Literature Review on HRM Role in Corporate Branding and Image Building
The survival of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in business environment require knowledge by human resource roles as well as the discovery branding and imaging means ideal for success in the business (Liu, 1998) as the mastering of knowledge is culmination of continuous process of branding influence thus, requiring human resource development (Meister, 1998; Twomey et al. 1999). The challenge to master HR roles is greater for small and medium sized enterprises being brand and image oriented from widespread of HR assumptions from the fact that SMEs are aware of sales and profits then, branding and image make up should not be left behind in order to improve HRM basis and competence in operations (Julien, 2001). Human resource management roles help identify, develop and execute branding and appropriate images so as to create effective relationships among key players not just in the human resource area but the rest of the organization.
The developing of strategies based on branding and image domains, from carrying implications for successful SME possibilities, improving HR based roles, presenting image and reputation challenge facing HR issues. HR roles then, enhance new product development capabilities and improve performance through brand imaging applications and structures. Human resource roles process effective branding implementation of image change, align HR managers to work with proper means and objectives. Managing brands and building image effectiveness are central to SME positioning, including strategic based markets and services. In addition, human resource roles performed by HR managers are vital to branding and image performance, achieve process integration of the branding and image systems (Meister, 1998; Twomey et al. 1999). HR roles are effective when brand imaging issues become important and being replaced by innovative encounter of HR practices, the roles then play critical role in determining image capacity of SMEs in Ghana, and branding values to manage changes if needed.
SMEs adopt branding and image tactics, recognize the need for HRM balance between branding and image building from within situations, changing work relations and empower other employees on a higher note, make image oriented decisions for signifying HRM success and flexible SME operations. There define HR roles and behaviors required, develop brand and image capabilities in strategic continuum, enable HR staff to manage work with pride and satisfaction. SMEs will intend to obtain noticeable branding and image that work well with time. Matlay (2002) observes that managers continued to be heavily involved in HR roles despite increasing levels of complexity and formality found. HR to perceived brand and image needs. Branding and image creation for SMEs seem to be better in effort and resources through careful branding means, Ghana SMEs can look at HRM future in systematic way, effective imaging and brand structure (Hegarty and Hoffman 1998; Gibb and Scott 1999; Chittipeddi and Wallett 1998). Fogel (2001) noised that SMEs express strong need for HR effectiveness and success in brand imaging programs indicating research and analysis desirable for the known sector to grow in decorum.
Branding products and services have played longstanding, significant role in the marketing strategy of SMEs however, it is the branding of companies or ‘branded house’ strategy that has become progressively valuable, in industries such as financial services, computing and other business forms as well as consumer goods and services, for HR team, the concern for image as image as an idea is difficult to pin down and has ceded ground to corporate reputation as a more useful concept. Thus, branding reputation is the mirror of image denoting in several feedbacks from others HR staff concerning image credibility of SMEs operating well within their brands and HR routes (Hegarty and Hoffman 1998; Gibb and Scott 1999; Chittipeddi and Wallett 1998). There is a need to better appreciate the management approach for corporate branding as this needs managing differently from line branding. One of the key differences between line and corporate branding is that the latter requires greater focus within the organization.
The size and composition of brand management teams are changing, requiring greater co-ordination of activities. One of the implications of this is that corporate marketing necessitates not only brand planning perspective which addresses the matching of external opportunities with core competencies, but also considers the integration of internal activities to ensure cohesion and therefore consistency in delivery. While image focuses on consumer perceptions of brand differentiation, identity is more concerned with how managers and employees make a brand unique. HR managers need to define brand’s values and then ensure employees’ values and behaviors are consistent with them, with the recognition of corporate branding, and critical role staff play, they need to be included in the internal debate about defining brand’s values. While HR roles still be required, staff should be encouraged to contribute to discussions, HR managers need to examine their brand’s reputation among stakeholders to ensure the brand’s identity is communicated successfully and valued outcomes are consistently delivered.
Aside, de Chernatony’s (1999) conceptualizes brand building as the process of narrowing the gap between brand identity and brand reputation. Employees play crucial role in the brand building process and HR managers can lever their brand potential by striving to achieve greater congruence among members of the brand team and between the team and other employees. SMEs will need to consider carefully the appointment of new members to the brand team, taking into account the team’s composition and whether new and existing members will be able to work together, creation of coherent brand and consider initiating HR based programs to communicate branding and image for the rest of the employees. Corporate branding involves multiple stakeholders interacting with numerous HR staff across many departments in certain organization (Mitchell, 1997).
Effective corporate branding requires consistent messages about brand’s identity and uniform delivery across all stakeholder groups to create favorable brand reputation. Internal consistency and congruency are vital to the successful external communication of corporate identity (Abratt, 1989). It is therefore important that HR managers identify mechanisms for surfacing diverse perceptions to resolve inconsistencies. HR functions should work with employees to ensure that perceptions align with the intended branding and imaging, employees should be encouraged to provide feedback about how they believe consumers perceive the brand. SMEs need to understand the factors that can affect the congruency of perceptions upon the need to identify potential problems and put in place appropriate HR mechanisms (Keller, 2000).
The ability of HR to listen to culture puts them in better position to communicate without imitations being intangible for the SMEs to provide HRM foundation for such distinct and credible corporate image (Barney, 1986), as some SME organizations try to manage corporate images through mix of corporate advertising, corporate storytelling, customer relations management and other marketing communication and HR techniques (Schultz et al., 2001). Corporate brands need to be managed in relation to the interplay of HR roles, vision and image, require effective dialogue among HR management, HR staff and members of organizational culture. Effective HRM roles will bring SMEs into the branding process within competitive image realization. Waldman (2006. p. 533) indicated that, “firms must have visionary leaders who are able to "connect the dots" and understand how various stakeholders, and the satisfaction of their needs, represent interrelated challenges. For example, the management of human resource roles is related to brand satisfaction, essential for SMEs to understand and deal with image rooted connection, the importance of brand satisfaction will imply that HR executives can act socially responsible without using too much funds on branding and image realization. HR role determine strategy in branding values upon mapping business impact and leadership effects within the realm of certain economic as well as environment emergence as imposed HR executives from within image outcomes into patterns (Master and Heresniak, 2002).
HR role for SME responsibility, CSR ways maximizing change and behavior modification, brad and image are engaged into the CSR from within strategic choice, also there astounds some ability to charge premium price for particular business product as well as selecting qualified workers does assume potentials for CSR, to be part of organization domains (Kok et al., 2001). Brand and image values emphasizes that HR managers utilize change as one channel to keep good and wise decisions, as the presence of better decision making are critical for having insights into HRM based functions (Pant and Lachman, 1998; Agle et al., 1999), upon articulating the need to determine how SMEs in Ghana will perceive effective leader choices in order to push through with ample HR roles and the underlying approaches for example, brand and image effective synergy.
Thus, noting that HRM based choices are to vary in exact CSR ways adopted by the organization from within business paradigms and organization characteristics, like the ones related to various change drivers upon branding perspectives, precisely assume ideal human resource conditions to fit into branding values and image make up (Waldman et al., 2006). Shamir et al. (1993), there proposes better leadership vision and change management into the integrity of the organization leader upon enhancing good points of social responsibility values of the team and the top executives for example, those that pertains to the stakeholder concepts as well as social contracts. The alignment processes whereby the effect of the CSR values serves to organize experience and guide actions, including change pathways and decision making for ideal leadership system as those linked into the CEOs of the organization, CSR values allowing immediate change as typical scenario known by the team and its top management.
HR roles require leaders’ deeper awareness of their own behavior and its consequences and processes where personal leadership capabilities and organizational practices towards responsible behavior can be developed. The essence of branding image responsibility is based on values. It is revealed and measured in everyday behavior of individual leaders. These everyday actions can critically affect organization’s image as socially responsible company as HR skills are grounded on personal experiences and to earn image trust and respect. HR strategy being utilized has not been updated and it does not follow certain guidelines and regulatory patterns deemed possible for the welfare of the staff, confine view of HR system manifesting effective brand power and image success. Some HR managers know that people make the critical difference between success and failure of brand and image, as there can be effectiveness with which SMEs manage, develop, motivate brands into willingness from contribution of those working with an image being key determinant of how well they perform based on leadership styles they comply in their work, as there maybe little research demonstrating causal link between leadership and job performance of managers and several literature describes particular leadership aspects, practices and styles which are claimed to lead to a much motivated as well as productive HR roles and have the elements of leadership effectiveness and measuring contribution these HR managers make to incur positive job performance (Anderson, 1997; Guest, 1997).
Therefore, research literature has been dominated by questions as to whether HRM practices make ideal difference to HR managers rely on job performance. There is now a considerable body of work proposing that high quality leadership management can provide firms with a source of competitive advantage that it is difficult for competitors to imitate. It is the management of human capital, rather than physical capital that is seen as the most important determinant of company performance, some studies have demonstrated relationship between leadership impact, HRM as well as performance (Huselid, 1995; MacDuffie, 1995). SMEs in Ghana can make full use of skilled and motivated workforce by promoting brand and image designs which provide HRM enriched practices for employers as well as employees being responsibility for brand and image activities for the overall encounter of HRM in working well with products, services and the rest of the SME management team.
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