Effect of employer branding on job application decisions of fresh graduates in Ho Chi Minh City – a case study on retail enterprises, 2021

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING THE STATE BANK OF VIET NAM

BANKING UNIVERSITY OF HO CHI MINH CITY

TRIEU DOAN NGAN DAO

EFFECT OF EMPLOYER BRANDING ON JOB

APPLICATION DECISIONS OF FRESH GRADUATES

IN HO CHI MINH CITY – A CASE STUDY ON RETAIL

ENTERPRISES

BACHELOR THESIS

MAJOR: BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

CODE: 7340101

HO CHI MINH CITY, 2021

TRIEU DOAN NGAN DAO

EFFECT OF EMPLOYER BRANDING ON JOB

APPLICATION DECISIONS OF FRESH GRADUATES

IN HO CHI MINH CITY – A CASE STUDY ON RETAIL

ENTERPRISES.

BACHELOR THESIS

MAJOR: BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

CODE: 7340101

SUPERVISOR

PHAM HUONG DIEN, Ph.D

HO CHI MINH CITY, 2021

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING THE STATE BANK OF VIET NAM

BANKING UNIVERSITY OF HO CHI MINH CITY

i

ABSTRACT

In increasing competitive labour markets, attracting candidates has become a

prime concern of organizations. Fresh graduates is known as potential employee for the

employer. Fresh graduates having new ideas, knowledge can contribute to the

development of the company. So the employers need to identify and understand the

range of factors that affect job application decisions of this potential human capital. In

this study, I hypothesize that organizational size, compensation and benefits, training

and development, corporate reputation and word of mouth that influence the decision￾making of fresh graduates. Using regression analysis, I demonstrate that fresh

graduates is impacted by training and development opportunities, corporate reputation

and word of mouth. In particular, the corporate reputation is the most attractive

component for prospective candidates. Besides that, organizations should develop

many training and development programs for employee because fresh graduates prefer

working in a company where they can learn and develop new skills and knowledge.

The results suggest that firms should develop employer branding and communicate

values that company brings for customers, employees and social communities to attract

the attention of potential applicants.

Key words: employer branding, fresh graduates, job application decisions,

retail enterprise.

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DECLARATION OF AUTHENTICITY

I the undersigned declare that all material presented in this paper is my own

work or fully and specifically acknowledged wherever adapted from other

sources.

I understand that if at any time it is shown that I have significantly

misrepresented material presented here, any degree or credits awarded to me on

the basic of that material may be revoked.

I declared that all statements and information contained herein are true,

correct and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Ho Chi Minh City, June 2021

Trieu Doan Ngan Dao

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge serveral individuals who

have helped me to complete my thesis.

Frist of all, I would like to express my endless thanks and gratefulness to my

supervisor Ph.D Pham Huong Dien. Her kindly and continuous advices through the

process of completion of my thesis. Her encouragement and comments had

significantly enriched and improved my work. Without her motivation and instruction,

the thesis would have been impossible to be done effectively.

Secondly, I want to thanks my family for their endless love, care, and have most

assistant and motivation me for the whole of my life.

Next, my deeply thanks come to all of my friends who always support me during

time I study in Banking University of Ho Chi Minh City. I am thankful for the times

and they have listened to me, advised me and even comforted me. Their kindly helps,

care and motivation gave me strength and lift me up all the trouble for the rest of my

life.

Ho Chi Minh City, June 2021

Trieu Doan Ngan Dao

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................... viii

LIST OF FIGURES..........................................................................................................x

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................1

1.1. Research neccessity ............................................................................................1

1.2. Research objectives and questions .....................................................................1

1.2.1. Research objectives......................................................................................1

1.2.2. Research questions.......................................................................................2

1.3. Research scopes and subjects.............................................................................2

1.3.1. Research scopes...........................................................................................2

1.3.2. Research subjects.........................................................................................2

1.4. Research methodology .......................................................................................3

1.5. Expected contributions.......................................................................................3

1.6. Thesis structure...................................................................................................3

1.7. Conclusion ..........................................................................................................5

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .........................................................................6

2.1. Important concepts. ............................................................................................6

2.1.1. Branding.......................................................................................................6

2.1.2. Employer branding. .....................................................................................6

2.1.3. Retail enterprise ...........................................................................................8

2.1.4. Fresh graduates. ...........................................................................................9

2.2. Theoretical models and the previous studies....................................................10

2.2.1. The theoretical models...............................................................................10

2.2.1.1. Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA).....................................................10

2.2.1.2. Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)..................................................11

2.2.1.3. The career decision making model .....................................................12

2.2.1.4. The job choice model..........................................................................13

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2.2.1.5. The Model of Career Decision Making for College Students ............15

2.2.2. The previous researches.............................................................................18

2.2.2.1. The research ―Factors influencing the job search and job selection in

students of Generation Y in the Czech Republic in the employer branding

context‖ 18

2.2.2.2. The research ―Captivating company: dimensions of attractiveness in

employer branding‖. ............................................................................................19

2.2.2.3. The research ―A great place to work!? Understanding crowdsourced

employer branding‖. ............................................................................................21

2.2.2.4. The research ―Employer Brand and Job Application Decisions:

Insights from the Best Employers‖. .....................................................................23

2.3. Research hypotheses and the research model...................................................25

2.3.1. Research hypotheses..................................................................................25

2.3.1.1. Organizational size..............................................................................25

2.3.1.2. Compensation and benefits. ................................................................25

2.3.1.3. Training and development. .................................................................26

2.3.1.4. Corporate reputation. ..........................................................................26

2.3.1.5. Word of mouth. ...................................................................................27

2.3.2. The proposed research model. ...................................................................29

2.4. Conclusion ........................................................................................................30

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY .................................................................................31

3.1. Process of research ...........................................................................................31

3.2. Qualitative research ..........................................................................................31

3.2.1. Qualitative research methods.....................................................................31

3.2.2. The qualitative research result ...................................................................33

3.3. Quantitative research ........................................................................................35

3.3.1. Scale...........................................................................................................35

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3.3.2. Research sample design.............................................................................36

3.3.3. Questionnaire design..................................................................................37

3.3.4. Research data collection ............................................................................37

3.3.5. Data processing and analysis.....................................................................38

3.3.5.1. Data checking and cleaning. ...............................................................38

3.3.5.2. Descriptive statistics ...........................................................................38

3.3.5.3. The reliability of scale.........................................................................38

3.3.5.4. Explored Factor Analysis....................................................................39

3.3.5.5. Linear Regression Analysis and hypothesis testing............................40

3.3.5.6. Robust check .......................................................................................42

3.4. Conclusion ........................................................................................................42

CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS ................................................................................43

4.1. Describing data .................................................................................................43

4.2. Reliability Analysis ..........................................................................................45

4.3. Explored Factor Analysis .................................................................................47

4.3.1. Explored Factor Analysis for Independent Variables................................47

4.3.2. Explored Factor Analysis for Dependent Variable....................................48

4.4. Correlations Analysis .......................................................................................50

4.5. Regression Analysis .........................................................................................52

4.5.1. Analysis the fit of model............................................................................52

4.5.2. Coefficients Analysis.................................................................................53

4.5.3. Testing Autocorrelation .............................................................................55

4.5.4. Testing Collinearity ...................................................................................55

4.5.5. Testing Normal Distribution of Residual ..................................................56

4.5.6. Testing Heteroskedasticity.........................................................................56

4.6. Robust Check....................................................................................................57

4.6.1. The difference about gender ......................................................................57

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4.6.2. The difference about qualifications...........................................................58

4.6.3. The difference in job application decisions by graduation status..............59

4.7. Conclusion ........................................................................................................60

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS................................................62

5.1. Summarize the research result..........................................................................62

5.2. Implications......................................................................................................63

5.3. Limitations and orientations for further studies ...............................................64

5.4. Conclusion ........................................................................................................65

REFERENCES...............................................................................................................66

APPENDIX 1 ..............................................................................................................lxxv

APPENDIX 2 ..............................................................................................................lxxx

APPENDIX 3 ............................................................................................................lxxxv

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LIST OF TABLES

Table Name Page

Table 2.1 Summary the conceptions of career decision-making process 12

Table 2.2 Summary the characteristics of career decision-making process 15

Table 2.3 Five elements in employer brand development 20

Table 2.4 Seven key employer branding areas 22

Table 2.5 Summary the research hypotheses 29

Table 4.1 Frequency statistics for study sample 43

Table 4.2 Summary the Reliability Statistics 45

Table 4.3 KMO and Bartlett's Test for Independent Variables 47

Table 4.4 Factor loading for Independent Variables 47

Table 4.5 KMO and Bartlett's Test for Dependent Variable 48

Table 4.6 Component Matrix for Dependent Variable 48

Table 4.7 Summarize the research scales after analyzing EFA 49

Table 4.8 Correlations between Dependent Variable and Independent

Variables

51

Table 4.9 Model Summary 52

Table 4.10 Test for the fit of regression model 52

Table 4.11 Coefficients Analysis for Independent Variables 53

Table 4.12 Testing Autocorrelation 55

Table 4.13 Testing Collinearity 55

Table 4.14 Correlations between ABSRES and independent variables 56

Table 4.15 Comparing the job application decisions by gender group. 57

Table 4.16 Independent Test for gender groups 57

Table 4.17 Comparing the job application decisions by qualifications

group.

58