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How Does Friendship Motivate Frontline Employees to Exhibit Brand Ambassador Behavior: The Important Role of Well-Being and Helping Behavior

Author

Listed:
  • Haihong Wang

    (Department of Tourism Management, Business School, Faculty of Economics, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, China)

  • Hongxia Sha

    (Department of Tourism Management, Business School, Faculty of Economics, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, China)

  • Yi Wang

    (Department of Marketing, Business School, Faculty of Economics, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, China)

  • Lijie Cheng

    (Department of Marketing, Business School, Faculty of Economics, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, China)

  • Qifan Yu

    (Department of Tourism Management, Business School, Faculty of Economics, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, China)

  • Deyun Jia

    (Department of Human Resource Management, Business School, Faculty of Economics, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, China)

  • Liuting Lu

    (Department of Human Resource Management, Business School, Faculty of Economics, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, China)

Abstract

Training employees to become image ambassadors is an important manifestation of an organization’s internal branding. However, most tourism destination marketing studies consider external image-building and pay little attention to the brand ambassador behavior of internal members. This study investigates 208 front-line employees in two tourist attractions and constructs a structural equation model including workplace friendship, employee well-being, employee helping behavior, and employee brand ambassador behavior. The results show that: (1) workplace friendship has a significant promoting effect on employee brand ambassador behavior; (2) employee helping behavior mediates the relationships between workplace friendship and employee well-being, and between workplace friendship and employee brand ambassador behavior; (3) employee well-being mediates the relationship between workplace friendship and employee brand ambassador behavior; (4) employee helping behavior and employee well-being play a chain-mediating role in the relationship between workplace friendship and employee brand ambassador behavior. Our findings not only enrich the theoretical understanding of outcomes of workplace friendship, but also provide important guidance for tourist attractions regarding internal brand marketing.

Suggested Citation

  • Haihong Wang & Hongxia Sha & Yi Wang & Lijie Cheng & Qifan Yu & Deyun Jia & Liuting Lu, 2023. "How Does Friendship Motivate Frontline Employees to Exhibit Brand Ambassador Behavior: The Important Role of Well-Being and Helping Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-15, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:8:p:6859-:d:1127059
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mao, Hsiao-Yen & Hsieh, An-Tien & Chen, Chien-Yu, 2012. "The relationship between workplace friendship and perceived job significance," Journal of Management & Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 18(2), pages 247-262, March.
    2. Miles, Sandra Jeanquart & Mangold, W. Glynn, 2005. "Positioning Southwest Airlines through employee branding," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 48(6), pages 535-545.
    3. Sakka, Georgia & Ahammad, Mohammad Faisal, 2020. "Unpacking the relationship between employee brand ambassadorship and employee social media usage through employee wellbeing in workplace: A theoretical contribution," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 354-363.
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