Identifying the Components and Indicators of Internal Branding in Nonprofit Organizations in Iraq
Keywords:
Component identification, internal branding, nonprofit organizations, Iraq, phenomenological methodAbstract
The aim of this study is to discover the components and indicators of internal branding in nonprofit organizations in Iraq. This research adopts an interpretivist philosophy, an inductive approach, a qualitative method, and a phenomenological strategy. The qualitative study population includes managers and employees of nonprofit organizations in Iraq engaged in charitable and benevolent activities who have at least 10 years of experience in branding and internal branding within these organizations, and who also possess sufficient awareness and knowledge of the foundations and principles of internal branding. The sampling method in this research is non-random and purposive. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews. According to the qualitative content analysis conducted, internal branding in nonprofit organizations comprises 11 components, 40 categories, and 342 codes. These 11 components include: employees’ internal communication with the brand, brand goal identification, brand commitment influenced by human resources, creation, recognition, understanding, and transfer of brand value by human resources, brand perception by organizational employees, alignment and value congruence of human resources with the brand, employee support for the brand, brand identity formation and transfer of brand objectives to human resources, brand clarification by employees, brand-consistent behaviors, and extra-role brand-consistent behaviors by human resources. The findings emphasize that while general principles of internal branding are applicable in Iraq, the country’s specific conditions necessitate localized strategies. Notably, the shortage of resources frequently observed in many nonprofit organizations in Iraq, combined with the significant role of informal relationships among employees—a prominent feature of Iraq’s collectivist culture—require that conventional branding approaches be adapted to local needs. This study partially addresses this necessity through its findings.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Amjad Salem Abdoulsadeh Jaberi (Author); Yaghoob Maharati (Corresponding author); Azar Kaffashpoor , Ghasem Eslami (Author)
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