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Article
Tourism and Hospitality Research
0(0) 1–14
Effect of internal branding on ! The Author(s) 2015
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DOI: 10.1177/1467358415580358

and behavior in hospitality thr.sagepub.com

Jen-Te Yang
National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism, Taiwan R.O.C.

Chin-Sheng Wan
Taiwan Shoufu University, Taiwan R.O.C.

Chi-Wei Wu
National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism, Taiwan R.O.C.

Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore the implementation of internal branding in international tourist
hotels and to investigate the impact of internal branding and employee brand commitment on employee brand
behavior. Based on the results of 661 questionnaires returned from a sample of international tourist hotels in
Taiwan, internal branding and employee brand commitment have a significant effect on employee brand
behavior. Moreover, internal branding and employee brand commitment and behavior differ significantly
according to personal variables such as age and work experience, and in different categories of tourist
hotels. The results of this study imply that hoteliers could shape employee attitudes and behavior through
internal branding, and it is therefore recommended that internal branding be added to corporate education
and training. In the extant literature on the hospitality industry, the effect of internal branding on organiza-
tional performance and effectiveness is unclear; the present study contributes to academic research in
clarifying this link.

Keywords
Internal branding, employee brand commitment, employee brand behavior

Introduction denotes a commitment or a guarantee of quality. To

According to a definition provided by the American businesses, brand is a valuable intangible asset, as well
Marketing Association, a brand is a name, termin- as a means by which companies gain a competitive
ology, symbol, symbol design, or combination of the advantage.
above. The purpose of a brand is to identify products Service industries have the characteristic of intangi-
or services of a particular enterprise or group of sellers bility. Thus, branding is an indispensable factor in ser-
that differ from the products or services of competitors vice industries, since a strong brand can increase
(King and Grace, 2008). A brand is much more customers’ trust and reduce their psychological and
important than an associated product, since it is the financial risks when purchasing intangible products or
only thing that sharply differentiates the product from services (Berry, 2000; Kimpakorn and Tocquer, 2010).
similar products that can satisfy the same consumer
demand. Furthermore, in the minds of consumers, a
Corresponding author:
brand represents a complex combination of a com- Jen-Te Yang, National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and
pany’s corporate image, experience, and commitment Tourism, PO Box 608, Kaohsiung City, 800 Taiwan.
to its customers. Therefore, to consumers, brand Email: jenteyang@mail.nkuht.edu.tw

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2 Tourism and Hospitality Research 0(0)

In the 21st century, the cornerstone of service market- (Mosley, 2007; Tsai et al., 2010). In other words, the
ing is branding. In the catering industry or the hotel experience of the brand cannot be imitated by
industry, the establishment of a brand is a particularly competitors.
important issue ((Berry, 2000; King and Grace, 2006; In the hospitality industry, many enterprises have
Lee and Back, 2008, 2010; Nam et al., 2011). implemented IB (Berry, 2000; Burmann and Zeplin,
However, for a long time, companies have focused 2005; Chong, 2007; Harrison et al., 2005; Miles and
their marketing resources on external communication Mangold, 2005; Mosley, 2007; Papasolomou and
with consumers (Aurand et al., 2005; Chong, 2007; Vrontis, 2006). For example, Starbucks employees
Hankinson, 2004; Lee and Back, 2008, 2010; Nam must strongly agree with the spirit of the brand and
et al., 2011; Vallaster, 2004), including advertising, let customers understand and feel the Starbucks com-
spokespersons, and public relations. This approach mitment through their actions, including attitude,
allows customers to understand products and services knowledge, professional competence, and enthusiasm.
and, subsequently, make purchases, and helps to All of these help to create a distinctive coffeehouse
create a specific image in the minds of consumers, experience for customers. Therefore, regardless of
thereby distinguishing enterprises from those of their location, Starbucks can make their customers feel
competitors. Moreover, most of the literature on unique. Another example of the IB approach is Ritz-
branding has adopted the external point of view, Carlton, which promotes the idea that the employee is
which postulates that companies should adopt a stra- the best brand ambassador (Lee et al., 2006; Line and
tegic or tactical approach to attract customers Runyan, 2012).
(Hankinson, 2004; Kim and Kim, 2005; Kim et al., Studies conducted in the context of IB can have sig-
2011; Ladhari et al., 2008; Nam et al., 2011; Roh and nificant consequences. Because the frontline employees
Choi, 2010). Of course, all of the marketing activities are in direct face-to-face contact with customers, their
of an enterprise should be focused on brand position- behavior will have a direct impact on customer percep-
ing and image in the minds of customers. However, tion of the enterprise. The success or failure of a hospi-
brand internalization (internal branding (IB)) is every tality enterprise depends not only on tangible assets but
bit as important as the external point of view (Back also on the comprehension of its employees. Once
and Parks, 2003; Keller, 1999; Mitchell, 2002). Even employees clearly understand the direction and goal
if an enterprise has told customers that its brand of of brand development, they will be able to adjust their
products or services is different, the employees may behavior in their daily work. If the employees find that
not know it (Mitchell, 2002). certain aspects of their duties run counter to this goal,
Brand is even more important in the service industry they are then in a position to improve the corporate
(Back and Parks, 2003; Boo et al., 2009; Keller, 1999). products or services to create a better brand experience
Many of the world’s successful service brands have one for customers. Therefore, clarifying whether the
common feature: employees are able to provide cus- employees support the brand is particularly important
tomers with a unique brand experience (Boo et al., (Mangold and Miles, 2007). The consistency of
2009; Hardaker and Fill, 2005; King and Grace, employee behavior is the most important factor for
2010; Mosley, 2007) because they reflect the spirit, cul- strengthening brand equity (Boo et al., 2009; King
ture, orientation, and current situation of the brand. and Grace, 2006, 2010; Nam et al., 2011).
In other words, they are part of the business (Dortok, Conversely, inconsistent behavior will lead to a gradual
2006). The hospitality industry also needs to rely on the decrease in brand equity (King and Grace, 2006; Nam
ability and willingness of employees to carry brand et al., 2011; Samli and Frohlich, 1992; Tsai et al.,
commitment (BC) to the customers (King, 2010; 2010). In the extant literature on the hospitality indus-
Punjaisri et al., 2008). The successful transmission of try, the effect of IB on organizational performance and
BC requires the input of every employee. When buying effectiveness remains unclear. Clarification of this effect
or using a product or service associated with a brand, could be one of the contributions of the present study to
normally customers only communicate with frontline academic research.
employees and not with management or marketing per- The purpose of this study was to explore the imple-
sonnel behind the scenes. Nevertheless, all grassroots mentation of IB in international tourist hotels and to
staff members, middle-level managers, and executives investigate the impact of IB and employee BC on
must understand and agree with the essence of the employee brand behavior (BB).
brand (Aurand et al., 2005). In addition, the brand
itself is a complex of functional and emotional values
(Bergstrom et al., 2002). While the functional value can
Literature review
be easily and quickly copied by competitors, the emo- This section summarizes the operational definitions of
tional value establishes a difference or uniqueness the variables being studied, including explanations of

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Yang et al. 3

their significance in the context of this study. These to imbue the employees with brand positioning and
variables are IB, employee BC, and employee BB. In commitment to customers. In this manner, employees
addition, each hypothesis is logically developed and can acquire the brand knowledge and ability to per-
justified. form the tasks delegated to them by the enterprise.
Moreover, according to de Chernatony and Segal-
Horn (2003), the purpose of the IB process is to
IB motivate employees to acquire brand knowledge and
IB originated from a strategic, inside-out point of view. understand BC. Ottenbacher (2007) noted that for
According to the perspectives of Barney’s resource- employees in the hospitality industry, simple training
based theory (1991), the competitive advantage of an in basic service skills is not sufficient. It is also essential
enterprise is founded on the organization of internal to augment their knowledge of the brand or the special
resources, and the operation of these resources will skills and attitudes associated with the brand.
generate the ability of the enterprise. As the value, Hardaker and Fill (2005) showed that a service brand
rarity, and uniqueness of the resources increase, and relies on IB to enable employees to deliver BC.
the availability of alternatives decreases, the resources Furthermore, Chong (2007) and De Chernatony
become core resources, making it possible to trans- et al. (2006) argued that an enterprise should help
form the ability of the enterprise into core competitive- employees internalize the core values of the brand
ness. By virtue of core competitiveness, enterprises into their attitudes and behavior, deeply rooting
develop valuable and unique strategies that are used these values in key employees, and materializing
to defeat their competitors and gain a competitive them through their actions. Thus, the point of contact
advantage (Tsai et al., 2010). between each employee and customer becomes an
In accordance with Punjaisri et al. (2009), IB is opportunity and is the key to implementing BC
defined in this study as a nurturing process whereby (Henkel et al., 2007). Gapp and Merrilees (2006)
employees are dialoged and trained with brand know- claimed that once employees understand and accept
ledge. Such a process enables employees to understand a corporate brand, they will adjust their attitudes and
the meaning of a corporate brand and pass on a con- behavior in accordance with brand values, which is
sistent brand experience to customers. In the hospital- good for both customers and employers.
ity industry, in particular, employees are both internal Mosley (2007) declared that the purpose of IB is to
resources and a part of the product. Hence, employee develop and enhance shared values between employees
quality is an important factor (King, 2010), and the and enterprises. These values typically embody the
employees should be the primary marketing target of corporate mission or vision, and employees and
managers. If the employees do not provide appropriate brand are closely linked together through this proced-
brand service, a hotel will be unable to obtain effective ure. In addition, Vallaster and De Chernatony (2005)
overall performance (Bowen, 1997; Tsai et al., 2010). noted that once employees have internalized the brand
Brand equity is particularly evident in the high-touch values, they will maintain the established standards of
service industry (De Chernatony et al., 2004), because the brand during customer contact at any time or
customers can perceive the differences between differ- place. Punjaisri and Wilson (2007) also argued that
ent brands (Chong, 2007). Therefore, employees the purpose of IB is to ensure that employees recognize
should be able to understand and support the brand and believe in the brand values and pass them on to
goal, possess the skills and training to perform the customers. The stronger the employees’ recognition of
work, and maintain customer satisfaction. the brand, and the deeper their commitment and loy-
According to Free (1999) and Mitchell (2002), the alty to it, the more their behavior will benefit the
goal of IB is to create a special emotion by allowing brand. Indeed, De Chernatony and Segal-Horn
employees to connect to a corporate brand and go (2001) claimed that the purpose of IB is to communi-
beyond the experience of other brands. IB enables cate with and educate employees, while enhancing
front-office employees to have a brand vision in their their knowledge of, and emotional response to, the
minds and comply with the brand spirit in any deci- brand.
sion. This ensures that guests can understand the BC When employees have a clear understanding of the
that hotels want to convey and that employees can knowledge and value of the brand, the situation will
successfully transmit that BC to the customers. not only enhance the brand knowledge and emotional
Thus, IB allows the brand vision to be achieved understanding but also improve the enterprise perform-
through the daily tasks of the employees. ance (Thomson et al., 1999; Tsai et al., 2010).
Papasolomou and Vrontis (2006) declared that in Understanding includes both knowledge and emotion,
order to build a corporate brand through the employ- meaning that employees must know the impact of
ees, it is essential that internal communication be used brand knowledge while also understanding the

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4 Tourism and Hospitality Research 0(0)

importance of BC. Knowing only one aspect is not Interestingly, De Chernatony and Segal-Horn
sufficient (Thomson et al., 1999; Thomson and (2001) noted that a successful service enterprise is
Hecker, 2000). Therefore, enterprises should improve especially dependent on the behavior of employees
their employees’ understanding of brand knowledge with brand knowledge and BC to maintain the
and BC through internal communication and training brand. Also, De Chernatony and Cottam (2006)
to create the best brand employees. argued that the foundation of a successful service
brand is that employees have a high degree of know-
ledge and a clear understanding of the brand, and that
Employee BC
the employees’ grasp of brand knowledge is the key to
In accordance with Kimpakorn and Tocquer (2010), passing on the BC. If employees do not possess ade-
this study defines employee BC as an active relation- quate brand knowledge, they will not be able to realize
ship with the organization that makes employees will- the brand vision (Berry, 2000; Miles and Mangold,
ing and proud to share their brand knowledge with 2004). In addition, the service itself has the character-
others. Such employees are psychologically and affec- istic of heterogeneity, and the employees’ relevant
tively committed to supporting the brand. Miles and brand knowledge can overcome this uncertainty
Mangold (2004) suggested that lack of employee com- (De Chernatony and Segal-Horn, 2001; Vallaster
mitment to a brand may result in negative word of and De Chernatony, 2005). Thus, we make the
mouth concerning the enterprise or failure to deliver following assumption in this study:
the customer experience specified by the BC. This, in
turn, may affect the meaning and image of the brand in Hypothesis 1: IB has a significant impact on
the minds of the relevant stakeholders and may also employee BC.
hurt brand equity.
Kimpakorn and Tocquer (2010) declared that,
in the service industry, employees need to understand
Employee BB
the meaning of the corporate brand in the minds of
customers but, more importantly, employees must be In accordance with Aurand et al. (2005), employee BB
committed to supporting the brand and passing on a is defined in this research as a spontaneous interaction
consistent brand experience to customers. In the ser- or actions with the organization and customers in
vice sector in particular, employees deliver the brand which individuals act as the best brand employees to
experience to customers through their services, which promote corporate brand values to others and to
must not only effectively create the brand spirit and strengthen the brand. Aurand et al. (2005) suggested
values in the minds of customers but also allow cus- that when employees have a high degree of commit-
tomers to develop an emotional connection to the ment to the brand, they will bring BC into their work
brand. Consequently, employees in the hospitality (i.e. convey the brand experience to customers
industry must be committed to the corporate brand. through their performance and behavior). Thus,
If a hotel has strong brand equity, it must also have a when employees have BC, they will work hard to
high degree of BC from employees. Thus, managers achieve business goals or reflect the values of the enter-
must inform their employees of the importance prise through their behavior (Kazlauskaite et al.,
of employee BC and BB (Kimpakorn and 2006).
Tocquer, 2010). Because brand values can drive the behavior of
employees, De Chernatony et al. (2004) declared
that they play an important role in the experience
IB and employee’s BC
economy. Vallaster and De Chernatony (2005) sug-
Punjaisri et al. (2009) noted that IB will affect an gested that the implementation of ‘‘employees as the
employee’s attitude and behavior, and that an employ- brand ambassadors’’ (p. 182) depends not only on
ee’s brand recognition will affect his or her BC, their grasp of brand knowledge and corresponding
thereby affecting brand loyalty. Punjaisri et al. (2009) abilities but also on the full support of the enterprise.
also noted that in IB, internal communication and Only when employees internalize the enterprise’s
training should be used to educate employees on the values will they be able to achieve the enterprise’s
BC and how to pass it on, and suggested that such an goals. King and Grace (2010) stated that an enterprise
approach will significantly impact employee attitudes must, at least, transfer relevant brand information to
and behavior. If brand ideology is successfully instilled employees. On this basis, in addition to imparting
in the employees, it will influence their attitudes and brand knowledge to their employees through effective
behavior (Ind, 2003; Miles and Mangold, 2005; and systematic approaches, enterprises must also
Papasolomou and Vrontis, 2006). have employees that embrace the brand values.

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Yang et al. 5

Employees can obtain relevant brand information enterprise, there will not be a significant difference.
through formal or informal corporate channels; such Brand knowledge can promote appropriate employee
information includes knowledge of commitments to behavior in all circumstances, as well as BC (King and
the outside world (customer expectations), how to pro- Grace, 2008). Therefore, employee brand knowledge
vide brand-appropriate services, the features of the and BB are positively correlated. Brand knowledge will
products and services associated with the brand, dif- affect employee roles and work responsibilities,
ferences from competitors’ products and services, and employees that lack brand knowledge cannot
brand objectives, and the impact of employee perform- deliver BC.
ance on brand. The purpose of equipping employees In the hospitality industry, simply improving the
with this information is to improve their attitudes and employees’ ability to perform their tasks is not suffi-
their ability to convey BC. cient. Employee brand capacity and knowledge must
In the hospitality service industry, employees also be strengthened (King, 2010; Ottenbacher,
embody the brand spirit and values. Through their 2007) via so-called soft power. This can be used to
behavior, employees bring the brand experience to create ideal brand employees, and the enterprise will
customers and affect brand perception in the minds reap the benefits of their behavior. Therefore, brand
of the customers (De Chernatony and Segal-Horn, knowledge must be conveyed to internal employees,
2001). This perception can significantly affect brand and the behavior of these employees at work can then
equity (So and King, 2010). Thus, when employees be affected and guided by the brand (King and
exhibit brand-appropriate behavior in their work, the Grace, 2006). Soft power also builds employee BC
service brand can be developed into a strong brand (King and Grace, 2008). When employees under-
(Vallaster and De Chernatony, 2005). Miles and stand the core values of the brand, they will have a
Mangold (2004) stated that employee BB occurs higher level of BC and performance (Chong, 2007).
when employees internalize the brand image and Thus, we make the following assumption in this
mediate it to the customers or relevant stakeholders study:
through their behavior.
Henkel et al. (2007) argued that the internal man- Hypothesis 2: IB has a significant impact on
agement mechanism and integration of managers and employee BB.
employees will affect employee behavior toward the
brand values. Empirical research has also revealed
that the more employee behavior upholds the brand
values, the more likely it is that the enterprise will
Employee BC and BB
develop a strong brand. Aurand et al. (2005) suggested Burmann et al. (2009) stated that employee BB occurs
that, in addition to providing relevant information to when employees can create brand uniqueness and pro-
employees through education and training, the value duce the desired customer behavior. In other words,
of brand internalization is also in its ability to bring the employee BB is more than simply bringing the brand
brand spirit into the employees’ daily work, thereby spirit to work. BB also includes internal and external
enabling them to manifest that spirit during their inter- communication of the brand spirit, such as brand rec-
actions with customers. Employee BB includes plan- ommendation, and conveying the brand spirit to cus-
ning the work schedule, meeting the customers’ brand tomers. Since employees simultaneously play the roles
expectations, communication, training, supervision, of brand creator (De Chernatony and Segal-Horn,
and feedback on the results of the branding, which 2001) and marketer, in addition to providing cus-
makes it possible to verify that employees within the tomers with a unique brand experience, they also influ-
organization are bringing the brand spirit into their ence customer preference for the brand. Punjaisri et al.
work. In addition, the appointment of external person- (2008) suggested that when an employee’s customer
nel can ensure that there are enough high-quality service meets a customer’s brand expectations,
employees in the organization to maintain brand the relationship between the customer and brand will
performance. tend to be positive. Punjaisri et al. (2009) and
Harris and De Chernatony (2001) declared that Punjaisri and Wilson (2011) declared that employee
brand knowledge inspires and helps employees under- BB should include the idea of employees embedding
stand their own roles, and the correlations between the brand spirit and values into their hearts, and then
their roles and the brand, enabling them to refine conveying the BC to customers through the perform-
their performance. De Chernatony and Riley (1999) ance of their duties.
also noted that brand knowledge will motivate employ- This literature review has logically demonstrated
ees to maintain a consistent quality of service, so that that the essence of employee BC is recognition of the
even if a customer visits a different branch of the same brand spirit and participation in the establishment of

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6 Tourism and Hospitality Research 0(0)

the service brand. In this context, the employees are Contacts at the various human resources depart-
willing to devote more effort to help the corporate ments were asked to randomly select the subjects
brand reach set goals and they remain loyal to the (respondents) who would receive the questionnaire,
brand (Back and Parks, 2003; Ladhari et al., 2008; and all subjects had an equal chance of being selected.
Nam et al., 2011). In addition, numerous authors This was done in order to minimize the effect of sam-
(Burmann et al., 2009; Punjaisri and Wilson, 2011; pling error. The questionnaires were collected via mail
Tsai et al., 2010) have shown that employee BB after being completed. In this study, a total of 801
(which is reflected by how well employees convey the questionnaires were distributed, and 774 question-
brand values, goals, and mission to customers through naires were returned. Those respondents with incom-
their customer service) helps enterprises develop plete answers or invalid questionnaires were excluded
a strong brand. Thus, we make the following assump- from the study. There were 661 valid questionnaires,
tion in this study: which is 82.52% of the original sample.

Hypothesis 3: Employee BC has a mediating effect on

IB and employee BB.
Measures
The IB measure developed by Punjaisri et al. (2009)
was used in this study. There were 10 questions on the
questionnaire, including the following representative
Research methodology
items: ‘‘Training gives me appropriate skills in rela-
The purpose of this study was to understand the fac- tions to deliver the brand promise based on the
tors that affect employee BB, and to explore a theor- brand standards,’’ ‘‘I like the orientation kit and/or
etical basis for establishing the framework of this study brand manuals of my hotel brand,’’ and ‘‘Briefings
(Figure 1), derived from the work of Burmann et al. contain all essential information for me to provide ser-
(2009), De Chernatony et al. (2006), Kimpakorn and vices according to the brand expectations.’’
Tocquer (2010), Ladhari et al. (2008), Nam et al. The employee BC measure developed by Kimpakorn
(2011), and Punjaisri and Wilson (2011). and Tocquer (2010) was used in this study. There were
eight questions on the questionnaire, including the fol-
lowing: ‘‘I usually tell my friends that this is a great
Sampling hotel brand to work for,’’ ‘‘I really care about this hotel
The international tourist hotel directory of the brand,’’ and ‘‘I am willing to put in a great deal of
Tourism Bureau of Taiwan (2010) lists a total of 69 effort, beyond that normally expected, in order to
such hotels. The researchers first contacted the heads help this hotel brand be successful.’’
of the human resources departments at these hotels to The employee BB measure developed by Aurand
determine their willingness to participate. Of these, et al. (2005), which is applicable to a variety of enter-
28 were willing to receive the questionnaires. The con- prises, was used in this study. There were six questions
tacts responsible for distributing the questionnaires on the questionnaire, including the following: ‘‘I use
were informed of the methods of distribution and col- my knowledge of my company’s brand values to better
lection. The questionnaires were mailed to the con- organize my time,’’ ‘‘I am confident in my ability to
tacts at the hotels via registered mail, together with clearly explain brand values to my colleagues,’’ and
a description of how to answer the questions and a ‘‘I coach my colleagues on ways to build the brand
return envelope. values into their daily activities.’’

H1 H3
Internal Brand
Brand Behavior
Branding Commitment

H2

Figure 1. Research framework.

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Yang et al. 7

The five-point Likert scale (0: ‘‘strongly disagree’’ Table 1. Demographic information (n ¼ 661).
to 5: ‘‘strongly agree’’) was used in the questionnaire
Characteristics Frequency Percent
to assess all of the variables, and the questions were
back-translated (Brislin, 1976) from the original Gender
English into Chinese. After being tentatively put Male 240 36.3
together, the questionnaire was reviewed by three Female 421 63.7
experts and scholars in the field of hospitality to cor- Age (years old)
rect translation deviations, obscure parts of the trans- 19–25 288 43.6
lation, and the essential text, so that the respondents 26–30 172 26.0
could clearly understand and answer the questions 31–40 145 21.9
(which also confirmed content validity). 41–50 37 5.6
51–60 19 2.9
Tenure in the hotel industry (years)
Results Below 1 216 32.7
Demographic information 1–3 200 30.3
4–6 131 19.8
An analysis of the basic personal data from the col-
lected questionnaires is presented in Table 1. With 7–9 46 6.9
respect to gender, there were more females (63.7%) More than 10 68 10.3
than males (36.3%). With respect to age, the subjects Monthly Salary (1 USD ¼ NT$ 30)
were mainly 19–25 years old (43.6%), followed by Below NT$ 20,000 110 16.6
26–30 years (26.0%), 31–40 years (21.9%), 41–50 NT$ 20,000–25,000 256 38.7
years (5.6%), and 51 years or older (2.9%). With NT$ 25,001–30,000 137 20.7
regard to years of employment, the largest proportion NT$ 30,001–35,000 76 11.5
of subjects had been employed for less than one year NT$ 35,001–40,000 47 7.1
(32.7%), followed by one to three years (30.3%) and Above NT$ 40,001 35 5.3
four to six years (19.8%). Department of the current Job
Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore the Room 359 54.3
correlations between IB, employee BC, and employee Food and Beverage 241 36.4
BB. The correlation coefficient of IB and employee BC Others 61 9.3
was r ¼ 0.66 (p < 0.01). The correlation coefficient of Level of education
IB and employee BB was r ¼ 0.70 (p < 0.01). The stat- Below High School 11 1.7
istical results indicate that the constructs of employee High School 106 16.0
BC and BB were both positively correlated with IB. In
Bachelor 509 77.0
addition, the correlation coefficient of employee BC
PhD/Master 35 5.3
and BB was r ¼ 0.59 (p < 0.01). In other words, the
constructs of employee BC and BB were also positively
correlated.
Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze BB (M ¼ 3.76), followed by the 26–30 age group
the differences in IB, employee BC and BB according (M ¼ 3.63).
to age group, and the LSD method was employed for With respect to years of employment, there were no
the post hoc comparisons, to maintain consistency significant differences in IB (p ¼ 0.20). However, there
with the significance of the overall F value. There were significant differences in employee BC among
were no significant differences in IB with respect to employees with different years of employment
age (p ¼ 0.21). However, there were significant differ- (p < 0.05). The post hoc comparison showed that
ences in employee BC among the different employee employees with 10 or more years of employment had
age groups (p < 0.05). The post hoc comparison the highest employee BC (M ¼ 3.80), followed by
showed that employees who were 51 years of age or those with seven to nine years of employment
older had the highest employee BC (M ¼ 3.85), fol- (M ¼ 3.80). There were also significant differences in
lowed by the 41–50 age group (M ¼ 3.72) and the employee BB among employees with different years of
26–30 age group (M ¼ 3.60). There were also signifi- employment (p < 0.05). The post hoc comparison
cant differences in employee BB among the different showed that employees with 10 or more years of
employee age groups (p < 0.05). The post hoc com- employment were the most committed to employee
parison showed that employees who were 41–50 BB (M ¼ 3.73), followed by those with seven to nine
years of age were the most committed to employee years of employment (M ¼ 3.72).

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8 Tourism and Hospitality Research 0(0)

There were also significant differences in IB, analysis showed that IB had a significant impact on
employee BC, and BB among different categories of employee BC, with a  value of 0.66 and a nonstan-
international tourist hotels. The hotels were divided dardized regression coefficient of 0.40 (t ¼ 22.90,
into hotel chains, resort hotels, and independent p < 0.01). Finally, IB and employee BC were used as
hotels, and the analysis results indicated that there independent variables, and employee BB was used as a
were significant differences in IB among these cate- dependent variable. Between IB and employee BB, the
gories (p < 0.05). The post hoc comparison showed regression analysis yielded a  value of 0.56 and a
that employees of hotel chains were the most com- nonstandardized regression coefficient of 0.32
mitted to IB (M ¼ 3.69), followed by employees of (t ¼ 16.10, p < 0.01). Between employee BC and BB,
resort hotels (mean ¼ 3.58) and independent hotels the  value was 0.21 and the nonstandardized regres-
(M ¼ 3.52). There were also significant differences in sion coefficient was 0.11 (t ¼ 5.94, p < 0.01). These
employee BC among the different categories of inter- results all suggest significant impact.
national tourist hotels (p < 0.05). The post hoc com- Baron and Kenny (1986) found that employee BC
parison showed that employees of hotel chains had the had a partial mediating effect on IB and employee BB,
highest employee BC (M ¼ 3.62), followed by employ- and that the effect was significant (Sobel Z ¼ 5.71,
ees of resort hotels (M ¼ 3.60) and independent hotels p < 0.01). As Figure 2 shows, the effect of IB on
(M ¼ 3.46). There were no significant differences in employee BB was partially mediated by employee BC
employee BB among the different categories of inter- in the present study.
national tourist hotels (p ¼ 0.06), but employees of The term intermediate variable (mediator) refers
hotel chains were still the most committed to employee to a third variable added to explain the relationship
BB (M ¼ 3.63), followed by employees of resort hotels between the independent and dependent variables.
(M ¼ 3.56) and independent hotels (M ¼ 3.52). A complete mediating effect occurs when the rela-
tionship between the independent and dependent
variables is no longer significant after the addition
Regression analysis
of the intermediate variable. A partial mediating
Model 1: The overall model. Model 1 primarily veri- effect occurs when the relationship between the inde-
fied whether employee BC had a mediating effect on pendent and dependent variables becomes weaker or
IB and employee BB. First, IB was used as an inde- less significant after the addition of the inter-
pendent variable, and employee BB was used as mediate variable. According to the overall model,
a dependent variable. The regression analysis showed employee BC had a partial mediating effect on IB
that IB had a significant impact on employee BB, with and employee BB.
a  value of 0.70 and a nonstandardized regression
coefficient of 0.39 (t ¼ 26.03, p < 0.01). Second, IB Model 2: Employees with one or more years of
was used as an independent variable, and employee employment. Model 2 primarily verified whether
BC was used as a dependent variable. The regression employee BC had a mediating effect on IB and

0.66** Brand (0.21**)

Commitment

Internal
Brand Behavior
Branding
0.70 ** (0.56**)

Notes: Values in brackets were the standardized regression coefficients when both internal branding and
employee brand commitment were included.
*p< .05 ; ** p< .01

Figure 2. Model 1. Notes: Values in brackets were the standardized regression coefficients when both internal branding
and employee brand commitment were included. *p < .05; **p < .01.

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Yang et al. 9

employee BB among employees with one or more Model 3: Employees with less than one year of
years of employment (those with less than one year employment. Model 3 primarily verified whether
of employment were excluded). First, IB was used as employee BC had a mediating effect on IB and
an independent variable, and employee BB was used employee BB among employees with less than one
as a dependent variable. The regression analysis year of employment. First, IB was used as an inde-
showed that IB had a significant effect on employee pendent variable, and employee BB was used as
BB, with a  value of 0.72 and a nonstandardized a dependent variable. The regression analysis showed
regression coefficient of 0.40 (t ¼ 22.02, p < 0.01). that IB had a significant effect on employee BB, with a
Next, IB was used as an independent variable, and  value of 0.67 and a nonstandardized regression coef-
employee BC was used as a dependent variable. The ficient of 0.38 (t ¼ 13.76, p < 0.01). Next, IB was used
regression analysis showed that IB also had a signifi- as an independent variable, and employee BC was
cant effect on employee BC, with a  value of 0.67 and used as a dependent variable. The regression analysis
a nonstandardized regression coefficient of 0.39 showed that IB had a significant effect on employee
(t ¼ 19.06, p < 0.01). Finally, IB and employee BC BC, with a  value of 0.64 and a nonstandardized
were used as independent variables, and employee regression coefficient of 0.42 (t ¼ 12.68, p < 0.01).
BB was used as a dependent variable. Between IB Finally, IB and employee BC were used as independ-
and employee BB, the regression analysis yielded a ent variables, and employee BB was used as a depend-
 value of 0.54 and a nonstandardized regression coef- ent variable. The regression analysis showed that IB
ficient of 0.30 (t ¼ 12.92, p < 0.01). Between employee had a significant effect on employee BB, with a 
BC and employee BB, the  value was 0.25 and value of 0.59 and a nonstandardized regression coeffi-
the nonstandardized regression coefficient was 0.15 cient of 0.33 (t ¼ 9.39, p < 0.01).
(t ¼ 6.10, p < 0.01). The differences were all Employee BC did not have a significant effect on
significant. employee BB, with a  value of 0.12 and a nonstan-
Baron and Kenny (1986) found that employee BC dardized regression coefficient of 0.06 (t ¼ 1.90,
had a partial mediating effect on IB and employee BB, p ¼ 0.06). The mediating effect test did not produce
and the effect was significant (Sobel Z ¼ 5.80, significant results (Sobel Z ¼ 1.91, p ¼ 0.06).
p < 0.01). As Figure 3 shows, the effect of IB on As Figure 4 shows, employee BC had no mediating
employee BB was partially mediated by employee effect on IB or employee BB. In other words, the effect
BC. Thus, according to the model for of IB on employee BB was not mediated by employee
employees with one or more years of employment, BC. Thus, according to the model for employees with
employee BC had a partial mediating effect on IB less than one year of employment, employee BC had no
and employee BB. mediating effect on IB and employee BB.

0.67** Brand (0.25**)

Commitment

Internal
Brand Behavior
Branding
0.72 ** (0.54**)

Notes: Values in brackets were the standardized regression coefficients when both internal branding and
employee brand commitment were included.
*p< .05 ; ** p< .01

Figure 3. Model 2. Notes: Values in brackets were the standardized regression coefficients when both internal branding
and employee brand commitment were included. *p < .05; **p < .01.

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10 Tourism and Hospitality Research 0(0)

0.64** Brand (0.12)

Commitment

Internal
Brand Behavior
Branding
0.67 ** (0.59**)

Notes: Values in brackets were the standardized regression coefficients when both internal branding and
employee brand commitment were included.
*p< .05 ; ** p< .01

Figure 4. Model 3. Notes: Values in brackets were the standardized regression coefficients when both internal branding
and employee brand commitment were included. *p < .05; **p < .01.

results of previous studies, such as those of Punjaisri

Discussion et al. (2008) and Punjaisri and Wilson (2011). This
This section begins with a discussion of the effects of suggests that older employees with a lower level of
the demographic variables/profiles of the respondents education and longer period of employment are
on IB, employee BC and employee BB, and plausible more committed to employee BC and employee BB.
explanations for these effects are offered. The Conversely, younger employees with a higher educa-
hypothesized relationship is examined in the latter tional level and a shorter duration of employment are
subsection. less committed to employee BC and employee BB.
When international tourist hotel category (hotel
Implementation of IB in international chain, independent hotel, or resort hotel) was used
as a variable, the ANOVA results showed that the
tourist hotels level of IB in hotel chains was higher than that of inde-
Various theoretical considerations concerning age pendent hotels, which is consistent with the findings of
groups were combined with expectations from the Dortok (2006) and Kimpakorn and Tocquer (2010).
literature concerning tenure in present hotel and dif- Enterprises with good reputations were more effective
ferent categories of international tourist hotels in at internal communication, i.e. IB implementation was
Taiwan to perceive IB practices, employee BC and BB. more significant. Moreover, the advantages of hotel
When age was used as a variable, the ANOVA chains were their good operation and management.
results showed that there were no significant differ- Hotel chains were superior to other types of hotels in
ences in IB between different employee age groups, terms of productivity, technology, and efficiency.
but there were significant differences in employee BC Accordingly, the analysis results showed that IB imple-
and employee BB. Employees 51 years of age or older mentation was better in hotel chains.
had the highest level of employee BC, followed by the
41–50 age group, suggesting that the older the
Impact of IB on employee BC and BB
employee, the more significant the employee BC and
employee BB. The relevant analysis results showed that IB, employee
When years of employment was used as a variable, BC, and employee BB were positively correlated,
the results showed that there were no significant dif- which is consistent with the findings of previous stu-
ferences in IB, but there were significant differences in dies (Mangold and Miles, 2007; Punjaisri et al., 2009).
employee BC and employee BB. Employees with 10 or The regression analysis showed that IB had a sig-
more years of employment had the highest level of nificant impact on employee BC and employee BB. IB
employee BC, followed by those with seven to nine improved employee brand recognition, loyalty, and
years of employment. Although there were no signifi- commitment. Moreover, IB training provided the rele-
cant differences in IB, the results indicated that add- vant brand service skills to employees to enhance the
itional years of employment were associated with brand values they conveyed to customers. These
a higher average value, which is consistent with the results are similar to those of Aurand et al. (2005),

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Yang et al. 11

Conclusion and implications

Burmann et al. (2009), Kimpakorn and Tocquer
(2009), and King (2010). That is, the more effective Although IB has been the subject of many papers/
the IB implementation, the more it enhances employee articles, particularly in the service marketing discip-
BC, and the more positive the brand-appropriate line, it still is rarely investigated in the hospitality
behavior arising from IB procedures such as preem- context. This study reinforces the findings of the
ployment training, corporate meetings, and daily extant literature (e.g. Aurand et al., 2005; Burmann
work reports (which strengthen the mission and com- et al., 2009; Kimpakorn and Tocquer, 2009; King,
mitment of employees to the brand). BC motivates 2010; Mangold and Miles, 2007; to name a few)
employees to dedicate themselves to the success of that the more effective the IB implementation, the
the brand and to use service skills acquired through more it enhances employee BC, and the more positive
brand training to bring the brand experience to will be the brand-appropriate behavior arising from IB
customers. procedures. This research also clarifies Punjaisri’s
Employee BC had a partial mediating effect on IB et al. (2008) proposition that IB also integrated
and employee BB in both the overall model and the employee brand recognition, which inspired employ-
model for employees with one or more years of ees to think of themselves as part of the brand, care
employment, which is in keeping with the results of about the brand and, thus, put more effort into accom-
King and Grace (2010) and Mangold and Miles plishing the goals of the brand.
(2007). The reason the mediating effect was partial Two major conclusions can be drawn from this
rather than complete was that IB included internal study with regard to the influence of IB practices in
communication and human resource training, as the Taiwanese hotel industry. First, managers should
Punjaisri et al. (2008) have suggested, instead of strengthen brand training and orientation programs,
merely providing staff training and a curriculum for and formal and informal internal communication
adjusting employee BB. IB also integrated employee channels, and then use these media/platforms to
brand recognition, which inspired employees to think motivate and assist employees toward the highest rec-
of themselves as part of the brand, care about the ognition of, and commitment and loyalty to, the brand
brand and, thus, put more effort into accomplishing through spontaneous interactions and social encoun-
the goals of the brand. In other words, IB could have a ters in the workplace. Second, the relationship
significant impact on employee BB through employee between IB and employee BB might be better
BC. IB changes employees’ brand perception, reshap- mediated by employee BC, which is often affected by
ing their ideas and, eventually, their behavior. demographic characteristics (i.e. age group, seniority,
In the model for employees with less than one year educational level, and type of hotel). These concluding
of employment, although IB had a significant effect on remarks could provide new insights for hospitality
employee BC and BB, employee BC had no mediating management.
effect on IB and employee BB. In other words, the
effect of IB on employee BB was not mediated by
Implications for hospitality management
employee BC. This finding is in accordance with
what is suggested by the brand-feature model of De The results of this empirical study imply that, from the
Chernatony and Cottam (2006) with regard to the perspective of operational management, hoteliers
employee–brand relationship. Even though the enter- (managers) need to reinforce brand values among
prise had clear brand positioning and a clear code of younger employees with a higher level of education.
operational specifications, when these employees were IB should be added to corporate training, to
in the stage of building the brand, they had worked strengthen cooperation between brand positioning,
with it for less than one year. Although IB had influ- long-term education, and resources.
enced employee BC, at this stage, the employees still The higher the education level of employees, the
did not quite understand the essence of the brand or less likely they are to feel stuck in a job, as they tend
the meaning of the code of operational specifications. to be confident of their own abilities, and are less likely
Thus, it was not possible to influence employee BB to worry about finding another position if they find
through employee BC. When a subsequent stage of themselves unemployed. Accordingly, enterprises
brand understanding was reached (i.e. after working should design a different brand of internal marketing
with the brand for a longer period of time), the to educate their staff. Studies have shown that younger
employees began to develop a deeper understanding employees with a higher level of education and a
of the brand, and gradually came to understand the shorter duration of employment are less responsive
meaning and functions of the operational specifica- to branding. This necessitates a different method of
tions. By this time, the effect of IB on employee BB brand education that specifically targets these
could be gradually mediated by employee BC. employees, such as long-term training or delegating

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12 Tourism and Hospitality Research 0(0)

challenging tasks, and a different reward-feedback reports to provide employees with brand information,
system should be used to assess and supervise them. and whether employees have understood this informa-
This study has shown that IB can affect both tion. Therefore, it was recommended that, in addition
employee BC and employee BB. Thus, managers to long-term efforts to inform employees of brand
could shape employee attitudes and behavior through values, various internal departments should coordinate
IB. Moreover, employee brand recognition reduces initiatives to achieve the desired results. As Foster et al.
staff turnover. It is therefore recommended that IB (2010) suggested, the successful implementation of IB
be added to corporate education and training. With could not only effectively improve employee and cus-
regard to internal communication, prework reports, tomer satisfaction but also attract potential customers
group meetings, message boards, and internal maga- and employees. Thus, enterprises should strive to
zines could be used to provide the staff with relevant implement IB to attract employees who are
brand information. With regard to human resource more in line with the company spirit. This strategy
training, in addition to basic service skills, training could reduce the risks involved in recruiting new
must be provided in special services associated with employees, since only the right people would be
the brand, to enhance the employees’ service recruited.
performance.
Hotel managers should inform employees of the
Limitations and further studies
brand image expected by customers and how to
convey the brand vision and values through their behav- In this study, a questionnaire was used to
ior. In the hospitality industry, enterprises often tell explore employee BB in international tourist hotels.
employees that good service is the key to success, and We strove for a rigorous research design, framework,
hope that employees are able to deliver it. However, and process, but there were some unavoidable issues,
good service cannot be achieved through instruction and this study was not perfect. For example, the ques-
alone. Furthermore, even if employees provide good tionnaire was cross-sectional, and the course of the
service, lack of ‘‘soul’’ (brand spirit) is still a possibility. study had time limitations. Thus, a longitudinal ana-
Therefore, it is recommended that enterprise managers lysis could not be conducted, because attitude may
explain to their employees why their brand is good, how lead to errors resulting from differences in mood or
it differs from its competitors, how to inform the cus- the situation at a particular time. The tools used to
tomer of these qualities, and why their brand is doing measure the variables in this study (IB, employee
that. So and King (2010) declared that different brand BC, and employee BB) were referenced and adapted
spirits convey different service experiences to cus- from foreign literature, including the work of Aurand
tomers. In this study, it was observed that enterprises et al. (2005) and Punjaisri et al. (2009). Taking into
focus on carrying out their own brand motto because it account the intent, and cultural differences between
is the essence of the brand. In addition, the purpose of questionnaires in different languages, the question-
the brand motto is to provide internal staff and external naire used in this study was translated and reviewed
marketing partners with a clear understanding of the by experts, but there still may have been some slight
most important facts when presenting the brand to con- deviations.
sumers. For example, McDonald’s mission is to be the In future studies, it is expected that the scope of this
best fast-food restaurant. Consequently, in addition to research will be extended, including, for example, the
good customer service, there is also a time constraint for brand leadership behavior and degree of support of
providing the service. At the same time, the brand management personnel at the grassroots, middle,
motto is also the basis of the brand. Thus, enterprises and top levels of an enterprise. Vallaster and
should clearly understand their own positioning and De Chernatony (2005) stated that leaders play an
policy. intermediary and passing role in brand management
The results of this study have shown that employees and can influence employee BB. King and Grace
with less than one year of employment did not quite (2006) argued that whether an enterprise supports
understand the essence of the brand or the meaning of IB in all circumstances will influence the effectiveness
the operational specifications. Thus, it was not pos- of brand management. Researchers could also study
sible to influence their BB through BC. Moreover, the customer level to understand whether the effect
Gapp and Merrilees (2006) argued that during the of IB on employee BB and performance was under-
implementation of IB, enterprises also need to pay stood and felt by customers. Hence, future studies
attention to coordination of resources, internal com- should include brand leadership, enterprise systems,
munication, and whether brand information has been or customers to expand the scope of research on IB.
instilled in the employees. Enterprises may face imple- Due to time constraints, we carried out a cross-sec-
mentation difficulties, such as how to use daily work tional study, and attitude may have led to errors

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Yang et al. 13

resulting from differences in mood or the situation at a de Chernatony L and Riley FD (1999) Experts’ view about defining
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Hospitality and Tourism Research 31: 431–454. at National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and
Papasolomou I and Vrontis D (2006) Building corporate branding Tourism, Taiwan R.O.C. Before Jen-Te moved to the
through internal marketing: The case of the UK retail bank
academic career in 2002, he had extensive working
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Punjaisri K, Evanschitzky H and Wilson A (2009) Internal branding experience in divisions of food and beverage, room
to influence employees’ brand promise delivery: A case study in and marketing and sales in four international five-
Thailand. Journal of Service Management 20: 209–226. star hotels in Australia and Taiwan. Currently, his
Punjaisri K and Wilson A (2007) The role of internal branding in research foci are blue ocean strategy, career planning
the delivery of employee brand promise. Journal of Brand and development, managerial psychology, organiza-
Management 15: 57–70.
Punjaisri K and Wilson A (2011) Internal branding process: Key tional socialization, and organizational support.
mechanisms, outcomes and moderating factors. European
Journal of Marketing 48: 1521–1537. Chin-Sheng Wan is a full professor of Hospitality
Punjaisri K, Wilson A and Evanschitzky H (2008) Exploring the Management at Taiwan Shoufu University.
influences of internal branding on employees’ for strengthening Currently, his research foci are cooperative education,
customer-brand relationships. Journal of Relationship Marketing
7: 407–424.
consumer behaviour, marketing promotion and
Roh EY and Choi K (2010) Efficiency comparison of multiple hospitality.
brands within the same franchise: Data envelopment analysis
approach. International Journal of Hospitality Management 29: Chi-Wei Wu is a Master student of Graduate Institute
92–98. of Hospitality Management at National Kaohsiung
Samli A and Frohlich C (1992) Service: The competitive edge in
bank. Journal of Service Marketing 6: 15–22. University of Hospitality and Tourism, Taiwan
So KKF and King C (2010) ‘‘What experience matters’’: Building R.O.C. His research foci are hospitality management
and measuring hotel brand equity the customers’ perspective. and marketing.

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