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Publication Date

2024

Document Type

Poster

Degree Type

Graduate

Department

Communication

Mentor

Dr. John Baldwin

Mentor Department

Communication

Abstract

Employee advocacy has drawn significant attention in reputation management research and is of great interest to communication scholars. Despite its ubiquitous nature, little is known about how employee advocacy contributes to promoting the reputation of higher education institutions. This study fills the gap by drawing on in-depth interviews to explore the motivations, strategies, and outcomes of employee advocacy in a large midwestern US university. The study showed that employees of higher education institutions promoted the reputation of the institution through word of mouth, their social media platforms, or the use of institution apparel. Additionally, pride was a key factor that drove employee advocacy, especially amongst employees who were alumni of the institution as a result of their long connection to the university. Findings highlight the dynamics of employee advocacy, which provides directions for future related studies.

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