Performing the Employer Brand: A Qualitative Study on Employer Branding Through a Dramaturgical Lens
(2025) BUSN49 20251Department of Business Administration
- Abstract
- In an increasingly competitive job market, employer branding provides a tool for attracting and retaining talent. Through a case study based on a single company, this study aims to gain in-depth insights into how employer branding is enacted across different stages. To guide our study, we address the following research questions:
1) How is employer branding performed across different stages?
2) What role do employees play as actors in performing and shaping the employer brand?
Our literature review focuses on the current state of research on employer branding strategies, particularly looking at the use of career fairs and online platforms. We also explore the concept of employee branding by examining the impact of the workplace,... (More) - In an increasingly competitive job market, employer branding provides a tool for attracting and retaining talent. Through a case study based on a single company, this study aims to gain in-depth insights into how employer branding is enacted across different stages. To guide our study, we address the following research questions:
1) How is employer branding performed across different stages?
2) What role do employees play as actors in performing and shaping the employer brand?
Our literature review focuses on the current state of research on employer branding strategies, particularly looking at the use of career fairs and online platforms. We also explore the concept of employee branding by examining the impact of the workplace, cultural initiatives, and brand-centered control. Lastly, we justify the need for further research through a dramaturgical lens.
This qualitative case study on a single company called Velda (pseudonym) adopts an abductive research approach within the interpretivist tradition. Drawing on a dramaturgical lens, we analyze empirical material collected through observations at a university career fair and Velda’s office, alongside 12 semi-structured interviews.
Our findings demonstrate that employer branding is a performative process enacted across multiple, interconnected stages targeting various audiences. These stages influence one another and are shaped by the employees themselves, who act as key performers in constructing and maintaining the employer brand. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9199336
- author
- Friefeldt, Lovisa LU and Hof, Carla Maria LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- BUSN49 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
- subject
- keywords
- Dramaturgy, Employer Branding, Employee Branding, Brand Ambassadors
- language
- English
- id
- 9199336
- date added to LUP
- 2025-06-30 12:46:14
- date last changed
- 2025-06-30 12:46:14
@misc{9199336,
abstract = {{In an increasingly competitive job market, employer branding provides a tool for attracting and retaining talent. Through a case study based on a single company, this study aims to gain in-depth insights into how employer branding is enacted across different stages. To guide our study, we address the following research questions:
1) How is employer branding performed across different stages?
2) What role do employees play as actors in performing and shaping the employer brand?
Our literature review focuses on the current state of research on employer branding strategies, particularly looking at the use of career fairs and online platforms. We also explore the concept of employee branding by examining the impact of the workplace, cultural initiatives, and brand-centered control. Lastly, we justify the need for further research through a dramaturgical lens.
This qualitative case study on a single company called Velda (pseudonym) adopts an abductive research approach within the interpretivist tradition. Drawing on a dramaturgical lens, we analyze empirical material collected through observations at a university career fair and Velda’s office, alongside 12 semi-structured interviews.
Our findings demonstrate that employer branding is a performative process enacted across multiple, interconnected stages targeting various audiences. These stages influence one another and are shaped by the employees themselves, who act as key performers in constructing and maintaining the employer brand.}},
author = {{Friefeldt, Lovisa and Hof, Carla Maria}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Performing the Employer Brand: A Qualitative Study on Employer Branding Through a Dramaturgical Lens}},
year = {{2025}},
}