RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMPLOYER BRANDING STRATEGY AND EMPLOYEES

ATTRACTION IN MOBILE SERVICE PROVIDERS IN NAIROBI COUNTY

MUTHUSI Florence 1, OGOLLA Douglas

2 , KITUKU, Gladys K

3

1, 2, 3 Kenya Methodist University

Abstract: Companies today are forced to function in a world full of change and under various

complications, and it is more important than ever to have the correct employees at the correct job with

the right qualifications, experience and attitude in order to survive the surrounding competition. The

successful and prosperous future of an organization is dependent on its skilled, knowledgeable and

well experienced workforce. Several organizations lack employer brand which has been a detriment to

attraction of valuable employees. Hence, the main objective of this study was to establish the

influence of employer branding strategies and employees‟ attraction in mobile service providers in

Nairobi County specifically in Safaricom Limited, Airtel Kenya Limited and Telcom/Orange Kenya.

The study was guided by these specific objectives: To determine the influence of corporate culture,

corporate image, employee value proposition and corporate communication on employee attraction in .

Mobile service providers in Nairobi The study reviewed the theoretical foundation focusing on the

Resource based view theory, Instrumental-Symbolic framework and Psychological contract theory as

well as the empirical review of the relevant literature which provides better understanding of the

concepts and their relationships. Descriptive design was used in the study because it ensures complete

description of the situation, making sure that there is minimum bias in the collection of data. The study

targeted a population 369 middle level and lower level managers of Safaricom Limited, Airtel Kenya

Limited and Telcom/Orange Kenya. A sample size of one hundred and eighty eight respondents was

obtained using Cochran‟s formula. Questionnaires was used for collecting data containing mainly

closed ended questions to the sample respondents thus ensuring that each respondent received the same

set of questions in exactly the same way. The data collected was then checked for errors, coded and

then analyzed using SPSS V22. The study concluded that, the management of the mobile service

providers in Nairobi County need to consider all the variables considered in this study in order to

improve on employee retention and consequently this will improve their performance and growth. The

researcher recommends that future research should be directed towards validating the results of this

study by conducting a similar research in other sectors in Kenya by collecting data from different

sources. Further research should also be conducted to investigate the other factors that affect Employee

Attraction like reputation among others.

Keyword: Employee attraction, Brand, Productivity, Corporate Culture ,Corporate Image , Corporate

Communication and Employer Value Preposition.

Introduction

The question of employee attraction has always attracted widespread experiential scrutiny (Mafini&

Pooe, 2013).In an era where skills and knowledge of employees are amongst the main competitive

enablers, organizations cannot ignore the significance of attracting and retaining talented people

(Hallen, 2007; Minchington, 2010; Mohaptra, 2005; Prinsloo, 2008). In much the same way that

International Journal of Business Management & Finance 1(24): 412-430, 2017

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organizational brands communicate the benefits of using a product or service to potential consumers,

employer brands communicate the benefits of employment to potential employees (Ambler & Barrow,

2013). To generalize these concepts to the attraction and recruitment context, the value of an

organization‟s brand as an employer reflects potential employees „beliefs that their employment needs

will be met by the employer. Just as consumers depend on brands to differentiate between products,

employer branding is used by potential employees to differentiate between employers and assist their

decision making (Collins &Stevens, 2012). Employers who have „high employer brand value‟ are

perceived by potential employees as more attractive than those with lower employer brand value

(Berthon et al., 2013). Brands and human capital constitute some of the firm‟s most important assets

(Aaker, 2009; Backhaus & Tikoo, 2011), and that the development of these intangible assets is an

important task for human-resource managers (Sutherland, Torricelli, & Karg, 2012).

The human capital involved in the design and offering of products in general, and the delivery of

services in particular, influences perceptions of the firm‟s consumer brand in the market (Papasolomou

& Doukakis, 2008). Simultaneously, the firm‟s consumer and employer brands affect how existing and

potential employees perceive the firm. A potential employee‟s appraisal of an employer brand is

prompted by factors including their awareness and perceptions of the employer brand which may be

developed through word of mouth, personal experience and marketing strategies. Branding is the

process of developing an intended brand identity (Kotler & Lee, 2008) Branding is often used to

differentiate products and companies in order to build economic value for both the consumer and the

company. It is concerned with the attraction, engagement and retention initiatives targeted at

enhancing a company‟s employer brand. Employer branding is a relatively new approach toward

recruiting and retaining the best possible human talent within a recruiting environment that is

becoming increasingly competitive. The term is often used to describe how organizations market their

offerings to potential and existing employees, communicate with them and maintain their loyalty

“promoting both within and outside the firm, a clear view of what makes a firm different and desirable

as an employer” (Backaus & Tikoo, 2008).

Employer branding has the potential to be a valuable concept for both managers and scholars.

Managers can use employer branding as a shade under which they can channel different employee

recruitment and retention activities into a coordinated human resource strategy. Accordingly,

employers can control brand power to engage their employees in emotional ways to achieve change,

outstanding results or increase attraction and retention. According to Dell and Ainspan (2010),

organizations have found that effective employer branding leads to competitive advantage which helps

employees internalize company values and assists in employee retention.

Employer brand (also known as talent branding) is the term commonly used to describe an

organization's reputation as an employer, and its value proposition to its employees, as opposed to its

more general corporate brand reputation and value proposition to customers. The term was first used in

the early 1990s, and has since become widely adopted by the global management community.

Minchington describes your employer brand as "the image of your organization as a „great place to

work‟ in the mind of current employees and key stakeholders in the external market (active and passive

candidates, clients, customers and other key stakeholders). The art and science of employer branding is

therefore concerned with the attraction, engagement and retention initiatives targeted at enhancing your

company‟s employer brand.

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Just as a customer brand proposition is used to define a product or service offer, an Employee value

proposition or EVP is used to define an organisation's employment offer. Likewise the marketing

disciplines associated with branding and brand management have been increasingly applied by

the human resources and talent management community to attract, engage and retain talented

candidates and employees, in the same way that marketing applies such tools to attracting and retaining

clients, customers and consumers. Employer branding is a synthesis of marketing principles and

recruitment practices and is based on the concept that, just as customers have perceptions of an

organization‟s brand, so do other stakeholders including employees. In the same way that potential

customers form preferences for one product brand over others, potential employees also evaluate the

attributes of competing jobs and employers. As traditional advertising communicates characteristics of

a product to consumers, employer branding suggests that marketing concepts can be applied to

recruitment in which jobs are regarded as products and current or potential employees as customers or

potential customers (Fyock, 2013).

Stakeholders like employees, customers and investors are part of inadvertent and planned branding

which encompasses the use of symbolism, behaviors and communication activities (Einwiller & Will,

2012). Projecting the brand to these stakeholders must match the experience of working in, or being a

customer of or an investor in the enterprise. The corporate brand constitutes a promise provided by the

organization to its stakeholders; it needs to permeate all of the companies‟ behaviors and actions

(Tilley, 1999; Backhaus & Tikoo, 2004). Ambler and Barrow stressed that the main role of the

employer brand was „to provide a coherent framework for management to simplify and focus

priorities, increase productivity and improve recruitment, retention and commitment‟ (Barrow &

Mosley, 2006), bringing together the marketing and HR functions of an organization. The „fit‟ between

current employees and the brand image of a company has been particularly applied to the service

industry where front-line customer service staff enact the value proposition of the firm and we will

deal with this below in relation to employee branding.

Notwithstanding the critique of front-line service staff identity work from post-structuralism

perspectives (Du Gay, 2012), we acknowledge but do not adopt this critical management studies

perspective. The purpose of branding is essentially to build the product‟s image (Cleary, 2011). This

image will influence the perceived worth of the product and will increase the brand‟s value to the

customer, leading to brand loyalty (Economist, 2008). An employer brand can be used to help

organizations compete effectively in the labor market and drive employee loyalty through effective

recruitment, engagement and retention practices. All organizations have an employer brand, regardless

of whether they have consciously sought to develop one.Mobile Telecommunications are one of the

most important and most competitive global industrial sectors of the future. The global Telecom

Industry revenue is predicted to be in the order of US$1,300 billion by the year 2016 (Al-Debei and

Avison, 2011). The era of industrialization and information age has made the mobile

telecommunication industry expand into diversified functions to support the growth of technological

advancement for better services demanded by any nation (Sultana et al., 2012). Though, in this new

era, this sector has been faced with the increasing level of unpredictability of business environment and

competitiveness of market due to the globalization of business, the shift from production to

knowledge-based economy and the growth of information communications technology.

The liberalization of the sector in Africa offers great opportunities. The extension of services by

multinational conglomerates and the active competition currently in place in the sector have all

contributed to the telecom revolution (Sultana et al., 2012). Many African governments have

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developed their mobile telecommunication infrastructure by privatizing their former state-owned

enterprises which has opened up new vistas of business opportunities (Al-Debei and Avison, 2011).

Africa has been the fastest-growing mobile market in the world during the past five years. Currently,

there are over 82 million mobile users in Africa. Mobile phone use is growing faster in Africa than

anywhere else; as at 2004 only 6 per cent of African citizens owned a mobile phone. However, as

prices drop (and low-cost phones made for the developing world come to market), there's a huge

potential market available. In Asia, North America and Europe, conversely, mobile phone use

approaches saturation, so any remaining growth will be far slower (Sultana et al., 2012).

The telecommunications industry in Kenya has been undergoing rapid changes. The Communications

Authority of Kenya has in the past 15 years licensed four mobile operators (Safaricom, Airtel and

Essar (Yu); all of which are global operators) and several internet service providers like “Wananchi”

and “Jamii” Telkom. Clearly, competition in this sector has greatly intensified in both the voice and

data service provision Up to date there are four mobile operators in our country namely Safaricom Ltd,

Airtel Networks Kenya Ltd, Essar Telecom Kenya Ltd and Telkom Kenya Ltd (Orange). According to

the mobile subscription and profitability Safaricom Ltd is in the top position among the four operators.

The other companies have lower market shares; Airtel has very high subscription in most Asian

countries including India (highest with 183.61 million subscribers as of November 2012) and

Bangladesh (third with 5.1 million subscribers as of June 2011). They have invested a lot and also have

more plans for investment having in mind that their key objective is to earn profits. By the end of the

third quarter of the 2013/14 financial year (June. 14), there were a total of 32.2 million subscriptions in

the mobile telephony market segment up from 31.8 million posted in the previous quarter. This

represents an increase of 5.6 percent during the period. Mobile penetration grew to reach 79 percent

from 78 recorded at the close of the previous quarter.

Statement of the Problem

Companies today are forced to function in a world full of change and under various complications, and

it is more important than ever to have the correct employees at the correct job with the right

qualification, experience and attitude in order to survive the surrounding competition. The successful

and prosperous future of an organization is dependent on its skilled, knowledgeable and well

experienced workforce (Konings & Vanormelingen, 2009). Taking into account the dynamism and

turbulence in the mobile telecommunication sector in Kenya in addition to the empirical studies show

that employer branding strategies on employees‟ attraction is under-researched in the Kenyan

institutions and specifically in mobile service providers in Nairobi County. The emphasis of this study

is to undertake an in depth evaluation of employer branding strategies on employees attraction in

mobile mobile service providers in Nairobi county. This study was to fill this gap by seeking to answer

the question of influence of employer branding strategies on employees‟ attraction in mobile service

providers in Nairobi. Several organizations lacks employer brand which has been a detriment to

attraction of valuable employees. This is therefore the reason why employee attraction is a

fundamental and effectual instrument in successful accomplishment of the firm's goals and objectives.

When employees are attracted to a company it not only improves them resourcefully, but also gives

them a chance to learn their job virtually and perform it more competently hence increasing firm's

productivity.

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A research of current literature has revealed that the global talent pool is shrinking and organizations

are uncertain as to what talent management decisions they should be making (Armstrong, 2007;

Bussin, 2007; Crous, 2007; Leonardi, 2007b; Minchington, 2006). Other researches in the area such as

Mcdonne, (2011), have raised questions for further research such as duration to be considered in

employee attraction, dealing with expectations of employer brand and its effects on individuals. He

also believes that there needs to be a way to measure success of employer brand management in

organization. He added that there is need for longitudinal research that follows development and

implementation of employer brand and employee attraction over time.

The significance of employer‟s brand is yet to be understood fully by mobile service providers in

Nairobi county. The struggle is still at understanding what employer brand means. Despite the diverse

information on employer brand and employee‟s attraction in organizations, there is scanty information

addressing employers brand and its effects on employee attraction in the telecommunication sector in

Kenya as being influenced by; corporate culture, corporate image management, employee preposition

and ethical culture, a knowledge gap. It is in this light that this study seeks to address employer brand

as a function of employee attraction, it will seek to analyze the effects of employer brand on

employee‟s attraction in mobile service providers in Nairobi county so as to fill the existing knowledge

gap.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study was to establish the relationship between employer branding strategy and

attraction of employees in the mobile service providers in Nairobi County with an effort to

recommending on ways of ensuring employee sustainability in mobile service providers in Nairobi

County through adoption of these strategies.

Objectives of the Study

The general objective of the study was to establish the relationship between employer branding

strategy and employee attraction in mobile service providers in Nairobi County. This study aimed at

achieving the following objectives

i. To establish the relationship between corporate culture and employee attraction in mobile

service providers in Nairobi County.

ii. To determine the relationship between corporate image and employee attraction in mobile

service providers in Nairobi County.

iii. To establish the relationship between employer value preposition and employee attraction in

mobile service providers in Nairobi County.

iv. To determine the relationship between corporate communication and employee attraction in

mobile service providers in Nairobi County.

Theoretical Review

A theory is a supposition or a system of ideas intended to explain something, especially one based on

general principles independent of the thing to be explained. The study was grounded on resource based

view, instrumental symbolic framework, Psychological Contract Theory, and Psychological Contract

Theory.

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Resource-Based View Theory

This theory suggests an alternative to implementing universal „best-practices‟, an organization can

derive its own competitive advantage by developing a set of unique „internal resources‟ (Armstrong

and Baron, 2007) that are rare and non-substitutable (Barney, 1991). This theory is based on economic

foundations of competitive advantage and scarce resources (Mankiw, 2009), supporting the claim that

employer branding is a means to win the war for talent. This competitive advantage can be achieved by

directing attention towards the necessary human resource-led activities, aligned at a strategic level, and

effective communication messages.

Barney (1991) introduced the Resource Based View (RBV) which suggests that characteristics of

firms‟ resources may contribute to sustainable competitive advantage. However only if these resources

are rare, valuable, non-substitutable and difficult to imitate the company can have a competitive edge

compared to its competitors. Employees are seen as resources that are more difficult to imitate.

Companies that nurture an employer brand can secure and retain the most significant employees who

will promote brand success and bring profits hence generating value to firm and shareholders (Moroko

and Uncles, 2008). Ritson (2002) supports this by emphasizing the importance of employer branding in

reducing costs of recruitment, enhancing employee attraction, relations and retention and in the ability

to offer lower salaries, compared to the companies with weaker brands.

Attracting skilled people (human resources) is equally as important as acquiring the equipment or

technological resources that are required to build competitive advantage (Backhaus, 2008). Attracting

and retaining the „right sort‟ of people with the required skills mix is thus a combination of the

branding proposition and a range of recruitment, selection and performance management strategies.

Strong employer brands represent valuable resources which can allow organizations to gain a long-

term distinctive competitive advantage for outcompeting rivals (Jenner and Taylor, 2007). Under this

theory the study will stand to be guided as a result of such strategies the organization employs as

attracting and retaining human talent thereby setting a strong precedence for organizational culture

and corporate image management.

Instrumental-Symbolic Framework

Instrumental and symbolic frameworks also provide a basis for the notion of employer branding as

used in the context of brand image (Lievens and Highhouse, 2010). Based on the brand image of the

employer and the employer reputation employees create their perceptions of the brand. These are

basically the reflections of two (instrumental and symbolic) attributes associated with the employer

brand. The symbolic attributes comprise of the perceptions and emotions associated with the brand

(Martin, 2007). As they are based on inferences, consistent and accurate communications are required

to minimize gaps in perceptions. These are intangible and abstract, and include elements such as

prestige, innovativeness, organizational culture and management styles (Backhaus and Tikoo, 2007).

Symbolic benefits also address an employee‟s need to fulfill his self-identity (Lievens and Highhouse,

2010; Backhaus and Tikoo, 2007); implying the importance of person-job fit.

Instrumental attributes, on the other hand, refer to those benefits which an employee gains from the

employer, in terms of tangibles (Martin, 2007). These include pay and the means to achieve personal

benefits (Lievens and Highhouse, 2010). However, as people generally tend to associate human traits

to brands symbolic functions have a large impact. A combination of both should be considered in

building employer branding (Lievens and Highhouse, 2010). This framework is relevant to the study as

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these symbols and instruments influences employees preposition, communication as well as

determining the values and beliefs of the employees thus shaping organizational culture

Psychological Contract Theory

The theory views employer branding from a benefits perspective, namely functional, economic and

psychological benefits that the employer provides its employee (Backhaus and Tikoo, 2007). The

employer brand communicates its „promise‟. The term „psychological contract‟ was first put forward

by Argyris (Lewis, Thornhill, and Saunders, 2008). He states that psychological contract is basically

the expectations employers have of their employees as well as those held by employees towards their

employers. This contract is „unwritten‟ and may not be explicitly defined (Lewis et al., 2008). Thus the

psychological contract is largely based on perceptions and expectations of the employment shaped by

the image and the „promise‟ put forward by the organization through its employer branding efforts

(Davies, 2008).

This theory posits that potential employees compare the perceived functional, economic and

psychological benefits stated or implied in the brand promise with their own needs to ascertain whether

they „fit‟ with the organization (Foster et al., 2010). If an employer fails to deliver their employer

brand promise, evaluation of the organization will be negatively affected when recent recruits assess

their employment decision and may result in increased turnover for the organization (Schein 1996;

Foster et al., 2010). The theory will guide the study since it emphasizes that organizations must

provide accurate brand messages about their work culture, employee value preposition and identity in

order to form a realistic preview of the psychological contract on offer.

Figure 1: Theoretical Framework

Summary and Research Gaps

Considering the present need of EB (Backhaus & Tikoo, 2007; Barrow, 2008; Gaddam, 2008; Lievens

& Highhouse, 2003; Maxwell & Knox, 2009) and the observed lack of empirical research (Foster et

al., 2010), the purpose of this thesis is to examine the field of EB in the context of HRM in order to

contribute to a deeper understanding of the phenomena. Due to the definition made by Kunerth &

Mosley (2011), who state that EB is the utilization of branding in the field of HRM to attract, recruit

and retain employees, in this thesis the term “HRM” is limited to including solely attracting and

retaining of employees to the organization.

Resource based view theory

Instrumental-Symbolic Framework

Psychological Contract Theory

Employee

Attractiveness

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Muthusi Florence, International Journal of Business Management & Finance 1(24): 412-430, 2017

A research of current literature has revealed that the global talent pool is shrinking and organizations

are uncertain as to what talent management decisions they should be making (Armstrong, 2007;

Bussin, 2007; Crous, 2007; Leonardi, 2007; Minchington, 2006). Other researches in the area such as

Mcdonnel, (2011), have raised questions for further research such as duration to be considered in

employee attraction, dealing with expectations of employer brand and its effects on individuals. He

also believes that there needs to be a way to measure success of employer brand management in

organization. Further, there is need for longitudinal research that follows development and

implementation of employer brand and employee attraction over time.

Conceptual Framework

In this section the conceptual framework is be presented in a schematic interpretation as shown in the

figure above. It identifies the independent variables that when put together it will explain the issue of

concern, the outcome, entrepreneurial growth. It is formulated from the reflection of the ideas and

concepts in the literature. The conceptual framework is therefore a set of broad ideas which will be

used to explain the relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variables

(outcomes). Conceptual framework will provide the link between the research title, the objectives, the

study methodology and the literature review.

Independent Variables Dependent Variable

Figure 2: Conceptual Framework

Research Methodology

The study used descriptive research design. The management and all the employees of Safaricom,

Airtel, Telcom Kenya who are permanent and pensionable and are based in the head offices of their

respective companies were 1026 (HR, register). The study concentrated on the head offices as it was

the location where all employees‟ policies were developed and decentralized. However, the study only

targeted 369 employees who are the middle and lower level managers as they are the implementers of

strategies and supervisors of the staffs respectively.

Corporate Culture

Corporate Image

Employer Value Preposition

Corporate communication

Employee Attractiveness

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Table 1: Target Population

Department Population Percentage

Safaricom limited 187 51

Airtel Kenya 111 30

Telkom/Orange Kenya 71 19

Total 369 100

The researcher used stratified random sampling procedure to select a sample that represent the entire

population but with due regard to the individual‟s ability to provide the types of information sought

through each research instrument. Mugenda and Mugenda (2003) asserted that, the accuracy of data to

be collected largely depend on the data collection instruments in terms of validity and reliability.

Upon reception of the filled in questionnaires, the data collected was cleaned, edited, coded to enable

responses be grouped into categories. The data gathered was then be analyzed by use of descriptive

statistics with the aid of SPSS software. The descriptive statistical tools helped in describing the data

and determining the respondents‟ degree of agreement with the various statements under each factor

developed in line with the study objectives. Regression analysis was conducted to determine the

influence of employer brand strategies on employee attraction.

Results And Discussion

The purpose of the study was to investigate relationship between employer branding strategy and

employees‟ attraction in mobile service providers in Nairobi County. The first part of the analysis deals

with the demographic information, as it relate to the respondents ability to analyze employer branding

strategy. While the second part deals with information on the significance of the independent variables

on employees‟ attraction. The study collected primary data through questionnaires distributed to a

sample population of 188 respondents comprising the management and employees of Safaricom,

Airtel, Telcom Kenya who are permanent and pensionable and are based in the head offices of their

respective companies. The questionnaire return rate results are shown in Table 2.

Table 2: Response Rate

Category Frequency Percentage

Filled and returned questionnaire 122 65

Unreturned questionnaires 66 35

Total 188 100

As indicated in Table 2, the questionnaires were administered to a sample of 188 respondents out of

which, 122 (65%) of the sampled respondents duly filled and returned the questionnaires. Failure to

obtain 100% response rate was due to one questionnaire being misplaced (35%). According to Babbie

(2002) any response of 50% and above is adequate for analysis, thus 99% is commendable. This

reasonable response rate was made a reality after the researcher made personal calls and visits to

remind the respondent to fill-in and return the questionnaires.

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Reliability test was done to determine the extent to which the data collection tool (questionnaire) was

random error- free and could produce the same results on repeated trials.

Table 3: Reliability Coefficients

Variables Number of Items Cronbach’s Alpha

1. Attraction (Y) 9 0.60

2. Organization culture (X1) 6 0.60

3. Corporate image (X2) 7 0.50

4. Employer value proposition (X3) 6 0.60

5. Corporate communication (X4) 9 0.64

From the findings, Cronbach‟s Alpha was established for every objective in order to determine if each

scale would produce consistent results. The findings of the pilot study shows that all the five scales

were reliable as their reliability values exceeded the prescribed threshold of 0.6 (Mugenda & Mugenda,

2003).

Descriptive Statistics

The findings from the study were presented using descriptive statistics which included frequencies,

percentages, means and standard deviations. The data was also presented using tables, graphs and pie

charts as follows;

Employee Attraction

The respondents were called for to rate attractiveness on a scale of 1 to 5, Where, 1= strongly disagree

2= Disagree 3= neutral 4= Agree & 5=strongly agree. The mean and standard deviation were also

computed for the variable as given in Table 4.

Table 4: Employee Attraction

Mean Std.

Deviation

I am attached to the organization because of many rewards and

opportunities offered

4.1653 1.09808

There is job security offered 3.8264 .90072

The organization has well stipulated core values 3.9153 .89229

The organization offers products and services 3.4034 1.43397

There are opportunities of growth in the company 3.6639 1.29063

We have good management practices within the organization that keeps

everybody happy and satisfied

4.1000 .87351

The organization has a fair system of appraising employees 3.9256 .92345

The organization offers good training programs that enables employees

grow and develop skills

3.9667 .96956

The organization currently has a good image outside 3.8760 .97100

The organization recognizes good performance and acknowledges this to

each /every employee responsible

3.9250 .86153

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The study findings showed that the respondents by and large agreed that employee attraction was

influenced by the tested parameters as showed by the grand mean of 3.8720. This effectively implies

that majority of the respondents were in agreement on the availability of employee attractiveness and

that most of the respondents were in agreement that employee attraction is embraced by the mobile

service providers in Nairobi County. These findings are in collaboration with those of Armstrong,

(2007) who argued that, the global talent pool is shrinking and organizations are uncertain as to what

talent management decisions they should be making.

Organizational Culture and Employee Attraction

The researcher sought to establish the level of agreement to various aspects between organizational

culture and employee attraction and the responses in this regard are given Table 5 below.

Table 5: Organization culture and Employee Attraction

Mean Std.

Deviation

Our managers employ best leadership styles in handling both employees and

other stakeholders

4.3529 .90749

Our organization maintains high standards. Strong rules. Procedures. policies

and regulations

3.8571 .88572

Our organization maintains flexible structures in line with changes in

strategies and the environment

3.8571 .90466

Our organization enjoys a good management versus subordinate relationship. 3.3305 1.46209

Our customers are always happy with the quality products/services we give

them

3.8051 1.09590

Our organization has a tradition of rewarding and maintaining heroes who

have made the organization proud over the years

3.9916 .95221

Our organization has cultivated in instilling good virtues, values. traditions

and beliefs that shape how old and new employees behave

4.0840 .79809

Table 5 shows that majority of the respondents were in agreement that the organization culture

elements tested had effect on the employee attractiveness as showed by the grand mean of grand M=

3.8969. Effectively this implies that most of the respondents were in agreement that organization

culture affect employee attraction from the mobile service providers in Nairobi County. The above

findings were in alliance with those of Wheeler et al., (2008) who concluded that companies with a

strong organizational culture experience increased employee attraction and retention in addition to

increased satisfaction and commitment. They further argued that, if a company ramps up to more

employees, the culture will become a self-selecting mechanism for employees and candidates therefore

people who would fit into the organization culture become attracted to it and may end up with a job.

Corporate Image and Employee Attraction

The researcher sought to establish the level of agreement to various aspects between corporate image

and employee attraction and the responses in this regard are as given in Table 6 below;

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Table 6: Corporate image and Employee Attraction

Mean Std.

Deviation

Our organization performs very well in the stock market 4.0171 .92832

People talk positively about our organization, products, services and are

happy to be associated with us

4.0427 .78117

Many people are attracted to our organization because it commands a big

market share

4.0855 1.07937

The accommodative structure maintained by our organization make

employees happy and satisfied

3.9483 .70827

Our organization participates in corporate social responsibility 4.1404 .86092

Our organization has unbiased recruitment policies that attract diversified

workforce

3.5431 1.32134

Our organization is quick to respond to customers complaints 3.7607 1.07198

Our organization listens and cares to what other people are saying about us 4.0684 .81713

Grand mean 3.950775

From Table 6 it is also clear that majority of the respondents were also in agreement that the corporate

image elements tested affected employee attraction as shown by the grand mean of M= 3.950775.

Conclusively the finding showed that respondents are in agreement that corporate image affects

employee attraction. This implication is in sync with the concussions of Barnett et al., (2006) who

deduced that, a firm that is strengthening its corporate image positively enjoys the benefit of acquiring

a buffer to their economic growth.

Employee value preposition and Employee Attraction

The researcher sought to establish the level of agreement to various aspects between employee value

proposition and employee attraction and the responses in this regard are as given in Table 7 below;

Table 7: Employee value preposition and Employee Attraction

Mean Std.

Deviation

Our organization has fair remuneration packages as per employees

qualification and work done

4.2328 .82733

Our organization has a good employees benefit schemes e.g. medical cover 4.1466 .67572

Our organization encourages employee involvement in decision making in

their areas of operation

3.9828 .85448

Our organization recruits, retains and develop the right people with right

skills

3.5345 1.37323

Our organization has established the system of e-learning and employee

development

3.9304 .90536

Employee promotion in our organization is based on merit 3.9569 .89823

Our organization maintains a fair balance in employees required in each

section and there is no shortage of staff

4.0603 .91641

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The study findings in this section revealed that majority of the respondents were in agreement that the

employee value preposition tested above affected employee attraction as shown by grand mean M=

3.977. These sentiments are in agreement with those of Kochanski (2004) who argued that the

importance of a distinctive employee value preposition in the best places to work lists. He further

added that, a distinctive employee value preposition adds incentive to the employer brand and

leverages core differentiating talent attraction aspects by enabling targeted employer brand marketing

efforts and that a differentiated EVP motivates target candidates to join a company and current

employees to stay.

Corporate Communication and Employee Attraction

The researcher sought to establish the level of agreement to various aspects between corporate

communication and employee attraction and the responses in this regard are as given in table 8 below;

Table 8: Corporate Communication and Employee Attraction

Mean Std.

Deviation

The organization maintains a fair upward-downward communication and

vice-versa

4.3761 .89757

We ensure that every employees receives intended information about their

work and proper feedback

4.0000 .78019

The organization has in place the policy of crisis communication and the

spokesman to do so

3.8496 .94700

The brand personality of the organization enhances employees loyalty 3.5431 1.40429

There is regular communication between senior and junior within the

organization

3.9316 1.17243

The avenues used by the management to communicate to its employee are

readily available and adequate

4.0085 .94226

There is a clear chain of command followed in our organization understood

by all employees

4.2627 .72120

The messages contained in our communications are kept simple for every

employee to understand

4.0424 .90953

The organization management meets with employees when there is a need 3.8983 .94634

Our organization encourages employees to give their opinions, suggestions

and feedback on how to improve our product and services

4.0847 .76880

Table 8 shows that the respondents were generally in agreement those corporate communication

elements tested above influenced employee attraction as demonstrated by a grand mean of M= 3.9997.

The above findings are in partnership with those of Watson (2005) who found out that organizations

who are highly effective communicators experienced strong employer brand strength, high levels of

engagement and 20% lower turnover rates than their peers.

Inferential Statistics

Inferential Statistics generally deals with conclusions, generalizations, predictions, and estimations

based on data from samples, it makes inferences about populations using data drawn from the

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population (Mugenda & Mugenda, 2005). The different views into the nature of the data gathered were

as below;

Bivariate Correlations

Table 9 shows the Pearson Bivariate correlations matrix for the observed variables.

Table 9: Correlation Matrix

CC CI EVP CCOM EA

CC Pearson Correlation 1

Sig. (2-tailed)

N 122

CI Pearson Correlation .772**

1

Sig. (2-tailed) .000

N 122 122

EVP Pearson Correlation .260**

.341**

1

Sig. (2-tailed) .004 .000

N 122 122 122

CCO

M

Pearson Correlation .673**

.747**

.081 1

Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .000 .373

N 122 122 122 122

EA Pearson Correlation .712**

.813**

.350**

.752**

1

Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .000 .000 .000

N 122 122 122 122 122

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

From the study results on above table 9,tyere exist a strong positive correction between corporate

culture and employee attraction (r=0.772),the results further showed that there exist a weak positive

correction between corporate image and employee attraction (=0.260),a strong positive correction

between employer value preposition and employee attraction (0.673),and lastly ,the findings indicated

that there existed a strong and positive correction between corporate communication and employee

attraction (0.712).the correction coefficient for the four independent variables were statistically

significant with p values <0.000.

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Table 10: Regression Model Summary

M

od

el

R R

Squar

e

Adjusted

R Square

Std.

Error of

the

Estimate

Change Statistics

R

Square

Change

F

Change

df

1

df2 Sig. F

Change

1 .857a .735 .726 .21703 .735 81.013 4 117 .000

a. Predictors: (Constant), Corporate Communications (CCOM), Employee Value Proposition

(EVP), Corporate Culture (CC) and Corporate Image (CI)

From the results shown in Table 10, the model shows a goodness of fit as indicated by the coefficient

of determination (R2) with a value of 0.735. This implies that the independent variables (Corporate

Culture, Corporate Image, Employee Value Proposition, and Corporate Communications) explain

73.5% of the variations in the Employee Attraction. This means other factors not studied in this

research contribute 26.5 % of the variation in the employee attraction .The study also tested for the

strength of the overall model and the results shows the significance value is 0.000 which is less than

plus or minus 0.05 significance level. This means that the overall model was statistically significant in

predicting how various factors of employer branding strategy affect employee attraction.

Table 11: ANOVA Results

Model Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.

1 Regression 15.263 4 3.816 81.013 .000b

Residual 5.511 117 .047

Total 20.774 121

a. Dependent Variable: Employee Attraction (EA)

b. Predictors: (Constant), Corporate Communications (CCOM), Employee Value Proposition

(EVP), Corporate Culture (CC) and Corporate Image (CI)

From Table 11 the P-value is 0000b which is less than 0.05 thus the model is statistically significance

in predicting the considered factors (Corporate Communications, Employee Value Proposition,

Corporate Culture and Corporate Image and their respective relationship with employee attraction.

Since F calculated (Value =81.013) is greater than the F critical, this shows that the overall model is

significant. The coefficients of the multiple regression models are presented in the table 4.16;

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Table 12: Coefficients

Model Unstandardized

Coefficients

Standardized

Coefficients

t Sig.

B Std.

Error

Beta

1 (Constant) .409 .140 2.918 .004

Corporate Culture .099 .062 .124 1.613 .005

Corporate Image .247 .057 .396 4.354 .000

Employee Value Proposition .127 .044 .153 2.904 .004

Corporate Communications .286 .061 .360 4.698 .000

a. Dependent Variable: Employee Attraction

Table 11 shows that the researcher conducted a multiple regression analysis so as to determine the

relationship between Employee Attraction (dependent variable) and the four variables (independent

variables). The regression model has established that the value of the constant (β0 = 0.409, p = 0.004)

indicate that employee attraction will always exist at a certain significant minimum even when the four

predictor variables (X1, X2, X3 and X4) are zero. In addition, all the variables were significant as their

P-values were within plus or minus 0.005 in terms of significance at 5% level of significance and 95%

level of confidence; the t statistics helps in determining the relative importance of each variable in the

model. As a guide regarding useful predictors, the research determines the t values well below - 0.05 or

above + 0.005. Finally, the study results clearly showed this significance on each of the independent

variable considered that is: (Corporate Communications (CCOM), Employee Value Proposition (EVP),

Corporate Culture (CC) and Corporate Image (CI) will always be significant with regards to employee

attraction since the multiple regression analysis (= 0.409 and p = 0.004, β1= 0.099 and p = 0.005, β2 =

0.247 and p = 0.000, β3= 0.127and p =0.004 and finally β4= 0.286 and p =0.000).

Conclusion

The object of the study was to determine the relationship between the employer branding strategy and

employee attraction in mobile service providers in Nairobi county and specifically to assess the

corporate culture, corporate image, employee value preposition and corporate communication. The

result showed that there was positive relationship between the independent variable and dependent

variables. The regression results are concurred with the collection results. It is therefore concluded that

the management of mobile service providers in Nairobi county needs to consider all variables

considered in the study in order to improve employee retention and consequently this will improve

organizational performance and growth hence having competitive advantage.

Recommendations

The study found a positive and significant relationship between corporate culture and employee

attraction. It is therefore recommended that the mobile service providers in Nairobi County. With the

implied contract between companies and employees no longer valid, companies must flex their policies

to help employees feel secure, or risk creating an environment ruled by fear and that shuns innovation.

In businesses of all sizes, it is vital that managers recognize the importance of creating and maintaining

a strong image, and that they also make employees aware of it. Corporate image begins within the

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offices of a company's managers. It should be based on the development of good company policies,

rather than on controlling the damage caused by bad company policies. Business owners and managers

should focus on the firm's long-term reputation; base actions on substantive policies; insist on candor

in all business dealings; and uphold the stakeholders' right to know. Building a positive corporate

image requires skillful long-term planning.

Whether your business currently has three staff members or more, strengthening the organization‟s

internal communication at every level can lead to greater operational efficiency, increased sales, and a

more satisfying company culture. Understanding who is responsible for what, or simply recognizing a

name, can greatly facilitate company communications. Group events lead to shared experiences,

whether formal or informal, and these can help individuals relate to each other more easily.

Suggestions for Further Research

The researcher recommends that future research should be directed towards validating the results of

this study by conducting a similar research in other sectors in Kenya by collecting data from different

sources. Further research should also be conducted to investigate the other factors of 26.5% not

considered in the current study that affect employee attraction.

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