Impact of Employer Branding on Employee Retention of Executive-Level Employees in a Selected Apparel Company in Western Province: The Mediating Role of Perceived Organizational Support and the Moderating Effect of Career Development Opportunities

Employee retention has become a strategic priority in Sri Lanka’s apparel industry due to increasing competition, evolving workforce expectations, and the rising global demand for skilled executives. Despite extensive investment in employer branding, organizations continue to face challenges in retaining executive-level employees. This study looks at how employer branding affects employee retention while evaluating the moderating effect of career development opportunities (CDO) and the mediating role of perceived organizational support (POS). This study used a quantitative research design, guided by Social Exchange Theory, and gathered information from 169 executive-level employees of a chosen Western Province clothing company. The results showed that employee retention is significantly improved by employer branding. While CDO considerably increases the impact of employer branding on retention, POS only partially mediates this relationship. The study highlights how crucial it is to combine effective employer branding campaigns with encouraging HR procedures and planned developmental pathways. Future research directions and suggestions for organizational practice are discussed.

employer branding, employee retention, perceived organizational support, career development opportunities.

1. Backhaus, K., & Tikoo, S. (2004). Conceptualizing and researching employer branding. Journal of Brand Management, 12(3), 113–133. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.bm.2540198 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Berthon, P., Ewing, M., & Hah, L. L. (2005). Captivating company: Dimensions of attractiveness in employer branding. International Journal of Advertising, 24(2), 151–172. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2005.11072912 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Tanwar, K., & Prasad, A. (2016). The employer brand and employee retention: Mediating role of job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Industrial and Commercial Training, 48(4), 185–195. https://doi.org/10.1108/ICT-03-2015-002 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Mitchell, T. R., Holtom, B. C., Lee, T. W., Sablynski, C. J., & Erez, M. (2001). Why people stay: Using job embeddedness to predict voluntary turnover. Academy of Management Journal, 44(6), 1102–1121. https://doi.org/10.5465/3069391 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Hausknecht, J. P., Rodda, J., & Howard, M. J. (2009). Targeted employee retention: Performance‐based and job‐related differences in reported reasons for staying. Human Resource Management, 48(2), 269– 288. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.20279 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Kossivi, B., Xu, M., & Kalgora, B. (2016). Study on determining factors of employee retention. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 4(5), 261–268. https://doi.org/10.4236/jss.2016.45029 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Eisenberger, R., Huntington, R., Hutchison, S., & Sowa, D. (1986). Perceived organizational support. Journal of Applied Psychology, 71(3), 500–507. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.71.3.500 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Rhoades, L., & Eisenberger, R. (2002). Perceived organizational support: A review of the literature. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(4), 698–714. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.87.4.698 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Armstrong-Stassen, M., & Ursel, N. D. (2009). Perceived organizational support, career satisfaction, and the retention of older employees. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 82(1), 201–220. https://doi.org/10.1348/096317908X288838 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Kraimer, M. L., Seibert, S. E., Wayne, S. J., Liden, R. C., & Bravo, J. (2011). Employee development and turnover intentions: The role of perceived career growth opportunities. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 32(7), 998–1023. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.674 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Ghosh, P., Satyawadi, R., Joshi, J. P., & Shadman, M. (2013). Who stays with you? Factors predicting employees’ intention to stay. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 21(3), 288–312. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-Mar-2012-056 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. JAAF (Joint Apparel Association Forum Sri Lanka). (2023). Sri Lanka apparel industry report 2023. https://www.jaafsl.com [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Wijesekara, A. G. S. (2021). Employer branding and retention in the Sri Lankan apparel sector. Sabaragamuwa University Journal, 19(1), 45–62. (University repository link: [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. https://www.sab.ac.lk/journal) [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Perera, H., & Weerakkody, W. (2020). Human resource practices and retention in the Sri Lankan apparel industry. Sri Lankan Journal of Human Resource Management, 10(2), 55–70. https://journals.sab.ac.lk/sljhrm [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Hendriana, E., Christoper, A., Zain, H. O. A., & Pricilia, N. (2023). The Role of Employer Branding in Work-life Balance and Employee Retention Relationship among Generation Z Workers: Mediation or Moderation? Jurnal Manajemen Teori Dan Terapan | Journal of Theory and Applied Management, 16(1), 124–143. https://doi.org/10.20473/jmtt.v16i1.41703 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Lukić-Nikolić, J., & Lazarević, S. (2022). Employer branding and employee value proposition for Generation Z in digital economy. Marketing, 53(3), 203–214. https://doi.org/10.5937/mkng2203203l [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Ramachandran, B. (2018). Perceived organizational support, perceived supervisory support, job satisfaction and organizational commitment among employees in companies at Wesports. In UUM Electronic Theses and Dissertation [eTheses] (Northern University of Malaysia). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. https://etd.uum.edu.my/8143/1/820398_1.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Backhaus, K., & Tikoo, S. (2021 Samoliuk, N., Bilan, Y., Mishchuk, H., & Mishchuk, V. (2022). Employer brand: key values influencing the intention to join a company. Management & Marketing, 17(1), 61–72. https://doi.org/10.2478/mmcks-2022-0004 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Hendriana, E., Christoper, A., Zain, H. O. A., & Pricilia, N. (2023b). The Role of Employer Branding in Work-life Balance and Employee Retention Relationship among Generation Z Workers: Mediation or Moderation? Jurnal Manajemen Teori Dan Terapan | Journal of Theory and Applied Management, 16(1), 124–143. https://doi.org/10.20473/jmtt.v16i1.41703 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Spence, M. (1973). Job market signaling. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 87(3), 355–374. https://doi.org/10.2307/1882010 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Berthon, P., Ewing, M., & Hah, L. L. (2005). Captivating company: Dimensions of attractiveness in employer branding. International Journal of Advertising, 24(2), 151–172. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/240237677_Captivating_company_Dimensions_of_attractiven ess_in_employer_branding [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Sivertzen, A. M., Nilsen, E. R., & Olafsen, A. H. (2013). Employer branding: Employer attractiveness and the use of social media. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 22(7), 473–483. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263284686_Employer_branding_Employer_attractiveness_and _the_use_of_social_media [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Allen, D. G., Bryant, P. C., & Vardaman, J. M. (2010). Retaining talent: Replacing misconceptions with evidence-based strategies. Academy of Management Perspectives, 24(2), 48–64. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236145687_Retaining_Talent_Replacing_Misconceptions_Wit h_Evidence-Based_Strategies [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Kossivi, B., Xu, M., & Kalgora, B. (2016). Study on determining factors of employee retention. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 4(5), 261–268. https://www.scirp.org/pdf/jss_2016053009190527.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. Hausknecht, J. P., Rodda, J., & Howard, M. J. (2009). Targeted employee retention: Performance‐based and job‐related differences in reported reasons for staying. Human Resource Management, 48(2), 269– 288. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.20279 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

32. Eisenberger, R., Huntington, R., Hutchison, S., & Sowa, D. (1986). Perceived organizational support. Journal of Applied Psychology, 71(3), 500–507. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

33. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.71.3.500 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

34. Rhoades, L., & Eisenberger, R. (2002). Perceived organizational support: A review of the literature. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(4), 698–714. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.87.4.698 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

35. Kurtessis, J. N., et al. (2017). Perceived organizational support: A meta-analytic evaluation of organizational support theory. Journal of Management, 43(6), 1854–1884. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

36. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206315575554 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

37. Tanwar, K., & Prasad, A. (2016). Exploring the relationship between employer branding and employee retention. Global Business Review, 17(3S), 186S–206S. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

38. https://doi.org/10.1177/0972150916631214 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

39. Alshathry, S., Clarke, M., & Goodman, S. (2017). The role of employer brand equity in employee attraction and retention. International Journal of Management Practice, 10(1), 1–20. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

40. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318507319_The_role_of_employer_brand_equity_in_employe e_attraction_and_retention [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

41. heurer, C. P., Tumasjan, A., Welpe, I. M., & Lievens, F. (2018). Employer branding: A brand equitybased literature review and research agenda. International Journal of Management Reviews, 20(1), 155– 179. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12114 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

42. Xia, J., Yang, Y., & Chen, H. (2020). Signaling theory and employer branding: Implications for perceived organizational support. Journal of Business Research, 116, 546–556. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.05.013 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• The Indirect Effect of Liquidity and Activity on Company Value with Profitability as an Intervening Variable
• Effect of Financial Skills, Knowledge, and Attitude on The Financial Behaviour of Clergy
• A Decade of Review: Trends in Budget Execution and Financial Performance of Development Projects in Tanzania (2014/15-2023/24)
• The Influence of Pre-Project Planning on the Budget Absorption Rate of Public Funded Infrastructure Projects in Kenya a Comparative Case Study of Narok, Migori, and Kisii County Government Projects
• Assessment of Factors Influencing Digital Transformation in Hotels’ Facility Management in Abuja Metropolis, Nigeria