Explorations of employee-based brand equity in the banking industry from a perceived-leadership perspective

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to answer the question of how brand-specific transformational leadership (TFL) and transactional leadership (TRL) enhance employee-based brand equity (EBBE) by influencing employees’ perceived brand value congruence (EPBVC).

Design/methodology/approach

This study employed hierarchical linear modeling and chose moderating variables that are primarily related to the working environment: person–job fit (PJF) and person–group fit (PGF). The sample included managers and employees of the largest domestic bank in Taiwan.

Findings

Questionnaires were distributed to banking staff in the service industry. The results imply that both brand-specific TFL and brand-specific TRL require the mediation of PJF and PGF to influence EBBE, which then influences brand equity. Without these mediators, brand-specific TFL and brand-specific TRL have no effects on EBBE.

Originality/value

Compared to the results from other studies, these results imply a unique discovery that both brand-specific TFL and brand-specific TRL require the mediation of PJF and PGF to influence EPBVC, which in turn influences EBBE. Without these mediators, brand-specific TFL and brand-specific TRL do not have any effects.

Citation

Lee, Y.-H., Hsiao, C., Chan, H.-Y. and Lee, I.-C. (2020), "Explorations of employee-based brand equity in the banking industry from a perceived-leadership perspective", International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol. 38 No. 2, pp. 425-455. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJBM-05-2019-0166