Understanding employer branding within MNC subsidiaries: Evidence from MNC hotel subsidiaries in Indonesia

Abstract

Employer branding is an important process in marketing to ensure the smooth delivery of branding strategies. Nevertheless, research focusing on the process of employer branding within international subsidiaries is scant. Thus, this research explores the process of developing employer branding for international subsidiaries to suit the multinational company (MNC) hotels' branding strategies. In particular, the current study examines the critical factors that could support and forestall employer branding within MNC hotel subsidiaries in Indonesia. Using a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with three different actors (i.e., expatriate manager, local manager, and regional executives). The results reveal that the company employer branding process is being influenced by several factors that exist only in the country of the MNC hotel subsidiaries. This study is important to explain the contextual factors of stakeholder preferences in the management of internal marketing within international MNC subsidiaries.