Exploring the Relationship Between Brand Pride, Brand Identification, and Brand Citizenship Behavior of Employees

摘要

The behavior of employees lies at the heart of any brand (Burmann et al. 2009; Sirianni et al. 2013). However, the factors that create brand-supporting attitudes and drive employees to display desired Brand Citizenship Behaviors (BCB) as well as employees' mental processes through which brand-consistent behaviors are developed have not yet received adequate attention (Burmann and Zeplin 2005; Punjaisri and Wilson 2011; Chiang et al. 2012). The current study suggests that brand identification and brand pride may motivate employees to 'live the brand' and exhibit BCB. Past research found that employees who identify with the brand will be emotionally attached to it and exhibit increased ability to deliver the brand promise (Punjaisri and Wilson 2011). Additionally, pride may motivate employees 'to go the extra mile' (Bolino and Turnley 2003; Tracy and Robins 2007), to show passion for the brand, and to become 'brand champions' (Chiang et al. 2013). In particular, the present study is guided by the research question how Actual Brand-Self Congruence (ABSC) and Ideal Brand-Self Congruence (ISBC) as perceived by employees affects their brand identification, brand pride and BCB.