Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Psychological Sciences / Laura A. Brannon / Two common types of advertisement avoidance behaviors in digital domains are skipping and zipping. Skipping involves pressing a “skip ad” button when viewing television content online, and zipping involves pressing a fast-forward button when viewing the same content through some type of recording device (e.g. Digital Video Recording device). The purpose of these studies was to examine if specific factors regarding the content of the advertisement, the persuasion context, and characteristics of the viewer reduce occurrences of skipping and zipping behavior. Participants in these two studies saw a combination of television shows and advertisements. One target advertisement marketed a fictional MP3 player while another discussed the dangers of binge drinking. One version each of the MP3 and binge drinking advertisements contained average-looking (i.e. normal) actors, and the other half contained above-average-looking (i.e. attractive) actors. Half of the viewers were allowed to choose which type of advertisements they would watch while the other half were forced to watch a particular type. The results of one study showed that participants were more likely to skip the MP3 advertisement than the binge drinking advertisement after making an advertisement choice when both contained normally attractive actors. These findings demonstrate that the effect of advertisement choice may be more complicated than previously found. Instead of acting as a means to improve avoidance rates, advertisement choice may make the content more salient to participants. Thus, viewers’ perceptions of the advertisement after making an advertisement choice may determine whether avoidance occurs.

In recent years, many organizations, such as Starbucks and Pepsi Co., have received negative public attention for company actions that are perceived as challenges to social justice issues, particularly with regard to diversity. The increased public criticism of companies involved in controversial diversity related issues is likely due to societal expectations that companies increase their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Corporate Social performance (CSP) efforts and serve as leaders of social change (Cone Communications, 2017). The current two-part experimental investigation includes two experimental Studies exploring the impact of diversity related CSP, specifically regarding immigration and race which are particularly relevant to current organizations as they are controversial, polarizing, and closely tied to politics, on prospective employees’ perceptions of an organization as a potential employer. These two Studies also contribute to the literature by looking at the impact of person-organization fit (P-O fit) on the relationship between CSP and organizational attractiveness and likelihood to accept a job offer (Study 1); and the impact of diversity-related CSP on prospective employees of color’s attractiveness to an organization and likelihood to pursue a job (Study 2).

This study is based on the case of the Swedish Armed Forces (SAF) since the organization has struggled with its recruitment and brand building. The purpose of the study is to approach the coherence between brand image and brand identity through an employer branding perspective. More specifically, it aims to explore how this interplay might influence the employer attractiveness of an organization. The research is based on a qualitative case study. Furthermore, previous research regarding brand identity, brand image and employer branding constitutes the basis of the developed conceptual model. The empirical material was gathered through semi-structured interviews with current SAF employees and semi-structured focus groups with potential employees. Findings indicate the brand image did not cohere with the brand identity and that the potential employees had a more negative perception of the employer. However, the potential employees’ who had relatives who work for the SAF had a positive attitude towards the organization and perceived the workplace as more attractive. This study has contributed with an additional perspective on employer branding since there is little research within the field.

Because of the digitalization that takes place today, the retailing field has changed dramatically. Customers buy online, mainly because of its convenience. Consequently, brick-and-mortar stores are facing competition from online companies leading to that some brick-and-mortar stores have to file for bankruptcy. The literature states that brick-and-mortar stores now have to focus on what happens inside the store in order to generate a pleasant experience. In this context, three different concepts are crucial namely, omni-channels, retail customer experience and customer value.  A concept that has emerged in order to provide a superior customer experience is Mash-up, which focuses on a mix of offerings in one store. The research question focuses on examining how Mash-up influences retail customer experience and customer value in order to see how Mash-up combined with omni-channels can influence store attractiveness. Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews from customers who visited the retail stores O:Hedd and AB Småland. The results show that Mash-up tends to influence retail customer experience and customer value positively. A series of various integrated activities tend to not only have a positive impact on the retail customer experience, but it also tends to satisfy both hedonic and utilitarian value. It also emerged that omni-channels, in terms of click-and-collect, are highly valued by the customers and it indicates that the digitalization has to be taken into consideration. Thus, Mash-up combined with omni-channels will influence store attractiveness positively. Thereby, by adopting Mash-up and considering omni-channels, brick-and-mortar stores will still stand a chance against online companies.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur anställda som arbetar med employer branding i Jönköpings Län upplever arbetet, samt hur de arbetar med att attrahera och rekrytera högskolestudenter efter examen. Studien var av en kvalitativ ansats och underlaget utgjordes av semistrukturerade intervjuer. Ett kriteriebaserat urval applicerades och totalt deltog femton respondenter fördelade på tio organisationer. Det insamlade materialet analyserades genom tematisk analys och resulterade i tre huvudteman: Avsaknad av övergripande employer branding-strategi, frustration och individanpassat jobberbjudande. Resultatet visade att det fanns stora skillnader gällande hur employer branding arbetet prioriterades inom organisationerna samt en polarisering av hur strukturerat och strategiskt arbetet var. Avsaknaden av en enhetlig och övergripande employer branding-strategi skapade frustration hos deltagande respondenter. Det fanns en medvetenhet i organisationerna om att studenter och nyexaminerade främst tenderar att efterfråga symboliska attribut när de söker arbete, vilket överensstämmer med tidigare forskning.

Although sustainability within human resource management has increasingly received attention amongst scholars and practitioners, not enough has been done to demonstrate how the concept of Sustainable HRM translates into practice. In the light of digitalization and globalization, knowledge-based actors within the modern business environment are facing rapid changes whereby the retainment of valuable skills and competencies has become crucial for ensuring competitive advantage. On the individual level, knowledge- based workers encounter challenges such as work intensification, extensive availability and work-life-balance when conforming with the changing nature of work. In addition, since employees’ loyalty and demands are continuously shifting, the concept of EmployerAttractiveness is becoming a larger strategic concern for knowledge-based firms. Employer Attractiveness also serves as one of the primary reasons for linking Sustainability with HRM. From the overlapping problem backgrounds of Sustainable HRM and Employer Attractiveness this study found a research gap which formulated the research question of this study:   “How can Sustainable HRM contribute to Employer Attractiveness?”    The purpose of this study serves to create an understanding of how Sustainable HRM is practiced and how it in turn contributes to Employer Attractiveness in terms of employee retainment. A qualitative inductive approach was undertaken to fulfil this purpose, in which nine semi-structured interviews with consultants and HR-workers belonging to small-and medium sized firms acknowledged as attractive employers was conducted. The interviews and empirical findings were structured accordingly with the core components of Sustainable HRM. The key findings retrieved highlights the interconnectedness between the four Sustainable HRM dimensions; long-term, impact, substance and partnership orientations, and the five values; application, development, economic, interest, social, used for assessing Employer Attractiveness. Based upon the analysis, a conceptual model was established to demonstrate how Sustainable HRM, influenced by its context, can contribute to employee-perceived Employer Attractiveness. This study theoretically contributes a further understanding of the concepts of Sustainable HRM and Employer Attractiveness respectively and combined, by introducing new figures and models valuable for the existing field of research. In practical terms, this study offers valuable managerial insights of how leaders and firms should view Sustainable HRM an integrative part of the entire firm alongside with recognizing the strategic potential of sustainability within HRM in terms of Employer Attractiveness. On a societal level, this study addresses the importance of raising more attention to the employees as key stakeholders within the social dimension of sustainability.

Today, every organization is struggling to attract, recruit and retain staff. This is because it has become a” war of talent”, since it is difficult to recruit candidates with excellence. This means that it is important for employees to work with their brand to succeed. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate what nursing students find attractive with employees’ brand and what would make them stay in Norrbotten after their studies, and how this differs from employees work with employer branding. The study was conducted with a qualitative method and an adductive approach. The collected material was interpreted with a thematic analysis and coded with an empirical-driven and theoretical coding. The results of this study showed that organizations work with employer branding, but that they could developed. The results also showed that there are significant factors that students find attractive: work environment, work tasks, development opportunities, good colleagues and a good manager. The salary was an important factor even though it was not the biggest. Which differs from the employee’s biggest factors in their work with employer branding: the locality, development opportunities, work environment, salary, working conditions, working hours, career opportunities and benefits. The result also shows that there are factors that can affect the student’s choice moving after their studies. / Idag kämpar varje organisation med att attrahera, rekrytera och behålla personal. Detta för att det har blivit ett ”krig om talang”, då det är svårt att rekrytera kandidater med spetskompetens. Detta gör att det är av vikt för arbetsgivare att arbeta med sitt varumärke för att lyckas.Syftet med studien är att undersöka vad sjuksköterskestudenter finner attraktivt med arbetsgivares varumärke och vad som skulle få dem att stanna i Norrbotten efter studierna, samt hur detta skiljer sig mot arbetsgivares arbete med employer branding. Studiens genomfördes med en kvalitativ metod och en aduktiv ansats. Det insamlade materialet tolkades med entematisk analys och kodades med en data-driven och teoretisk kodning. Resultatet i denna studie visade att arbetsgivarna arbetar med employer branding men att de hade kunnat utvecklas. Resultatet visade även att det finns betydande faktorer som studenterna finner attraktiva: arbetsmiljö, arbetsuppgifter, utvecklingsmöjligheter, bra kollegor och en bra chef. Lönen var även en viktig faktor, och kunde påverka exempelvis val av tjänst. Vilket skiljer sig från de betonade faktorerna i arbetsgivarnasarbete medemployer branding: orten, kompetensutveckling, arbetsmiljö, lön, arbetsvillkor, arbetstider, karriärmöjligheter och förmåner.Resultatet visade även att det finns faktorer som kan påverka studenternas val att flytta efter sina studier.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi comparar a atratividade do sorriso entre os diferentes protocolos de tratamento da Classe II subdivisao (extracao de 1, 3 e 4 pre-molares) e verificar a influencia do tamanho do corredor bucal e corredor posterior na estetica do sorriso. A amostra consistiu de fotografias frontais do sorriso posado de 23, 25 e 20 individuos tratados com os protocolos de extracoes de 1, 3 e 4 pre-molares, respectivamente. Em cada fotografia, o corredor bucal e o corredor posterior foram medidos proporcionalmente a largura do sorriso. Por intermedio de um site na internet, as 68 fotografias foram avaliadas quanto a estetica por 46 leigos e 70 ortodontistas, utilizando-se de uma escala de 10 pontos. A atratividade do sorriso entre os 3 protocolos da Classe II subdivisao e os dois grupos de avaliadores foram comparados por meio da Analise de Variancia a dois criterios, enquanto que a influencia da idade e do genero do avaliador na avaliacao da atratividade foi verificada pela Analise de Covariancia. A influencia do tamanho do corredor bucal e do corredor posterior na atratividade do sorriso foi avaliada pelo teste de Correlação de Pearson. Para a comparacao do tamanho dos corredores bucais e corredores posteriores, entre os 3 grupos, foi aplicada a Analise de Variancia. Os resultados demonstraram que nao ha diferenca na atratividade do sorriso entre os pacientes tratados com extracoes de 1, 3 e 4 pre-molares, tanto para leigos quanto para ortodontistas, e o genero e a idade dos avaliadores nao influenciaram a avaliacao da estetica. Os tamanhos dos corredores bucais e dos posteriores nao tiveram correlacao com a atratividade do sorriso. Alem disso, os tamanhos dos corredores bucais e posteriores, entre os grupos, foram estatisticamente semelhantes. / The objective of this study was to compare smile attractiveness between different treatment protocols of Class II subdivision malocclusion (1, 3 and 4-premolar extraction protocols) and verify the esthetic influence of buccal and posterior corridors on the smile attractiveness. The sample consisted of posed smile photographs obtained from 68 subjects, divided into 3 groups according to the treatment extraction protocol. Group 1, treated with 1 premolar extraction protocol included 20 subjects. Group 2, treated with 4 premolars extraction included 25 subjects. The 23 patients in group 3 were treated with 3 premolars extraction. The buccal and posterior corridors of each picture were measured in proportion to the smile width. To rate the posed smile photographs, panels of 70 orthodontists and 46 laypeople used a 10-point scale. Smile attractiveness and differences between the 3 groups and between the 2 panels of raters were subjected to Two-way ANOVA. To determine the relationship between raters gender and age and the esthetic scores Analysis of Covariance was used. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to determine the relationship of buccal and posterior corridors size to the esthetic score. The results showed that there were no significant differences in smile attractivenesss scores between the 3 groups and between orthodontists and laypeople. Also raters gender and age did not influence the esthetic score. The buccal and posterior corridors size did not influence the esthetic score. Besides that, buccal and posterior corridors size did not differ between the groups.

Diploma thesis deals with the effect of the hairstyle symmetry on the female face attractiveness. The aim of the thesis is to experimentally find out the possible relationship between the hairstyle symmetry and the attractiveness of the female face. To map out the views of attractiveness, an online questionnaire was submitted to the respondents of both sexes to evaluate female faces with a symmetrical and asymmetric hairstyles. A total of 56 images were created, which were evaluated by the respondents in terms of attractiveness on the scale of 1-10. Most respondents slightly favored the symmetrical hairstyles, only one sample of male respondents slightly favored the asymmetric hairstyles. Since the difference in symmetrical and asymmetric variations was not statistically significant in any case, it is possible to claim that the symmetry of the hairstyle does not affect the attractiveness of the female face.

This thesis concern how retailers reasons regarding where to locate their store. Previous research stipulates that retailers consider several factors that builds Retail Attractiveness when they decide their store location. The purpose of this thesis is to explore how retailers reason when it comes to where to locate their store. The study is conducted in Kristianstad, Sweden, with retailers located either in the city center, at the out-of-town shopping mall, or both. To fulfill the purpose, semi-structured interviews were held with four retailers that made different decision when C4 Shopping was established. Five interviews were conducted, lasting between 25 and 40 minutes. All interviews were held with store owners and decision-makers. A conceptual model was created from existing literature in order to analyze the results. The original model includes the factors Cluster effects, Accessibility, Atmosphere, and Place Attachment. Under the factors there are sub-factors to nuance the factors. The model ultimately leads to Retail Attractiveness. In the revised model three new factors were added: Rent, Safety, and Proximity to Workplaces. One sub-factor was also removed. It is concluded that retailers consider the factors in the revised model, rate the factors, and thereafter decide where to locate. This thesis adds insights on how retailers reason when they decide where to locate their store, and what factors they consider the as the most important. There is also a discussion on how the conceptual model can be used to measure Retail Attractiveness and explain retailers locational decisions in similar cases elsewhere.