The role of internal marketing in employees' organizational identification

• Published in: Marketing (Beograd) Vol. 53; no. 1; pp. 12 - 27
• Main Authors: Milanović, Vesna, Bučalina-Matić, Andrea, Njegić, Katarina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Srpsko udruženje za marketing 2022
• Subjects: customer-oriented behaviour (cob); employees; internal marketing (im); internal marketing orientation (imo); managers; organizational identification (oi); programmes
• ISSN: 0354-3471; 2334-8364
• DOI: 10.5937/mkng2201012M

In this paper, we have tried to present the role of internal marketing (IM) in employees' organizational identification (OI) based on the review and analysis of relevant empirical studies that were published in the period from 2009 to the present. The analysis showed that IM has a significant role in increasing employees' OI (the direct impact). The impact of IM on OI also takes place through two groups of mediators: internal marketing orientation (IMO) and the adoption of IM philosophy by managers, i.e. employees' job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Employees' experience of the programmes of IM and their perceptions of IMO affect OI, rather than management's attitude. However, IM programmes without managerial support do not provide the best levels of employees' OI. When employees are encouraged by managerial support to perceive IM, then their perceptions of IM are facilitated. In addition, the similarity between the perceptions of the organization's value by the manager and his employees leads to the harmonious growth of their identification with the organization. The transfer of OI from manager to employees encourages performance growth, and improves the perceptions of service quality by customers. OI mediates the relationship between IM and employees' outcomes. In accordance with the above, this topic is recommended to both theorists and practitioners; it is still insufficiently researched i.e. applied.