Chapter 3 Scale Development
3.2 Individual-level Variables: Brand Psychological Ownership and Brand
Table 3-11 Standardized λand T in Measure Model of Corporate Branding Factor indicator Standardized λ Standardized T
V1 0.93 NA
VCCB V2 0.97 18.15
V6 0.59 NA
3.2 Individual-level Variables: Brand Psychological Ownership and Brand
Citizenship Behavior
In individual-level analyses, this study captured concepts of brand psychological ownership and brand citizenship behavior according to prior research. The guideline of Hinkin (1998) is also utilized by this study to construct two new scales to measure the degree of brand psychological ownership and brand citizenship behavior in
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development, items elimination and content validity, factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and validity examination. These steps are described as follows.
3.2.1 Step 1 Items Development
As for conceptions of brand psychological ownership and brand citizenship behavior, this study utilized in-depth interview to capture ideas from employees of franchises. There were ten employees who worked in the franchise interviewed, including four males and six females. The age was distributed from 25 to 35, average age was 32, and average tenure was 5 years.
In the process of in-depth interview, this study first introduced the construct definition of brand psychological ownership and brand citizenship behavior to these employees, and then asked them about questions about the phenomenon and activities of brand psychological ownership and brand citizenship behavior in their companies.
Questions of brand psychological ownership include “In the daily work, do you feel that the corporate brand is closely linked with you? Please express the reason specifically,”“Could you tell me whether you identify yourself with the corporate brand or not? Please explain why specifically,”“Do you feel that you can influence the value and image of the corporate brand? Please express the reason specially,”“Do you hope that other people feel your image is consistent with the brand image? Please give some examples,”“Do you feel you are responsible for the realization of the
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brand value? Please express some examples,”“Do you feel that you are highly related with brand-related activities?”“Are you concerned about the results of brand-related activities?”
Questions of brand citizenship behavior include “How do you treat your customers or colleagues when your behaviors are related to the corporate brand?”“Do you follow brand-related guidelines before communication or action? What are brand-related guidelines?”“Do you express positive behaviors when your behaviors are related to brand values? What are your positive behaviors?”“Have you ever complained about inconveniences caused by brand-related activities? Please explain why specifically,”“Would you like to endorse for the corporate brand, indicating you are willing to transmit positive brand values toward new comers or friends?”“Would you like to enhance brand-related skills unceasingly?”“In order to enhance brand values, what are your positive behaviors?”
Each in-depth interview of brand psychological ownership and brand citizenship behavior took from forty minutes to 1.5 hours depending on the organizational complexity. In the process of interview, each employee could freely express their opinions which were recorded simultaneously and converted to transcripts. This study checked the content of the transcript, and tried to find ideas which could be utilized in items of questionnaires. Then, this study discussed these new ideas with two thesis
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supervisors to make sure that the ideas are conformed to the definition of brand psychological ownership and brand citizenship behavior. After deleting the ideas that didn’t match the definition of brand psychological ownership and brand citizenship behavior, this study translated the ideas into items of the questionnaire. Key concepts of brand psychological ownership and brand citizenship behavior obtained from in-depth interview are presented in Table 3-12 and 3-13.
Table 3-12 Key Concepts of Brand Psychological Ownership Obtained from In-depth Interviews
Questions/concepts Respondents’answers In the daily work, do you feel
that the corporate brand is closely linked with you? Please explain specifically.
(Belongingness of corporate brand)
1. The corporate brand becomes the subject that I can talk with my family or friends.
2. The corporate brand is closely associated with salespeople, because customers are attracted by the brand image and
salespeople’s service attitude.
3. I like personality and image of the corporate brand because my service behavior is highly associated with them.
Could you tell me whether you identify yourself with the corporate brand or not? Please explain specifically.
(Identification of corporate brand)
1. I choose to work in the company because I identify the vision and culture of the corporate brand.
2. I choose to work in the company because I like the personality of the corporate brand.
3. I feel the success of the corporate brand is closely associated with me.
Do you feel that you can influence the value and image of the corporate brand? Please explain specifically.
(Self-efficacy of corporate brand)
1. I will response customers’feedbacks toward the company when customers complain or praise.
2. I feel I can transmit brand values toward customers, family and friends successfully.
3. I can response brand-related information or ideas toward the company.
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Table 3-12 Key Concepts of Brand Psychological Ownership Obtained from In-depth Interviews (Continued)
Questions/concepts Respondents’answers
4. I feel that I can influence the brand value in my daily work.
Do you hope that other people feel your image is consistent with the brand image? Please give some examples.
(Image extension of corporate brand)
1. I feel that I am the representative of the corporate brand when I interact with customers.
2. I hope that my family and friends feel my image is consistent with the brand image.
3. I hope that customers feel my image is consistent the brand image.
Do you feel you are responsible for the realization of the brand value? Please give some examples.
(Accountability of corporate brand)
1. In my daily job, I feel I have to realize the brand value without my personal emotions.
2. I will solve the service problems according to the responses of customers.
3. I will defend for the brand image when others criticize it.
4. I feel I am encouraged when customers praise the corporate brand or my service.
Do you feel that you are highly correlated with brand-related activities?
(Identification of corporate brand)
1. I identify brand-related activities and feel these activities are highly associated with me.
2. I feel the success of these activities is like my success.
Are you concerned about the results of brand-related activities?
(Belongingness of corporate brand)
1. I feel I am concerned about results of brand-related activities because I can get bonus from better results.
2. I feel I am concerned about results of brand-related affairs because I can participate in decision making.
Source: this research
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Table 3-13 Key Concepts of Brand Citizenship Behavior Obtained from In-depth Interviews
Questions/concepts Respondents’answers How do you treat your customers or
colleagues when your behaviors are related to the corporate brand?
(Helping behaviors of corporate brand)
1. I treat customers as my family and solve their problems as my own problems.
2. I ask customers about their needs and actively help them solve their problems.
3. I voluntarily teach newcomers how to service customers.
4. I voluntarily teach newcomers brand-related skills.
Do you follow brand-related
guidelines before communication or action? What are brand-related guidelines? (Consideration of corporate brand)
1. In my company, brand guidelines are like standards of operation process.
2. I voluntarily follow brand guidelines when I interact with customers.
3. I voluntarily follow brand guidelines without organizational monitor.
4. I solve customers’complaints according to brand guidelines.
Do you express positive behaviors when your behaviors are related to brand values? What are your positive behaviors?
(Enthusiasm of corporate brand)
1. I express active behaviors to satisfy customers’needs.
2. I actively participate in activities which can contribute to the success of the corporate brand.
3. I express initiative behaviors to solve customers’problems and complaints.
4. In order to enhance brand value, I service customers according to their responses.
Have you ever complained about inconveniences caused by
brand-related activities? Please explain why specially.
(Sportsmanship of corporate brand)
1. I feel doing the job well is my duty.
Therefore, I never complain about brand-related activities, such as promotion activities for new products.
2. In order to satisfy customers’needs, I think I will tolerate inconveniencies caused by brand-related activities.
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Table 3-13 Key Concepts of Brand Citizenship Behavior Obtained from In-depth Interviews (Continued)
Questions/concepts Respondents’answers
3. In order to enhance the brand image perceived by customers, I think I will tolerate inconveniencies caused by brand-related activities.
Would you like to endorse for the corporate brand, indicating you are willing to transmit positive brand values toward new comers or friends? (Endorsement of corporate brand)
1. I feel I have responsibility for the endorsement of the corporate brand.
2. In order to endorse the corporate brand, I feel I am willing to transmit brand values to newcomers or friends.
3. I feel I have loyalty and trust toward the corporate brand; therefore, I am willing to endorse the corporate brand.
Would you like to enhance brand-related skills unceasingly?
(Self-development of corporate brand)
1. In our company, there are some courses that help employees to enhance service quality.
2. I am willing to brand-related skills via training courses.
3. I am willing to enhance my professional knowledge via training courses.
In order to enhance brand values, what is your positive behavior?
(Enhancement of corporate brand)
1. I voluntarily understand what customers need even when supervisors don’t monitor me.
2. In order to enhance the brand value, I actively share new idea and knowledge with the company.
3. Whatever the information is, I am
willing to response customers’feedbacks to the company.
Source: this research
3.2.2 Step 2 Items Elimination and Content Validity
Two stages were performed to understand details of content analysis. First, two
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make sure that these items are matched the definition of brand psychological ownership and brand citizenship behavior which are clearly enough to understand.
Furthermore, items were refined according to opinions of customer-contacting employees.
Second, 3 Ph.D. candidates of department of Business Administration at the university in northern Taiwan were asked to categorize the items according the definitions. The results could (a) match (b) not match (c) not categorize. By the process, this study could make sure if the items could clearly distinguish the constructs according to opinions of three Ph. D. candidates. If 2 of the 3 Ph.D.
candidates could not match or could not categorize according to the definition of the dimension, the item would be deleted. As reported in Table 3-14 and 3-15, no items were deleted according to expertise’sopinions of brand psychological ownership and brand citizenship behavior. The inter-rater reliability of brand psychological ownership is 0.99, and the inter-rater reliability of brand citizenship behavior is 0.98.
Table 3-14 Expertise Validity of Brand Psychological Ownership Expertise
1
Expertise 2
Expertise 3 Dimension 1 Brand Self-efficacy
V1 I feel I have influence on the corporate brand. ▲ V2 I feel I can successfully transmit values of the brand
toward my family and friends.
V3 I feel that I can successfully transmit the brand value in the process of interacting with customers.
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Table 3-14 Expertise Validity of Brand Psychological Ownership (Continued) Expertise V4 I feel that I can successfully respond customers’
feedbacks to the company.
V5 I feel that I can successfully advise the company about brand-related thoughts.
Dimension 2 Image extension
V6 I hope that my image is consistent with the brand image.
V7 I hope my family and friends feel that my image is consistent with the brand image.
V8 I hope my customers feel that my service consistent with the brand image.
Dimension 3 Brand Accountability
V9 I feel that realizing values of corporate brand is my responsibility.
V10 When others criticize the corporate brand, I may solve the problem according to sources of the problem.
V11 I defend the brand image when others criticize it.
V12 I feel I am praised when the corporate brand is praised.
▲
Dimension 4 Brand Belongingness V13 I feel the corporate brand is like may brand.
V14 I feel I am closely linked with the corporate brand.
V15 I like the corporate brand.
V16 I like the image and personality of the corporate brand a lot.
Dimension 5 Brand Identification
V17 I identify beliefs, values, and norms of the corporate brand.
V18 I identify the vision of the corporate brand.
V19 I identify activities related to the corporate brand.
V20 I feel the success of the corporate brand is like my success.
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Table 3-15 Expertise Validity of Brand Citizenship Behavior Expertise Dimension 1 Helping behaviors of brand
V1 I regard customers as my family and solve their problems as I do mine.
V2 I voluntarily solve problems of customers to foster brand value.
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V3 I voluntarily help newcomers to foster service quality and brand value.
Dimension 2 Brand consideration V4 I voluntarily follow brand guidelines while
servicing customers.
V5 I voluntarily follow brand standard processes without organizational monitoring.
V6 I voluntarily follow brand guidelines while solving customers’complaints.
Dimension 3 Brand enthusiasm
V7 I express aggressive behaviors to satisfy customers and enhance brand value.
▲
V8 I voluntarily participate in brand-related activities.
V9 In order to foster brand value, I express initiative behaviors to solve customers’complaints.
▲
Dimension 4 Brand sportsmanship
V10 I never complain about inconveniences caused by brand-related activities.
V11 I tolerate inconveniencies caused by brand-related activities to satisfy customers and enhance brand value.
Dimension 5 Brand endorsement
V12 I am willing to endorse the brand and voluntarily transmit brand value to newcomers or friends.
V13 I am willing to endorse the brand and have trust and loyalty toward the brand.
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Table 3-15 Expertise Validity of Brand Citizenship Behavior (Continued) Expertise Dimension 6 Brand self-development
V14 I am willing to endlessly enhance brand-related skills.
V15 I strengthen my professional knowledge to foster brand value.
Dimension 7 Brand enhancement
V16 I voluntarily understand needs of customers without organizational requirement.
▲
V17 I voluntarily provide new information and ideas for the brand to enhance brand value.
V18 Whatever the information is, I voluntarily respond customers’feedbacks to my company.
▲: Items could not match or could not be categorized according to the definition of the dimension.
3.2.3 Step 3 Data Collection
3.2.3.1 Sampling
The reason that this research collects individual-level data from perceptions of first-line employees is discussed as follows. In daily job, customer-facing employees who interact with customers frequently can transmit values of corporate brand proposed by senior managers toward customers. Therefore, customer-facing employees play important roles because their positive cognitions and behaviors can improve customers’perceptions toward the corporate brand, thus enhancing the brand equity. Individual-level data collection was made to capture perceptions of
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development of brand psychological ownership and brand citizenship behavior.
Participants in the individual level are customer-facing customers from 35 franchise organizations in Taiwan recruited through Taiwan Chain Store and Franchise Association. This research first visited the senior manager or store manager in person, and phone calls were then made to confirm the willingness to participate in the survey.
3.2.3.2 Data Collection Procedure
This study conducted individual-level data collection in a four-month period (October, 2009~ January, 2010). In the first part (October, 2009~ November, 2009), data collection was collected to conduct exploratory factor analyses. 180 questionnaires were returned among 200 questionnaires distributed, and 178 were valid, which represented an effective response rate of 89 percent. Regard the respondent characteristics: 44.9 percent were male and 55.1 percent were female; 63.5 percent were in the age of 20-25; 56.7 percent had bachelor degree.
In the second part (December, 2009 ~ January, 2010), data collection was collected to conduct confirmatory factor analyses. In the second-wave data, 190 questionnaires were returned among 220 questionnaires distributed, and 183 were valid, which represented an effective response rate of 83 percent. Regard the
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percent are in the age of 20-25; 67.2 percent have bachelor degree. The multilevel data collection procedure is represented in Appendix Table 7.
3.2.4 Step 4 Exploratory Factor Analyses
This study first examined the dimensionality of brand psychological ownership by conducting a principle component analysis with orthogonal (VARIMAX) rotation via utilizing first-group data. Five cross-loading items including V2, V6, V7, V8, and V12 were deleted (Conway and Huffcutt, 2003). This study then examined the dimensionality of brand psychological ownership with remaining 15 items. The selection criteria was that factor loadings of these items appeared higher than 0.5.
KMO value was 0.931 and Barlett Sphericity Test was significant (p-value<0.001).
As showed in Table 3-16, this study obtained 3 factors, which included identification and belongingness of brand, brand self-efficacy, and brand accountability, explained 72.139 percent of the variance. In this research, reliability
was examined on all the remaining items from the 3 dimensions assessment. As a test of reliability, Cronbach’s α was adopted to represent internal consistency. The
result shows that all values were 0.946, 0.841, and 0.79. Therefore we conclude that the items are reliably measuring the defined constructs and variables.
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Table 3-16 EFA of Brand Psychological Ownership (Varimax Rotation) Factor loading
Items
Identification and belongingness of brand
Brand self-efficacy Brand accountability
V20 0.822 0.172 0.231
V14 0.781 0.201 0.274
V17 0.771 0.196 0.309
V15 0.766 0.286 0.312
V16 0.763 0.167 0.352
V13 0.729 0.218 0.135
V19 0.722 0.300 0.240
V18 0.702 0.392 0.233
V5 0.365 0.822 -0.092
V4 0.143 0.718 0.400
V3 0.240 0.689 0.289
V1 0.204 0.681 0.264
V9 0.322 0.249 0.774
V10 0.343 0.339 0.712
V11 0.398 0.134 0.645
Variance % 35.325 19.33 17.484
Cumulative
This study also examined the dimensionality of brand citizenship behavior by conducting a principle component analysis with orthogonal (VARIMAX) rotation via utilizing first-group data. Five cross-loading items including V4, V5, V6, V7, V9, and V16 were deleted. This study then examined the dimensionality of brand psychological ownership with remaining 12 items. The selection criteria was that factor loadings of these items appeared higher than 0.5. KMO value was 0.915 and Barlett Sphericity Test was significant (p-value<0.001).
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As showed in Table 3-17, this study obtained 3 factors, which included sportsmanship and endorsement of brand, helping behavior of brand, and consideration and enhancement of brand, explained 71.07 percent of the variance.
Reliability was examined on all the remaining items from the 3 dimensions assessment. The result shows that all values were 0.88, 0.80, and 0.86. Therefore we conclude that the items are reliably measuring the defined constructs and variables.
Table 3-17 EFA of Brand Citizenship Behavior (Varimax Rotation) Factor loading
V10 0.813 0.195 0.193
V11 0.742 0.432 0.094
V12 0.655 0.135 0.506
V13 0.649 0.248 0.399
V17 0.605 0.416 0.147
V8 0.586 0.118 0.438
V1 0.331 0.823 0.192
V2 0.325 0.754 0.314
V3 0.168 0.680 0.485
V14 0.342 0.201 0.805
V18 0.095 0.388 0.699
V15 0.331 0.461 0.630
Variance % 27.08 21.69 22.30
Cumulative variance %
27.08 48.77 71.07
Cronbach’salpha 0.88 0.80 0.86
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3.2.5 Step 5 Definitions and Measures of Dimensions
After exploratory factor analyses, items of brand psychological ownership were divided into three factors, including identification and belongingness of brand, brand self-efficacy, and brand accountability. Items of brand citizenship behavior were divided into three factors, including sportsmanship and endorsement of brand, helping behavior of brand, enhancement and self-development of brand. Definitions and measurements of theses constructs are discussed as follows.
3.2.5.1 Step 5.1 Brand Psychological Ownership
In this section, this study defines three dimensions of brand psychological ownership, including identification and belonging of brand, brand self-efficacy, and brand accountability.
3.2.5.1.1 Identification and Belongingness of Brand (IBB)
Identification and belongingness of brand is defined by this study as cognitions that organizational members feel they are closely linked to the corporate brand, and produce favorable feelings toward corporate brand, thus identifying strategic vision, belief, value, norm, and image of the corporate brand proposed by senior managers.
As showed in Table 3-18, items of identification and belongingness of brand include V13, V14, V15, V16, V17, V18, V19, and V20.
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Table 3-18 Items of Identification and Belongingness of Brand
Dimension Items
V13: I feel the corporate brand is like may brand.
V14: I feel I am closely linked with the corporate brand.
V15: I like the corporate brand.
V16: I like the image and personality of the corporate brand a lot.
V17: I identify with beliefs, values, and norms of the corporate brand.
V18: I identify with the vision of the corporate brand.
V19: I identify with activities related to the corporate brand.
Identification and belongingness of brand
(IBB)
V20: I feel the success of the corporate brand is like my success.
3.2.5.1.2 Brand Self-efficacy (BSE)
This study defines brand self-efficacy as situation that employees believe they can successfully transmit values of corporate brand toward family, friends, or customers, but also can successfully transmit customers’ feedbacks to the
This study defines brand self-efficacy as situation that employees believe they can successfully transmit values of corporate brand toward family, friends, or customers, but also can successfully transmit customers’ feedbacks to the