This thesis examines the importance of employee perceptions of their organisation's visual corporate identity (VCI) particularly the symbolic 'corporate logo'. Employees' views of the logo reveal their perceptions of the organisation itself (Henderson and Cote 1998:15, Olins 1995:73) so are an important indicator of their positive or negative feelings towards their establishment. Previous research recognises the significance of employees' opinions, but has overlooked their perceptions of the VCI. In education, external marketing (including VCI) is of growing interest but there has been little concern with internal marketing. Methodology A mixed methods, sequential, explanatory case study into a UK independent school was undertaken. Quantitative data was obtained from questionnaires, distributed to the schools' employees and qualitative data from interviews; analysis reveals convergent and divergent findings.Findings The majority of the schools' employees consider the corporate colours and logo important, associate positive meanings with the logo and were proud to be linked to the school by wearing branded items. Employees felt affiliation for the logo and considered the VCI to be strong although responses differed depending upon gender, full or part-time employment, department, seniority and length-of-service. A new model has been developed, the IMP Test, that reveals the perceptions; the importance, meanings, and pride that employees attach to their VCI. Implications These findings reinforce and add to previous research of employee perceptions of their VCI (particularly in education) and it follows, towards their organisation. Utilising this approach, managers can gain a deeper understanding of employee perceptions which has implications for morale and motivation.

This study examines Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) within the industry of sports and more precisely in regards to professional ice hockey players. The purpose of this study is to achieve a deeper understanding of how professional ice hockey players organize themselves through philanthropic CSR and why these engage in this CSR-work and in turn how it affects their brand. To attain this purpose the study need to answer the following three questions: how do ice hockey players organize themselves using philanthropic CSR, what motivates them to do philanthropic CSR-work and lastly how is their brand affected by doing philanthropic CSR.To achieve this deeper knowledge eleven interviews were carried out to collect the empirical data for the study. The interviews were conducted with a deductive viewpoint which gradually turned into a inductive one. With this in mind the study has been carried out with previous studies being taken in consideration and after the conclusion of the interviews into the position of the individual hockey players. After analysing the results a strong connection between the empirical data and the theoretical framework could be confirmed and it became clear that the players did not use CSR for their own gain or benefits. The motives behind the players engagement with CSR-activities could be connected to their unique prerequisites, but also through the encourage they received from their surroundings. The motivation for CSR seemed to come from the will to transcend into the life after sports. / Denna studie behandlar Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) inom idrottsbranschen, med inriktning mot professionella ishockeyspelare. Studiens syfte är att erhålla en förståelse för hur professionella ishockeyspelare organiserar sig av filantropiskt CSR, samt undersöka vad som motiverar dem till det filantropiska CSR-arbetet och hur detta i sin tur påverkar ishockeyspelarens varumärke. Följande frågeställningar ska besvaras för att uppnå syftet: hur organiserar sig ishockeyspelare genom filantropiskt CSR-arbete, vad motiverar dem till filantropiskt CSR-arbete samt hur deras varumärke påverkas av filantropiskt CSR-arbete? För att nå den djupa förståelsen har empirin samlats in genom elva semistrukturerade intervjuer. Studien har utgått från ett deduktivt synsätt men har gradvis övergått till ett induktivt synsätt. Således har studien utgått från tidigare kunskap för forskningsämnet men efter de utförda intervjuerna övergått till ishockeyspelarnas ställningstagande. Efter en analysering av studien kunde starka kopplingar mellan det empiriska materialet och den teoretiska referensramen konstateras. Efter arbetets gång blev det tydligt att ishockeyspelarna inte använder sig av CSR för sin egna skull eller för sin egna vinning. Motiven bakom ishockeyspelarnas engagemang för CSR kunde kopplas till deras unika förutsättningar, men även av uppmuntran av sin omgivning. Motivationen för CSR engagemang visade sig fortleva i livet efter idrotten.