Employer Branding in nonprofit organizations. An exploration of factors that affect attractiveness, identification with the organization, and promotion: The case of Emergency.

This paper explores the application of the Employer Branding model in nonprofit organizations. We focus on attributes of the organization that may affect its attractiveness, identification with the organization, and promotion. We conducted a questionnaire-based survey on actual and potential aid-workers from Emergency, an Italian charity that offers free medical assistance to war victims. The questionnaire included measures of organizational identification, attractiveness, symbolic and instrumental attributes and intentions to promote the organization. Results showed that the attractiveness of the organization depended on symbolic rather than instrumental attributes. Unlike previous research on Employer Branding, however, instrumental attributes did not influence the attractiveness of the organization and, additionally, decreased promotion. These findings may contribute to extending the Employer Branding model by including a psychosocial perspective and also suggest important management implications for nonprofit organizations.