Employer brand image in public organizations: A single case study of Uusimaa TE office
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School of Business |
Master's thesis
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Date
2024
Department
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Mcode
Degree programme
Management and International Business (MIB)
Language
en
Pages
89 + 12
Series
Abstract
Research has shown that employer branding offers possibilities to attract and retain talent, improve employer engagement, and even customer outcomes. However, existing literature focuses mainly on the external perspective of employer brand image, particularly on job applicants’ perceptions. In addition, research on how the concept of employer brand image applies to public sector organizations remains rare, even though the public sector faces competitive pressures in the labor market and distinct challenges in talent attraction and retention. Understanding the internal and construed external perspectives of employer brand image is crucial for identifying factors that attract and retain employees in public organizations. This study explores how employees in Finnish public employment services perceive their organization’s employer brand image, focusing on the internal and construed external perspectives of employer brand image. Additionally, the aim is to find out to which dimensions of the employer brand are perceived most important by the employees. Data from interviews with seven psychologists employed at Uusimaa TE Office was analyzed with qualitative content analysis. Findings show that the employees of Uusimaa TE Office perceive their organization’s employer brand image positively, particularly valuing its functional and psychological dimensions. However, this study indicates that in the public sector the economic dimension might not significantly impact employee retention as long as economic value is perceived as satisfactory. The perceptions regarding the construed external employer brand image were considerably negative compared to the internal employer brand image. This study indicates that examining the internal employer brand image of public sector organizations can reveal their true strengths and provide insights for aligning internal and external employer branding strategies. The findings indicate that incongruence between internal and construed external employer brand images may exist in public sector organizations, since the sector’s reputation can affect construed external employer image despite employees’ positive personal experiences. In addition, this study revises Berthon, Ewing, and Hah’s (2005) five-factor framework by identifying brand value and work well-being dimensions in the public sector context.Description
Thesis advisor
Eräranta, KirsiKeywords
employer brand image, internal employer brand image, construed external employer brand image, public organizations, employer attractiveness