| Abstract [eng] |
64 pages, 13 tables, 15 pictures, 101 references. Main purpose of this Master Thesis is to show how the internal employer branding is built in aviation industry and how it changed during the Covid-19 pandemic. Area of research is aviation in Lithuania. This Master Thesis consists of three main parts: analysis of literature sources, research and analysis of data obtained during it, and conclusions with suggestions. A lot of research has been done on the topic of branding, but the scientific literature does not describe the aspect of the internal branding of the employer in connection with the aviation sector. In the literature analysis part of this work, the concepts, definitions, components and models of the internal employer branding presented by various authors are analyzed, described and compared. The models are described using an activity-based differentiation strategy. In the present times, airlines are fighting for survival after pandemic lockdowns and trying to get back on their feet, and as a result, the importance of forming a new internal branding is emerging, which is one of the keys to the success of organizations and the reshaping of a positive employer branding. After analyzing the literature and developing a model of an airline's internal employer branding, the author conducted a study based on the components of the model, focusing on how the internal employer branding of in the airline and was affected in the aftermath of the pandemic and which components of the branding were affected the most. During the research, the author selected the research participants according to the established criteria. The study involved 8 eligible experts who were asked semi-structured interview questions covering all components of the internal employer branding. The collected research data was coded using the method of thematic analysis. The data was grouped into categories and subcategories, in order to reveal the essential sentences that answer the research question and the connecting links between the categories. The survey data revealed four most pronounced groups which were most affected in the face of the pandemic. The author reveals the correlations between the variables in the changes of the internal employer branding during the pandemic. After the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the branding of airlines, the author formulates a plan on how to improve the internal employer branding, this plan would help in avoiding similar surprises in the future and make it easier for the companies to manage the challenges. |
