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The Power of Devotion: The Warm Embrace of Brand Control

Fredlund, Axel LU and Gustavsson, Johannes LU (2025) BUSN49 20251
Department of Business Administration
Abstract (Swedish)
Abstract
Title: The Power of Devotion: The Warm Embrace of Brand Control
Authors: Axel Fredlund and Johannes Gustavsson
Supervisor: John Murray
Course: BUSN49, Degree Project in Master’s Programme, Managing People, Knowledge
and Change, 15 ECTS
Purpose: This thesis aimed to explore how subjects of brand-centered control perform
emotional labour. The focus of our study is how brand-centered control shapes employee
experiences and emotional labour in a high-performance organizational
setting.
Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework consists of existing literature on
normative control, neo-normative control, brand-centered control and emotional labour.
Methodology: We conducted a qualitative study utilizing... (More)
Abstract
Title: The Power of Devotion: The Warm Embrace of Brand Control
Authors: Axel Fredlund and Johannes Gustavsson
Supervisor: John Murray
Course: BUSN49, Degree Project in Master’s Programme, Managing People, Knowledge
and Change, 15 ECTS
Purpose: This thesis aimed to explore how subjects of brand-centered control perform
emotional labour. The focus of our study is how brand-centered control shapes employee
experiences and emotional labour in a high-performance organizational
setting.
Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework consists of existing literature on
normative control, neo-normative control, brand-centered control and emotional labour.
Methodology: We conducted a qualitative study utilizing the interpretivist tradition. We
specifically used the dramaturgical tradition while using an abductive approach to analyze
subjective experiences through a frontstage-backstage perspective.
Findings: Our findings indicate that the distinction between frontstage and backstage has
blurred with brand-centered control, creating a stage that bridges the boundaries between
work and private life. While current literature often associates this with the risk of emotional
exhaustion and stress, our findings reveal no such tendencies among the employees. Instead,
they willingly advocate for and represent the organization beyond working hours.
Conclusion: This study contributes to a better understanding of how brand-centered control
shapes emotional labour. Specifically, our research highlights the need to revisit dominant
assumptions about normative control and emotional labour by showing that emotional labour
under brand-centered control can be willingly embraced rather than necessarily experienced
as coercive or effortful. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Fredlund, Axel LU and Gustavsson, Johannes LU
supervisor
organization
course
BUSN49 20251
year
type
H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
subject
keywords
Normative control, brand-centered control, emotional labour, dramaturgy
language
English
id
9202186
date added to LUP
2025-06-23 09:44:40
date last changed
2025-06-23 09:44:40
@misc{9202186,
  abstract     = {{Abstract 
Title: The Power of Devotion: The Warm Embrace of Brand Control 
Authors: Axel Fredlund and Johannes Gustavsson 
Supervisor: John Murray 
Course: BUSN49, Degree Project in Master’s Programme, Managing People, Knowledge 
and Change, 15 ECTS 
Purpose: This thesis aimed to explore how subjects of brand-centered control perform 
emotional labour. The focus of our study is how brand-centered control shapes employee 
experiences and emotional labour in a high-performance organizational 
setting. 
Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework consists of existing literature on 
normative control, neo-normative control, brand-centered control and emotional labour. 
Methodology: We conducted a qualitative study utilizing the interpretivist tradition. We 
specifically used the dramaturgical tradition while using an abductive approach to analyze 
subjective experiences through a frontstage-backstage perspective. 
Findings: Our findings indicate that the distinction between frontstage and backstage has 
blurred with brand-centered control, creating a stage that bridges the boundaries between 
work and private life. While current literature often associates this with the risk of emotional 
exhaustion and stress, our findings reveal no such tendencies among the employees. Instead, 
they willingly advocate for and represent the organization beyond working hours. 
Conclusion: This study contributes to a better understanding of how brand-centered control 
shapes emotional labour. Specifically, our research highlights the need to revisit dominant 
assumptions about normative control and emotional labour by showing that emotional labour 
under brand-centered control can be willingly embraced rather than necessarily experienced 
as coercive or effortful.}},
  author       = {{Fredlund, Axel and Gustavsson, Johannes}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{The Power of Devotion: The Warm Embrace of Brand Control}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}