A Matter of Reputation and Pride: Associations between Perceived External Reputation, Pride in Membership, Job Satisfaction and Turnover Intentions
| Date | 01 December 2013 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8551.2012.00827.x |
| Published date | 01 December 2013 |
| Author | Sabrina Helm |
A Matter of Reputation and Pride:
Associations between Perceived External
Reputation, Pride in Membership, Job
Satisfaction and Turnover Intentions
Sabrina Helm
Retailing and Consumer Sciences, University of Arizona, PO Box 210078, Tucson, AZ 85721-0078, USA
Email: helm@email.arizona.edu
This study investigates how job satisfaction and turnover intentions are related to
external reputation as perceived by employees and their pride in membership. Based on
a cross-sectional survey including 439 employees, it also provides insights into external
reputation as a possible source of collective pride. Study results indicate that, in agree-
ment with social identity theory, outsiders’ views of the organization are closely associ-
ated with employees’ pride in organizational membership as well as job satisfaction. Both
pride and job satisfaction mediate the relationship between perceived external reputation
and turnover intentions. Hence, a favourable reputation matters in managing turnover
intentions and is closely related to employee pride and satisfaction. Tenure of employees
is positively associated with pride while intensive customer contact is negatively related
to perceived external reputation and pride. Implications pinpoint the need for alignment
of reputation management and human resources management. Furthermore, managers
need to focus on new staff and employees with frequent customer contact and should
implement pride-building strategies according to the tenure of employees and intensity of
customer contact.
Introduction
Employee turnover is a major source of losses in
productivity and the cost per leaving employee
has a considerable negative impact on the
bottom line (Shaw et al., 2005; Smith et al.,
2012; Wright and Bonett, 2007). Also, firms do
not necessarily lose undesirable employees and
retain desirable ones (Ahr and Ahr, 2000;
Branham, 2000). Improved understanding of the
psychological processes underlying withdrawal
from the organization is therefore of continued
academic and managerial interest (Van Dick
et al., 2004).
Job satisfaction and turnover intentions are
commonly investigated predictors of turnover
(Griffeth, Hom and Gaertner, 2000; Van Dick
et al., 2004). Other factors such as external repu-
tation have received less research attention
despite an increasing focus on reputation as an
indicator of organizations’ adherence to com-
monly expected rules (Adams, Highhouse and
Zickar, 2010; McWilliams and Siegel, 2001). In
an era of declining public trust in companies
(World Economic Forum, 2010), working for
organizations that have a positive external repu-
tation (i.e. those that are trusted and assessed
favourably by outsiders) is important. Since out-
siders tend to identify employees of a company
This study was made possible with a research grant
from the German Research Foundation. The author
would also like to thank Dr Anubha Mishra for her
invaluable insights regarding the data analysis.
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British Journal of Management, Vol. 24, 542–556 (2013)
DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8551.2012.00827.x
© 2012 The Author(s)
British Journal of Management © 2012 British Academy of Management. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd,
9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK and 350 Main Street, Malden, MA, 02148, USA.
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