The relationship between employee branding and retention of sales representatives in the South African pharmaceutical industry

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Date

2015

Authors

Correia, Marco Sergio

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Abstract

As the dynamic and competitive pharmaceutical industry continues to evolve both globally and locally, it is essential for organisations to be able to respond accordingly. These responses are maximised when the employees implementing the changes are willing and capable of ensuring that the brand promise is indeed executed correctly. In this research report, employee branding was viewed as a tool with which organisations can develop specific capabilities. A review of marketing literature as well as organisational development literature was conducted to provide an adequate theory to support the concept. The current application levels of employee branding were determined and linked to the organizational benefits of employee branding. The employee’s intention to stay was isolated as the main benefit of and was meant to illustrate the willingness of an employee to commit to the organisation’s brand. Throughout the literature, further pertinent aspects related to employee branding were recognised, such as role clarity, brand citizenship behaviour, brand commitment and psychological contracts. The research utilised a quantitative approach, where questionnaires were disseminated through an online survey. The answers to the questionnaires were analysed by using a confirmatory factor analysis. Significant findings of the report illustrated the substantial relationship between brand commitment, psychological contracts and employees’ intention to stay. Most importantly though, the overall organisational benefits that result from employee branding ensure employees’ willingness to ―go the extra mile‖, which demonstrates an opportunity for organisations to develop their employee brand to maintain competitive advantage. These findings are especially relevant in the South African pharmaceutical industry. Essentially, the development of employee capabilities is not merely an operational process that includes factors such as training, but focus should be on the impact of the psychological aspects of such programmes. An organisation’s employees are too important an asset iii to not receive adequate consideration when developing the organisational brand from operational and mental perspectives.

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Keywords

Employee retention -- South Africa. Personnel management -- South Africa.Branding (Marketing) Pharmaceutical industry -- South Africa.

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