experienced by management accountants but may cause frustration and threaten the management accountants’ identity.