ABSTRACT

Like other businesses, universities spend to build their brands, but rarely measure the sources and benefits of brand equity, especially employee-based brand equity (EBBE). We borrowed from an EBBE model, the Associative Memory Network Theory, social information processing, and exchange theories to examine the impact of brand-related information generated and disseminated to employees in a private African university on role clarity, brand knowledge, brand commitment, and four EBBE benefits. Cross-sectional data was collected from 588 lecturers, administrators, and technical staff. Structural equation modeling results revealed that brand information generated and disseminated impacted role clarity, brand knowledge, and commitment. Brand commitment impacted three EBBE benefits: brand citizenship behavior, employee intention to stay in organization and spread positive word-of-mouth. Role clarity and brand knowledge were significant mediators. Thus, for sustainability, university managers should communicate explicitly through frequent verbal brand communications and orientation, and implicitly through behaviors that reflect brand prestige.

摘要

与其他企业一样，大学花钱打造自己的品牌，但很少衡量品牌资产的来源和收益，尤其是基于员工的品牌资产（EBBE）。我们借鉴 EBBE 模型、联想记忆网络理论、社会信息处理和交换理论，研究了非洲私立大学生成并向员工传播的品牌相关信息对角色清晰度、品牌知识、品牌承诺和四项 EBBE 优势的影响。横截面数据收集自 588 名讲师、管理人员和技术人员。结构方程建模结果显示，品牌信息的生成和传播会影响角色清晰度、品牌知识和承诺。品牌承诺影响了 EBBE 的三个好处：品牌公民行为、员工留在组织中的意愿并传播积极的口碑。角色清晰度和品牌知识是重要的中介因素。因此，为了可持续发展，大学管理者应该通过频繁的口头品牌沟通和定位进行明确的沟通，并通过反映品牌声望的行为进行隐式沟通。