Background:  Employees are the basis upon which a successful firm is built. Today, it is a talents market, and companies must prioritize their employer branding strategies and improve their employee value proposition to attract and retain the best talent. In addition, the pandemic’s disruption in everybody’s daily life caused "The Great Resignation," a phenomenon in which many people quit their employment owing to a lack of recognition and unpleasant working conditions. Consequently, businesses have an even greater challenge to identify and address the challenge to fulfill employees' values and needs. While traditional methods such as salary and other benefits are still necessary, they may not be sufficient for many potential employees who value a positive work environment and feeling connected to the company's goals. Therefore, a gap in literature was found regarding how personal values affect employees decision on choosing employers. Purpose: The objective of the thesis is to create a conceptual framework to explain and investigate the relationship between identity formation and employer branding - how personal values shape employees' decisions to stay or leave their jobs in the transition to a post-pandemic period.   Method: Semi-structured interviews from people in Generation Z and who operate in the white-collar sector, particularly in the "transition to post-pandemic period" was noted. A conceptual model was created from the theoretical background. The data from the interviews were analysed using a thematic analysis, which was carried out using a qualitative method with an abductive approach. Conclusion: The conceptual framework was used to investigate the relationship between identity formation and employer branding. Five contingent variables were identified; employer branding, identity formation, work-life balance, fresh-start mindset, and mobile technology with correlating hypothesises. The authors confirmed that four out of five hypotheses were accepted, except for the fresh-start mindset. The research highlights the importance of employers understanding the values and priorities of their employees to build a strong employer brand strategy. The study recommends that employers evaluate what employees value and form their strategy accordingly.

In recent years there has been a remarkable distribution of the omnichannel environment, which has emerged as a significant factor in the fashion industry. Today's society is characterized by customers who possess extensive knowledge and easy access to information online, with the added convenience of constantly available e-commerce. As consumer awareness has escalated, it has become imperative for businesses to understand how customers' needs, pain points, and desires impact their customer journey in an omnichannel environment. Consequently, the aim of this research is to gain a comprehensive understanding of how Generation Z customers' needs, pain points, and desires influence their behavior throughout the customer journey within the fashion industry's omnichannel landscape. This study aims to contribute new and crucial insights to the existing body of knowledge, given the lack of recent research on this topic from the consumer perspective. To achieve these research objectives, empirical data was collected through a qualitative multi-method study comprising five focus groups and five semi-structured interviews, with a total of 25 participants. The participants consisted of individuals of Swedish origin who were born in, and belong to, Generation Z. The collected data was afterwards analyzed and discussed, which meant comparing and contrasting the results with previous research on the topic. The conclusion of this thesis reveals remarkable observations about Generation Z in Sweden, where this study has identified the most common combinations of different channels in omnichannel atmospheres. Overall, this study highlights a clear preference among female participants to use the services provided by e-commerce, while male participants show a propensity for physical, traditional commerce. In addition, this report sheds new light on the information search and evaluation process, which constitutes the initial stage of the consumer's decision-making process. Finally, needs, pain points and desires based on each step in the customer journey are identified, as well as how the problems can be resolved with initiatives from the companies.

Introduction: Since the start of the digital age back in the 70s, digital technology has become a main tool for us humans to work, communicate, and enjoy ourselves on a day-to-day basis. The major push that set this new chapter of human life was due to the first military-manufactured computers of the time. The usage and development since then have grown exponentially all across our lives, affecting everything from hospital visits in Hong Kong to a late-night shopping experience in Stockholm. This leads us to today, where businesses are taking technological advances every day to keep their customers happy and satisfied, but also setting the bar higher and higher between their competitors. Some store owners have even figured out that physical human presence is not even needed in physical stores. The benefit is that the upkeep costs drop and almost no employees are needed; this is beneficial for small store locations in sparsely populated areas. In Sweden, it has become a huge problem that small towns and villages slowly die due to high upkeep costs for store owners. With these unmanned stores, the trend could change to the possessive. However, it is also pressured by the very technology-demanding Generation Z. Setting pressure on this retail sector to keep up and find the right way to proceed with their businesses in a way that fits Generation Z’s demand long term.  Purpose: This specific study will try to explain how different enhancers and inhibitors affect consumer acceptance according to Generation Z for this store concept in Sweden. The researchers of this thesis believe that this study is needed because of the vast growth of unmanned stores and the lack of research it has, especially in Scandinavia. Methodology: In order to answer the research question, nine different hypotheses were created with different inhibitors and enhancers derived from previous research. Furthermore, a combination of online and face-to-face questionnaires was conducted, whereby 133 valid respondents were collected. The data was then analyzed with the help of a multiple regression analysis. Conclusion:  From this research, it can be concluded that for the investigated enhancers: high levels of technology readiness, usefulness, and enjoyment were all factors affecting Gen Z´s acceptance of unmanned convenience stores. Furthermore, that lack of human interaction affects Gen Z´s resistance towards unmanned convenience stores. These results can be used for future research and for companies targeting Gen Z to shop at unmanned convenience stores.

Background: Following the development brought by the digital age, social networks and consumer behaviour has significantly changed. The network connectivity of WEB 2.0 enables information to spread at an accelerated rate to a wide scope, creating viral demand. This phenomenon presents an opportunity for brands to increase their customer base. Building brand resonance through brand equity management will result in a stronger brand-to-consumer relationship from viral demand, leading to improved customer retention and overall brand growth. Purpose: This paper focuses on theory development of Kevin Keller’s (1993) CBBE model. The remodelling aims to strategize brand equity management to optimize long-term customer retention from viral demand based on Generation Z consumer behaviour. The framework provides value for brands as it allows to recognize key drivers influencing Gen-Z's customer retention within the context of virality. Method: The study follows a qualitative design, which is inspired by grounded theory methodology, enabling us to develop a framework based on the CBBE-model (Keller, 1993). An open-ended survey was conducted to understand Generation Z consumer behaviour during viral trends. The survey was systematically analysed, and empirical conclusions were made, respectively. Conclusion: An interest in product over brand during viral trends disrupts the customer retention longevity, explaining why the individual Gen-Z customer lifetime is rather short lived. Furthermore, the proposed CVRM model strategizes how to (1) create willingness for the customer to return and (2) how to prolong customer retention and thus generate long term benefits from a short-term phenomenon.

Generation Z has been in a high-pressure environment for a long time, whether studying or working, and everyone is in a fast-paced attitude of life. The online world, especially video software, is very popular among the Generation Z crowd because these video software can provide fast, convenient, and decompressed content. And when browsing videos, one thing that has to be mentioned is the advertisements. The frequent presence of ads has led to the rapid growth of membership on various platforms. However, YouTube is the most popular video sharing platform in the world. This paper investigates the attitude of the Generation Z user group towards online video ad placement on YouTube. Also, this paper studies and analyzes the value perceptions of Generation Z users. Also, this paper investigates whether users are equally influenced by the experience of ads on similar video software platforms and whether they have common influencing factors. This paper focuses on the impact of three ad delivery methods on Generation Z users' experience, including skippable ads, non-skippable ads, and five-second skippable ads. This paper will use qualitative research methods to conduct one-on-one interviews with respondents to study and analyze the results.

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Fast fashion is an industry that is closely linked to the cause of climate change, and it is the second largest industry to contribute to pollution. In Sweden, one of the largest groups to consume fast fashion is young consumers, i.e., Generation Z. The same generation is also the information generation, meaning that they are the ones to solve the climate crisis. Social practice theory (SPT) is used to understand the reason behind different practices in society. But is lacking in research on fast fashion. This study, therefore, aims to understand the reasons, values, and practices through the lenses of SPT for why young consumers (Generation Z) in Sweden consume fast fashion despite knowing its effects on the environment. To understand the phenomenon, data has been collected on young consumers in Sweden (age 17-21) in two different cities. The analysis and data show that price is a big factor, the availability of secondhand stores also affects the possibility to choose another option. Climate change is something that was less important for most of the respondents and can be understood as a dying trend. It can be understood that Generation Z is not a homogenous group in Sweden. The findings also suggest that the SPT model should ideally be implemented with a study on external factors to describe possible reasons for understanding a practice as well to enable other practices which can be more sustainable

This study explores the profound impact of Generation Z (Gen Z) on the international branding strategies employed by small fashion brand startups. As digital natives born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, Gen Z represents a dynamic force that challenges traditional marketing approaches. By delving into their distinct characteristics and preferences, this research aims to shed light on the ways in which Gen Z's unique mindset and behaviours shape the branding landscape. Drawing upon a qualitative research approach, this study employs in-depth one-on-one semi-structured interviews with small fashion brand owners. Thematic analysis is utilized to uncover patterns and themes, offering valuable insights into the strategies employed by small fashion brands to engage this influential consumer segment. Findings reveal insights and showcase that Gen Z's inclination towards authenticity, social responsibility, and individuality necessitates tailored branding strategies. Small fashion brand startups are compelled to harness the power of social media and immersive experiences to captivate Gen Z's attention. By comprehending the impact of Gen Z on international branding strategies, small fashion brand startups can adapt and thrive in an increasingly competitive market. The implications of this research concern the fashion industry, offering valuable insights for marketers and entrepreneurs seeking to engage with Gen Z within the fashion sector.

The green transition in northern Sweden is creating more jobs but also highlights a shortage of competent personnel. The green transition involves a more environmentally friendly industry and the expansion of sustainable-focused work within the northern regions. Therefore, a recruitment effort of trained individuals is essential. In this interview study, we have charted the experience, preferences, and behaviors of generation Z, more specifically newly examined IT students, in recruitment. Generation Z can potentially help to fill the competence gap in this part of Sweden as they represent the future of the workforce. We have seen a lack of knowledge regarding to attract the younger generation to firms and specifically in the northern regions of Sweden, where climate, infrastructure, and work industry looks different from big cities in south regions of Sweden. To tackle the issue of identified competence shortages in Norrland, we have mapped out what companies currently do to attract students in the early stages of their recruitment process. Additionally, we looked at what generation Z considers to be the most important factors in a workplace, as well as how they are searching for future jobs. We approached the situation by doing semi- structured interviews with individuals from three different groups. These different groups were generation Z IT-students, IT company personnel and field experts. Based on this, we found out that not only social media platforms can attract these students by communicating effectively through those platforms. But also, how to get into generation Z:s feed, what type of content employees should focus on in their posts to reach out, what makes students apply for jobs, and how to promote face-to-face with students. On top of this, we targeted what would make the students in this northern region stay after their degree. This can potentially help the firms in the northern region to handle the lack of competence and how employer branding can help attract generation Z to their workplace. The study brings a greater knowledge on how generation Z values the usage of digital platforms and how they want to be approached by companies.

Studien drar slutsatsen att en hög lön och karriärmöjligheter är av särskild betydelse som aktuella motivationsfaktorer för arbetstagare från Gen Z i den svenska banksektorn. Denna generation har en ambition av att kontinuerligt sträva efter personlig- och karriärmässig utveckling, samtidigt som lönen spelar en betydande roll för deras motivation och välbefinnande. Arbetsgivare inom studiens valda sektor bör kommunicera genom sin Employer Branding om konkurrenskraftiga löner och stora karriär- och utvecklingsmöjligheter. Detta gäller både för att attrahera arbetstagare att söka arbete hos den specifika arbetsgivaren, samt för att behålla dem inom organisationen.