Attributes which Improve the Employer Brand of Private Universities in Afghanistan: An Instrumental-Symbolic Perspective

Abstract

Employer brand has become a topic of concern for scholars and policymakers recently. The primary aim of this study is to unveil attributes that constitute a higher education institution as an employer brand. The study at hand is a qualitative inquiry designed to unveil an employer brand's instrumental and symbolic components. This study was conducted in the context of private universities in the eastern zone of Afghanistan. Data was collected from the faculty members of seven private universities by conducting semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions of lecturers working in various departments of the selected institutions. Thematic analysis was performed using NVivo-12 for data analysis. The findings revealed eight instrumental or job-related and eight symbolic or trait-related themes perceived to represent a university as an employer brand. Moreover, the study offers recommendations for university administration and human resource officials engaged in policy formulation.