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Branding in the public sector is emerging as an interesting area of research, as diverse organisations find themselves using branding principles to promote a consistent, clear brand. However, very little is known how public organisations could, or should, manage their brands. The purpose of this research, therefore, is to explore brand management processes in the public sector, and its implication for brand architecture, from an employee perspective. With a qualitative approach the study argues that branding is important not only for the organisation, but for individual departments. Further, unlike branding in the private sector, public organisations may be more concerned with supporting a positive perception and organisational attractiveness rather than a unique and differentiated brand. This may have implications for brand architecture. By allowing individual departments to manage their brand with support from organisational structures that provide alignment and focus, organisations can form a brand architecture that supports a strong organisational brand and employee brand commitment.

Challenged by demanding contextual conditions, public sector organizations struggle to succeed in internal branding. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of value congruence in internal communication and positive organizational practices on employees' brand perceptions. The study examines the impact of PSM on these variables. The results of a survey demonstrate the importance of value congruence and positive organizational practices for facilitating employees' brand identification, brand pride, and brand commitment. The findings show that PSM directly impacts employees' opinions about value congruence and positive organizational practices, and indirectly influences their affective responses to the organizational brand.

Branding has become an established means for many public sector organisations to support the desired perceptions of the organisation. While branding is often presented as useful and advantageous for the organisations, this study cautions against oversimplifying the issue. By focusing on the perspective of employees, this case study investigates contextual factors that influence the affective outcome of internal brand management, employee brand commitment, in the public sector. The findings reveal the critical importance of the identity and values of an organisation and its employees, and its leadership, in the form of political governance. These factors may have considerable influence on both the implementation and the key principles of public sector branding, not least its internal brand management.

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