Exploring the role of employees in the delivery of the brand: a case study approach

Purpose - Employees are now viewed as playing a crucial role in brand management as they facilitate the interface between the organization and the market. This study, therefore, seeks to examine the role of employees in the delivery of the brand and, in doing so, further one's understanding of an area that, to date, has received little empirical attention from an operational management perspective. Design/methodology/approach - This study demonstrated the use of a qualitative methodological approach to inductively and holistically understand the operational management perspective in a context-specific situation. A case study approach was adopted and data were gathered via semi-structured interviews with managers of a customer-focused organization. Findings - Several themes were identified from the interviews, namely, control, foundation, internal marketing (IM), management role, direction, employee satisfaction, enhancers and element of control. As such, these themes provide the foundation for the discussion and implications of this study. Research limitations/implications - With respect to employing a case study methodology, the inherent limitations that are generally associated with this method include insufficient precision (i.e. quantifiable), objectivity and rigor. As such, the development of a case study database and the formalisation of the interview process increased the likelihood of trustworthiness and credibility in the results. Practical implications - The themes identified in both the extant literature and this study, for example, IM, evidence the need for methods, in addition to systems and procedures, to be employed so as to ensure that employees are successful in delivering a service that is consistent with the organization's communicated brand values. Further to this, employees, being aware of the organization's brand and how to deliver the brand promise, are believed to create direction and influence employee behaviour. In doing so, employee role ambiguity and conflict are decreased. Originality/value - The value of this paper lies in the presentation of empirical evidence and evaluation of employees' roles in delivering the brand promise. Moreover, the emergence of global brands across all industries ensures that the insightsof this study, afforded by the application of a qualitative methodology, have relevance both internationally and across industries.