EMPLOYEES AS A SECOND AUDIENCE: THE EFFECT OF EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION ON INTERNAL BRAND MANAGEMENT ON THE COMMERCIAL BANKS

Muddassar SARFRAZ, Muhammad Ibrahim ABDULLAH, Ammara IFTIKHAR, Larisa IVASCU, Mihai ARDELEAN

Abstract


External communication not only affects customers who are considered an external target group but also affects the employees as an internal target group. The effects of communications transmitted through external sources related to employees in managing the internal brand consequences remain limited in research of internal brand management. Accordingly, this study proposed to seek out the effects of external communication on internal brand management outcomes such as employees' brand knowledge, brand commitment, and brand citizenship behavior. The empirical study collected data from the 316 employees of commercial banks across Pakistan. The study indicates how organizations can address the stakeholders internally and externally and how it can increase the effectiveness and efficiency of external communication. Managers are the ones who can represent the promises of the brand effectively, which are communicated through external sources, make sure that the organization’s actual values are aligned with the values which are being portrayed by the external communications.

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