London Metropolitan University

BSc. (Hons) in Banking and Finance (Top Up)

Cover Sheet

STUDENT LMU ID NUMBER 2 3 0 3 9 2 4 4

MODULE CODE FE6P01
DEADLINE January 12, 2023
Empirical Research in Global Banking, Finance
MODULE TITLE and Economics
ASSIGNMENT NUMBER 02
TUTOR'S NAME Ms. Hiranthi Rathnayake
TEACHING BUILDING Colombo BRANCH
STUDENT NAME A D Sandamali Wijesinghe
STUDENT DECLARATION ''I declare that the work submitted is my own"
Signature of the student: sandamaliwijesinghe007@gmail.com
Date Submitted: January 12, 2024
PLAGIARISM is covered by the university’s regulations on Academic Misconduct;
sources of academic misconduct in coursework can include fellow students, published
sources including internet, essay banks and other commissioned and non-
commissioned sources. (See
http//www.londonmet.ac.uk/academic-regulations/misconducts-1.cfm)
GUIDELINES FOR THE SUBMISSION OF
COURSEWORK
• Students are advised to keep a copy of every assignment
• You must complete Sections of this cover sheet and signed the declaration. This
completed cover sheets should be attached to your work. Work will not be accepted
without a cover sheet.
• Coursework deadlines will be priory informed to students
• Late work – you may only submit coursework up to two weeks after the deadline
date. A coursework assignment which is not submitted by the due date will normally be
regarded as a non-submission unless Mitigating Circumstances for late submission are
accepted. You will need to supply documentary evidence of the reason for your failure
to submit by the due date.

1|Page
 BACHELOR OF BSC IN BANKING AND FINANCE
London Metropolitan University ESOFT Metro Campus

Module Name: Empirical Research in Global Banking, Finance and

Economics

Module Code: FE6P01

Academic Year: 2023

Lecturer: Ms. Hiranthi Rathnayake

Assignment: 03
Assessment: Research Proposal on

“Influence of Brand Citizenship Behavior on Employee Engagement in

Selected Public Sector Banks in Sri Lanka”
By
REG.NO: 23039244

2|Page
 Acknowledgment

I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to all those who gave me the possibility to
complete my research on “Influence of Brand Citizenship Behavior on Employee
Engagement in Selected Public Sector Banks in Sri Lanka concerning Bank of Ceylon Sri
Lanka”. Special Thanks to my supervisor Ms. Hiranthi Rathnayake, who provided me with the
necessary guidance, encouragement, and feedback on my research to complete my research
report. Then I would like to express my gratitude to London Metropolitan University and ESoft
Metro Campus for giving me this opportunity to conduct research for my final dissertation.

I would also like to acknowledge with much appreciation to Bank of Ceylon HR Department for
providing me with the necessary permissions to conduct my survey Questionnaire and to collect
information from the Branch Staff. Special Thanks to Bank of Ceylon Assistant General
Managers of Western Province North, Western Province South, Western Province Central
managers, and Staff of Branches for support extended throughout the research data collection.

Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to my family and the people who have helped me
through my hardest times. without their unconditional love and support, I would not be where I
am today.

3|Page
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgment............................................................................................................................3

Executive Summary........................................................................................................................6

List of Figures.................................................................................................................................7

List of Tables...................................................................................................................................8

ABBREVIATIONS.........................................................................................................................9

1. CHAPTER 1 : Introduction.......................................................................................................10

1.1 Background study of the research..................................................................................10

1.2 Significance of the study................................................................................................11

1.3 Aims & Objectives..............................................................................................................12

1.5 Chapter Profiles...................................................................................................................12

1.5.1 CHAPTER 1: Introduction...........................................................................................12

1.5.2 CHAPTER 2 – Literature Review................................................................................13

1.5.3 CHAPTER 3-Research Methodology..........................................................................13

1.5.4. CHAPTER 4 - Empirical Findings and Analysis.......................................................14

1.5.5. Chapter 5- Conclusion and Recommendation.............................................................14

2. literature review........................................................................................................................14

2.1.1 Introduction..................................................................................................................14

2.1.2 Influence of Brand Citizenship Behavior on Employee Engagement in Banking

Industry.................................................................................................................................14

2.1.3 Brand Endorsement Process.........................................................................................15

2.1.4 Importance of Brand Endorsement, Helping Behavior, and Self-brand Development

to Brand Citizenship Behavior on Employee Engagement...................................................17

2.1.5 Helping Behavior in the Banking Sector.....................................................................18

2.1.6 Relationship between Brand Endorsement, Helping Behavior and Self –brand
Development and Employee Engagement............................................................................19

2.1.7 Conclusion....................................................................................................................20

2.2 Research Questions.............................................................................................................21

4|Page
 2.3 Conceptual Framework.......................................................................................................22

3. Methodology.............................................................................................................................24

3.1 Theoretical Stance and Research Methods.........................................................................24

3.2 Sampling Framework..........................................................................................................27

3.3 Data Collection Method......................................................................................................28

3.4 Data Collection Instrument.................................................................................................28

Analysis.................................................................................................................................29

3.5 Role of Researcher..............................................................................................................30

3.6 Validity............................................................................................................................30

3.7 Reliability........................................................................................................................30

3.8 Generalizability...................................................................................................................31

3.9 Ethical Consideration..........................................................................................................31

3.8 Identified constraints in the research...................................................................................33

4. EMPIRICAL FINDINGS & ANALYSIS.................................................................................34

4.1 Introduction.............................................................................................................................34

4.2 Statistics Question Analysis................................................................................................35

4.2.1 Brand Citizenship Behaviour (BCB)...........................................................................35

4.2.1 Brand-Self Connection (BSC)......................................................................................48

4.2.3 Employee Brand Love (EBL)......................................................................................51

4.3 Time scale chart..................................................................................................................56

CHAPTER 5 – Conclusion and Recommendation.......................................................................57

5.1 summary of the research and the Key Findings..................................................................57

5.1 Constraints of the research..................................................................................................57

5.3 Contribution to knowledge..................................................................................................57

5.4 Suggestions for future research...........................................................................................58

References.....................................................................................................................................59

5|Page
 Executive Summary

This research aimed to study the “Influence of Brand Citizenship Behavior on Employee
Engagement in Selected Public Sector Banks in Sri Lanka concerning Bank of Ceylon Sri
Lanka”. The main objective of conducting this research is to identify how employees represent
the bank (BCB) and their overall commitment and enthusiasm for their work (engagement). On
the other hand to investigate how employees' behaviors that reflect a positive image of the bank
(brand citizenship behavior) influence their overall engagement with their jobs. The researcher’s
main concern is the Bank of Ceylon Sri Lanka, which is the main state-sector Commercial Bank
in Sri Lanka. The research was conducted in the positivist philosophical stand with a deductive
research approach. Hence, existing theories related to the thematic area of the research were
tested based on built hypotheses. Three independent variables were deducted from the literature
reviewed under industry overview and strategic planning theories and practices related to
industries. Accordingly, strategic planning, long-range planning, and operational planning were
selected as independent variables whereas the Bank’s perceived performance was selected as the
dependent variable. Then, based on variables, three hypotheses were deducted to test them
statistically to understand their influence on the Bank’s perceived performance. Quantitative
data collection was done by using a questionnaire that was developed based on different facts of
the variables. Further, this research was given utmost priority on ethics and standard research
ethics were followed throughout all activities. Quantitative data analysis was done by SPSS
software. Through the software, collected data was analyzed in descriptive and inferential
statistics. According to the data analysis, out of three hypotheses, three, null hypotheses were
rejected and alternative hypotheses were accepted. Finally, the findings of the research were

6|Page
used to provide management recommendations. In addition to that, the conclusion of the
research has included limitations of the research and suggestions for future research.
Furthermore, this study evaluates how Brand Citizenship Behavior explores significant factors
of public banks, Sri Lankan culture, and the BCB-relationship which seem to be affecting other
strategic planning decisions admitted the market analysis, financial scenario analysis, and
production strategy analysis in order to provide a better service. Since there are limited brand
citizenship behavior research studies in the Sri Lankan context, this study concludes
propositions for future research in line with empirical justifications. The researcher has selected
the Bank of Ceylon to conduct the research and obtained relevant permission from the HR
department. The researcher selected employees in the greater Colombo area of the Bank of
Ceylon to conduct the research. The researcher will use a quantitative method to collect data
from the respondents, the primary research data will be collected from a survey questionnaire.

Table of Figures

List of Figures

Figure 1-employee engagement....................................................................................................21

Figure 2-Theoretical Stance..........................................................................................................23
Figure 3 - question 1 table.............................................................................................................33
Figure 4- question 1 graph............................................................................................................33
Figure 5- Question 2 Table...........................................................................................................34
Figure 6 - Question 2 Graph..........................................................................................................34
Figure 7 - Question 3 Table..........................................................................................................35
Figure 8 - Question 3 Graph..........................................................................................................35
Figure 9 - Question 4 Table..........................................................................................................36
Figure 10 - Question 4 Graph........................................................................................................36
Figure 11 - Question 5 Table........................................................................................................37
Figure 12 - Question 5 Graph........................................................................................................37
Figure 13 - Question 6 Table........................................................................................................38
Figure 14 - Question 6 Graph........................................................................................................38
Figure 15 - Question 7 Table........................................................................................................39
Figure 16 - Question 7 Graph........................................................................................................39
Figure 17 - Question 8 Table........................................................................................................40
Figure 18 - Question 8 Graph........................................................................................................40
Figure 19 - Question 9 Table........................................................................................................41
Figure 20 - Question 9 Graph........................................................................................................41

7|Page
Figure 21 - Question 10 Table......................................................................................................42
Figure 22 - Question 10 Graph......................................................................................................42
Figure 23 - Question 11 Table......................................................................................................43
Figure 24 - Question 11 Graph......................................................................................................43
Figure 25 - Question 12 Table......................................................................................................44
Figure 26 - Question 12 Graph......................................................................................................44
Figure 27 - Question 13 Table......................................................................................................45
Figure 28 - Question 13 Graph......................................................................................................45
Figure 29 - Question 14 Table......................................................................................................46
Figure 30 - Question 14 Graph......................................................................................................46
Figure 31 - Question 15 Table......................................................................................................47
Figure 32 - Question 15 Graph......................................................................................................47
Figure 33 - Question 16 Table......................................................................................................48
Figure 34 - Question 16 Graph......................................................................................................48
Figure 35 - Question 17 Table......................................................................................................49
Figure 36 - Question 17 Graph......................................................................................................49
Figure 37 - Question 18 Table......................................................................................................50
Figure 38 - Question 18 Graph......................................................................................................50
Figure 39 - Question 19 Table......................................................................................................51
Figure 40 - Question 19 Graph......................................................................................................51
Figure 41 - Question 20 Table......................................................................................................52
Figure 42 - Question 20 Graph......................................................................................................52
Figure 43 - Question 21 Table......................................................................................................53
Figure 44 - Question 21 Graph......................................................................................................53

List of Tables

Table 1-Operationalization Table.................................................................................................29

8|Page
ABBREVIATIONS

BOC (Bank of Ceylon)

BCB (Brand Citizenship Behaviour)

BSC (Brand-Self Connection)

EBL (Employees Brand Love)

CSR (Corporate social responsibility)

9|Page
CHAPTER 1 : Introduction

1.1 Background study of the research

The title of this research is decided by the author as follows. Research on “Influence of Brand
Citizenship Behavior on Employee Engagement in Selected Public Sector Bank in Sri Lanka
with related to Bank of Ceylon”. The researcher will be addressing the effect of Employee
Engagement on perceived performance in the banking sector: With special emphasis on how to
evaluate Employee Engagement via Brand Endorsement, Helping Behavior, and Self-brand
Development in the Bank of Ceylon throughout this research. It is about how Employee
Engagement influences the performance of the banking industry and how the banking industry
has used Employee Engagement to market their product and services to optimize profit through
this.

The concept of Brand Endorsement can be referred to as,

This strategic marketing tool utilizes the influence and image of individuals or entities, known
as endorsers, to positively shape consumer perception and behavior. By aligning itself with
well-chosen spokespeople whose values and qualities resonate with its target audience, a brand
leverages trust and admiration, effectively boosting awareness, building positive associations,
and ultimately driving sales.
In essence, brand endorsement is a bridge of trust, as marketing expert Tim C. Ries describes it,
"transferring admiration from one entity (the endorser) to another (the brand)." Choosing the
right endorser is crucial. When the match is perfect, the message resonates deeply, leaving
consumers feeling connected to both the brand and its spokesperson. This powerful connection
leads to a more positive brand image, increased loyalty, and ultimately, a thriving business
according to, Erdogan(1999).

History of Brand endorsement

Brand endorsement, the practice of using individuals to promote a brand, boasts a surprisingly
extensive history, predating modern marketing as we know it. The seeds were sown in the 18th
century with Josiah Wedgwood's clever use of royal warrants, associating his pottery with
prestigious figures. Based on the article “celebrity endorsement:through the ages”(2004), Trade
cards featuring actresses and athletes promoting products like soap and cigarettes followed in
the 19th century, paving the way for celebrity endorsements.

10 | P a g e
The 20th century saw brand endorsement blossom. Radio and film stars like Shirley Temple and
Babe Ruth brought a personal touch to advertising, while television further amplified its reach
in the 1960s and 1970s with iconic partnerships like Joe Namath and pantyhose or Muhammad
Ali and shaving cream. The following decades witnessed the rise of athletes like Michael Jordan
and Michael Jackson as global brand ambassadors, driving massive sales and shaping cultural
trends.

However, the 21st century ushered in a shift. The internet and social media diversified the
endorser landscape, bringing not just celebrities but also actors, musicians, and even ordinary
people with large online followings into the fold according to John (2019). Authenticity and
engagement became key, with brands seeking genuine partnerships that resonate with
consumers. Niche experts and micro-influencers with dedicated communities emerged as
valuable voices, while technology promises continued evolution with virtual reality and AI
potentially changing how endorsements are created and delivered.
Whether embracing virtual influencers or navigating ethical considerations, understanding the
rich history of brand endorsement provides valuable context for navigating the ever-changing
landscape of marketing and building meaningful brand relationships.

1.2 Significance of the study

This research, presents the understanding of the dynamics of the Influence of Brand Citizenship
Behavior on Employee Engagement in Selected Public Sector Banks in Sri Lanka. This will
allow us to identify the variables futher and present how BCB has influenced employees to
engage in work, in this research this theory is specifically linked to the Bank of Ceylon in Sri
Lanka. This study also provides useful information to make proper valuable decision-making,
to improve how well the employees in the bank can be effective and stay motivated.

Moreover, the importance of this research is that, once this is done it will allow the researcher to
identify how BCB has impacted the engagement of the employees further, this research will go
in depth of the brand endorsement, helping behavior, and self-branding, explaining how BCB
influences the organization currently and, how to improve it in the future through decision
making done based on this research.

In conclusion, this research will present the knowledge gathered through a survey being done
with the employees of BOC, and, how employees are influenced through BCB will be discussed
in this research report, with the help of graphs as it will provide more clarity and credibility to
this research.

11 | P a g e
1.3 Aims & Objectives

This research aims to identify and examine the influence of Brand Citizenship Behavior on
Employee Engagement in the Bank of Ceylon. The following specific objectives are derived
from the findings of the literature review and these specific objectives are directly related to the
main objective by further elaborating the components of Brand Endorsement, Helping
Behavior, and Self-brand Development in the Bank of Ceylon.

Main objective

To investigate Brand Citizenship Behavior on Employee Engagement in Bank of Ceylon.

Specific objective 1

To identify the influence of brand endorsement on employee engagement in the Bank of

Ceylon.

Specific objective 2

To identify the influence of helping behavior on employee engagement in the Bank of Ceylon.

Specific objective 3

To identify the influence of self-brand development on employee engagement in the Bank of

Ceylon

1.5 Chapter Profiles

1.5.1 CHAPTER 1: Introduction
This lays the groundwork for analyzing how employee engagement in a few Sri Lankan public
sector banks- most significantly focusing on the Bank of Ceylon (BOC) – is impacted by the
“influence of Brand Citizenship Behaviour (BCB). The study will focus on how BCB uses self-
brand development, helping behavior and brand endorsement to influence employee
engagement, the bank’s marketing stratergy and, ultimately, improve performance perception.
The research discovers the precise ways BCB promotes staff engagement in BOC, with
particular objectives exploring the effect on individual self-branding, helping behavior, and

12 | P a g e
brand endorsement. It highlights the ability to enhance employee performance and improve
decision-making. This introduction describes the importance of this research, its background,
and particular goals and objectives that will shape the research.

1.5.2 CHAPTER 2 – Literature Review

This chapter, focuses on employee engagement being powerfully influenced through BCB, for
this literature review mainly, secondary data was used in addition some of the data collected
through the survey is also presented in this chapter. Firstly, to explore BCB in the banking
industry the researcher used a report which was published by Ashely A. Davis and Elaine .D
and Further, collected information from the BOC website itself. Alongside, the researcher also
used an article by Zahran (2023) to explain in depth the Brand endorsement process. Afterward,
the researcher used information from Barry M. Goldman, an organizational psychologist as the
information for the Helping behavior is more credible as it is from a well-experienced worker.
Moreover, the researcher used information from these credible resources to, explain and define
the relationship between Brand endorsement, helping behavior, self-brand development, and
employee engagement. Finally, this literature review chapter includes the conceptual
framework, where it presents independent and dependent variables about Employee
Engagement, Self-Brand Development, Brand Endorsement, and the research gathered through
Saks(2006), Bhattacharya et al.,( 2012) and, Brammer et al.,( 2011). Throughout, this research
report, presents how this chosen topic of BCB allows for improved employee engagement in a
well-known organization like BOC, which will allow the cultivation of a highly motivated and
well-engaged workforce, ultimately leading to achieving customer satisfaction to gain success
in the business by improving the level of performance.

1.5.3 CHAPTER 3-Research Methodology

This chapter outlines the research methodology utilized to, investigate the link between BCB
and BOCs’ employee engagement. The methodology focuses on quantitative data collecting by
applying positivistic and logical reasoning. For this research, the researcher gathered quantitative
data through hard copies of the questionnaire distributed to 152 employees of BOC, mainly
concentrating on the 3 elements of BCB; brand endorsement, self-brand development, and
helping behavior. Futher, the data analysis involves utilizing SPSS software. the research
highlights, the ethical principles, ensuring informed consent, responsibility of handling data, and
data confidentiality. finally, this acknowledges the time and cost constraints limitations. This

13 | P a g e
chapter enhances, a clear structure to understand the strategies and the methods used to identify
the influence of BCB on employee engagement in BOC.

1.5.4. CHAPTER 4 - Empirical Findings and Analysis

According to this chapter, this involves analyzing the questionnaires being gathered from the
employees of BOC and analyzed through the SPSS software. Here, the researcher evaluates the
information that was gathered through SPPS software for futher clarity, the questionnaire has
been divided into three 3 subtopics to question; Brand citizenship behavior, brand self-
connection, and employee brand love. Based on information collected under these topics the
researcher, divided and presented the information as Direct and indirect variables through
graphs in this research, eventually, leading to a well engaging high-performing workforce of
BOC.

1.5.5. Chapter 5- Conclusion and Recommendation

This chapter involves in providing a concltuion for the whole research and providing
recomnations. Here, it is presented, that BCB have pposstitvely affected them employees as it
have improve the engagement of the employees of BOC, which have led to increase in the
productivity, reduce the employee turnover and increase cutomer satisfaction.

As for recomondation, the reasercher prefer to implement a targeted initiative to strengthen the
link through activities like, by providing trainings and programs. Because thois could aid BOC
in the future by improving the growth of the business when more emplyees are effective and
well kotivatted to work eventually leading to cain success of the bank due to this, in the future
BOC might also be able to exploit in economies of scale.

2. literature review

2.1.1 Introduction

In this section, the researcher will be addressing the topic “Influence of Brand Citizenship
Behavior on Employee Engagement in Banking Industry: Special emphasis on Managers
Perspective in Bank of Ceylon Sri Lanka.” Specific areas in this section can be identified as
Brand endorsement, Helping Behavior, and Self-brand Development in the Bank of Ceylon.

14 | P a g e
2.1.2 Influence of Brand Citizenship Behavior on Employee Engagement in Banking
Industry

In the competitive landscape of banking, employee engagement holds paramount importance.

Beyond mere satisfaction, engaged employees become ardent brand advocates, embodying the
institution's values and actively contributing to its positive image. Enter brand citizenship
behavior (BCB), a potent force that bridges the gap between employee experience and brand
reputation.

BCB transcends the standard call of duty. It is the voluntary display of behaviors that promote
the bank's well-being, both internally and externally. This includes actions like going the extra
mile for customers, advocating for the brand to colleagues and friends, and contributing to
community initiatives aligned with the bank's values. As Ashley A. Davis and Elaine D. Day
put it, "BCBs are behaviors that employees engage in to support the organization and its brand,
even when these behaviors are not formally required."

The impact of BCB on employee engagement is multifaceted. When employees feel connected
to the brand's purpose and actively participate in shaping its image, they experience greater
meaning and fulfillment in their work. This sense of ownership fosters increased motivation,
loyalty, and a willingness to go the extra mile for customers and colleagues. This positive cycle
translates into enhanced customer satisfaction, improved brand reputation, and ultimately,
greater business success.

Therefore, fostering BCB should be a cornerstone of any bank's employee engagement strategy.
This can be achieved through initiatives that communicate the brand's values, provide
opportunities for employees to contribute to social responsibility efforts, and recognize and
reward BCBs. By empowering employees to become brand ambassadors, banks can unlock a
powerful source of competitive advantage in the ever-evolving financial landscape.

Based on the research which was conducted through questionnaires, it could be stated that
employees are well engaged in the bank activities, as 100 employees have strongly agreed while
another 47 employees have agreed through this questionnaire. Statements like, “ I’m always
helpful towards customers and other coworkers” and “I feel like, that the brand name of the
Bank I’m working is like a real part of myself which represents who am I”, prove that fostering
BCB has influenced the employee engagement in the banking industry like in the Bank of
Ceylon.

15 | P a g e
2.1.3 Brand Endorsement Process
Brand endorsement is a delicate dance between brand and endorser, orchestrated to influence
consumer perception and behavior. The process can be condensed into key steps, which have
been elaborated into the context of Bank Of Ceylon:

Define goal: this step focuses on what needs to be achieved, the main purpose of this step is to
identify and focus on goals based on the Bank of Ceylon's cultures and values, such as spreading
brand awareness, and further focusing on profit maximization through the embracement of new
technologies in their business activities like digital banking.

Identifying the Ideal Match: Choose an endorser whose image, values, and audience align
perfectly with your brand. Authenticity is the key accordingly, the Bank of Ceylon may
collaborate with authentic public figures and influencers who empower talented and capable
people, and promote Sri Lankan culture and value along with technology. Therefore, such
endorsers are likely to have the ideal audience for the Bank of Ceylon as an ethical organization
to attract more consumers According to, Zahran (2023).

Crafting the engagement: The Bank of Ceylon in Sri Lanka can use endorsers to diversely
engage customers through advertisements, social media posts, and ad campaigns promoting
getting loans, personal banking, and digital banking to retain and attract the audience of the
endorsers. Futher, the Bank of Ceylon can improve customer loyalty by presenting events like
charity programs/ CSR (Media,2023).

Measuring impact: The Bank of Ceylon would track the impact by analyzing the number of
new customers being attracted to the bank through platforms like social media, and other
promoting activities, which eventually helps to perceive the effectiveness of the endorsement.
This will be used in the future for decision-making and to keep track of changes in customers’
likings and adapting accordingly so, they would not be facing customer defection.

Nurturing the relationship: Nurturing a long-term relationship with the endorser can help The
Bank of Ceylon sustain its values which are, “transparency, innovation, accountability, and
superior service”. This helps to build trust among the bank the bank customers and helps to
retain them. Alongside, the benefits to the Bank of Ceylon, the endorser should be provided with
mutual benefits like financial compensation and also valuing the endorsers through appreciation,
this aids in maintaining a long-term relationship.

16 | P a g e
2.1.4 Importance of Brand Endorsement, Helping Behavior, and Self-brand Development
to Brand Citizenship Behavior on Employee Engagement.

Brand citizenship behavior (BCB) – the voluntary behaviors employees display to support and
promote their organization like in Bank of Ceylon (BOC) – isn't just about fulfilling duties. It's
a vibrant ecosystem fueled by three key catalysts: brand endorsement, helping behavior, and
self-brand development.

Brand endorsement acts as the initial spark. As Ashley A. Davis and Elaine D. Day note, "BCBs
are fueled by employees' identification with the organization's mission and values." When
employees believe in the brand's purpose and feel connected to its story, they become naturally
inclined to embody its values through BCBs, acting as its internal champions. As for BOC,
employees can also be motivated to work while incorporating a few of the banks’ values, like
accountability and being innovative, which encourages them to take responsibility for their
actions and work productively as it makes them feel valued.

This connection is further strengthened by helping behavior. A culture of mutual support within
the organization, where employees readily assist colleagues and prioritize customer well-being,
fosters a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose. As employees experience the positive impact
of helping others, they are more likely to extend this behavior towards the brand itself, engaging
in BCBs like advocating for the brand or participating in community initiatives. According to
BOC, they provide equal opportunities to all their employees through training and development,
therefore experienced employees who witnessed the positive impact of assisting newer staff will
themselves support by monitoring the activities, resulting in a worker-friendly environment
where all employees feel secure. This is due to the centralized structure in the company.

Finally, self-brand development plays a crucial role. When employees perceive BCBs as
opportunities to enhance their own personal brand – building their professional reputation and
aligning it with the brand's values – they become self-motivated brand ambassadors. This
17 | P a g e
intrinsic motivation can lead to more creative and impactful BCBs, further strengthening the
positive engagement cycle. Through self-brand development and the values of the BOC
eventually allow employees to stay motivated as they are self-actualized and encouraged as they
will challenge themselves which ultimately, makes them feel more interested when working in
the organization.

Utilizing these three elements – Brand endorsement, helping behavior, and self-brand
development as mentioned above, it’s used in organizations like BOC which can create a
thriving ecosystem of BCB that, finally encourages the employees as they become more vocal
avocates to the brand as in return, the consumers will be satisfied and positive customer
feedback, improve in brand reputation which will attract more customers foreign countries and
from Sri Lanka itself as well due to, “Superior services” being provided by BOC.

2.1.5 Helping Behavior in the Banking Sector

In the competitive landscape of banking, excelling in technical expertise is only one piece of the
puzzle. Cultivating a culture of helping behavior among employees – going the extra mile to
assist colleagues, customers, and even the broader community – can unlock a powerful source of
competitive advantage.

Helping behavior in banking transcends simply fulfilling contractual obligations. It manifests in

proactive actions that prioritize customer well-being, support colleagues, and contribute to the
bank's positive image. This can range from patiently explaining complex financial products to
referring customers to relevant resources, volunteering in the community, or offering mentorship
to colleagues.

The benefits of fostering helping behavior are multifaceted. On a micro level, it enhances
customer satisfaction and loyalty. Helpful employees build trust and positive relationships,
leading to better experiences and increased retention. Internally, it fosters stronger teams and a
more collaborative environment. Colleagues who readily assist each other create a supportive
atmosphere, boosting morale and productivity. Furthermore, a bank known for its community

18 | P a g e
engagement attracts and retains top talent and cultivates a positive brand image, leading to
improved market reach and reputation.

As organizational psychologist Barry M. Goldman states, "Helping behavior is a key component

of organizational citizenship behavior, which directly relates to organizational effectiveness and
success."

By actively promoting and rewarding helping behavior through training programs, recognition
initiatives, and a culture of collaboration, banks can unlock its immense potential. Empowered
employees with a strong helping mindset become the bank's greatest asset, driving not only
customer satisfaction and employee engagement but also long-term success and a positive
impact on the broader community.

As mentioned above helping behavior is the key element As for why the Bank of Ceylon (BOC),
has well-motivated employees, the organization makes sure that they feel safe and valued with
the help of helping behavior, making sure that the employees are provided with proper training
and help in the development and, ensuring they have a safe working environment. Moreover,
BOC has taken a futher step by assuring their respect for diversity as they reflect and make sure
they respect everyone and are ethical, this has allowed them to gain a competitive edge in the
banking industry. This reassures that employees will be retained and gradually leads to customer
satisfaction due to their productivity as it is proven workers are more productive when they are
in a good collaborative working environment.

2.1.6 Relationship between Brand Endorsement, Helping Behavior and Self –brand
Development and Employee Engagement
Brand endorsement ignites the spark. When employees believe in the bank's purpose and values,
they become natural extensions of the brand, embodying its mission and proactively supporting
its well-being. Like most famous and ethical companies, Bank of Ceylon represents, its values
and mission and encourages the employees due to the good brand image of the company as they
approach employee satisfaction by making sure, they feel safe and valued where they follow
Maslow's hierarchy to satisfy them to improve retention as a result, BCB’s eventually
implemented. This leads to improvement in the success of the business due to superior customer
service being provided by the workers.

Helping behavior weaves a melody of mutual support. A culture where colleagues readily assist
each other and prioritize customer well-being fosters a sense of camaraderie and shared

19 | P a g e
purpose. This helpfulness extends to the brand itself, leading to BCBs advocating for the bank
and participating in community initiatives.

Self-brand development adds a harmonious layer of personal growth. When employees see
BCBs as opportunities to enhance their professional reputations and align them with the bank's
values, they become self-motivated brand ambassadors, driven by intrinsic motivation to create
impactful BCBs. This enables, them to capture the attention of the customers of BOCs through
customer services as the employees are allowed to be innovative so, they will use different
effective methods in communicating which they are comfortable and suitable further, engaging
and creating a good impression on the bank itself through the services.

Employee engagement acts as the conductor, ensuring all instruments play in perfect harmony.
Engaged employees aren't just satisfied; they are passionate advocates for the bank, driving
improved customer experiences, stronger brand reputation, and sustained business success.

By nurturing these four elements, banks can create a powerful symphony of engagement,
leading to a more dedicated workforce, stronger brand loyalty, and a competitive edge in the
financial landscape. Just as a well-tuned orchestra requires constant practice, investing in
initiatives that strengthen these elements ensures the music of engagement continues to
resonate, driving success for both the bank and its employees allowing banks like BOC to have
strong bonds with the employees with the use of BCB which after all, result in employee
retentions to the cost of the process of recruiting new employees are reduced.

2.1.7 Conclusion

The researcher mainly focuses on identifying the influence of Brand Citizenship Behavior on
Employee Engagement in the Bank of Ceylon.

In conclusion, this study unveils a novel pathway to fostering employee engagement within
public sector banks like Bank of Ceylon: cultivating specific brand citizenship behaviors.
Encouraging employees to actively endorse the bank, engage in collaborative support, and
invest in personal brand development demonstrably increases their commitment and
engagement. Notably, sportsmanship's impact requires further investigation. By strategically
implementing initiatives that nurture these behaviors, public sector banks can unlock a highly
20 | P a g e
motivated and dedicated workforce, translating directly into enhanced performance and
customer satisfaction. This potent approach offers a promising avenue for optimizing human
capital within the Sri Lankan banking landscape.

When considering the overall, the researcher could notice that there is a limited focus on
specific industries. Much research has explored BCB in general or within specific
organizational contexts, but less attention has been given to understanding the nuances of BCB
within specific industries i.e. Banking. Investigating how industry-specific factors like
regulations, customer interactions, and risk management shape BCB and its relationship with
employee engagement is crucial. However, in this research, it is linked to the Bank of Ceylon to
be a little more specific and to explain the concept more clearly by using it as examples even,
though mainly BCB was examined in general.

Another research gap was identified which is needed for longitudinal studies. Existing research
often takes a snapshot approach, analyzing BCB and engagement at a single point in time.
Longitudinal studies are needed to explore how these factors evolve over time, examining how
initial BCB experiences influence long-term engagement and vice versa. Understanding the
dynamic interplay between these variables over time can provide valuable insights for fostering
sustained engagement.

Further, the researcher identifies the research gap in the understudied role of individual
differences. While organizational factors like leadership and culture influence BCB and
engagement, more research is needed on individual differences such as personality traits,
values, and motivations. Exploring how these individual characteristics interact with
organizational context to shape BCB and engagement patterns could lead to personalized
interventions and strategies tailored to different employee types.

Another gap identified is the lack of clarity on causal mechanisms. While a correlation between
BCB and engagement is established, the causal mechanisms underlying this relationship remain
unclear. Investigating the specific processes through which BCB influences engagement, such
as increased self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, or improved organizational identification, can
inform more effective engagement strategies.

Finally, the researcher identified measuring BCB and engagement more effectively as a research
gap. Refining and diversifying methods for measuring both BCB and engagement is crucial.
Exploring potential biases in self-reported measures, incorporating objective observations of
BCBs, and considering broader indicators of engagement beyond traditional measures like job
satisfaction can offer a more holistic understanding of the relationship between these variables.

21 | P a g e
2.2 Research Questions
The 152 responses being gathered from the organization through the questionnaire, help the
researcher analyze and address these main three questions below on the topic of “Influence of
Brand Citizenship Behavior of Bank of Ceylon”

Research Question 1 - What is the influence of Brand Endorsement on Employee Engagement?

Research Question 2 - What is the influence of Helping Behavior on Employee Engagement?

Research Question 3 - What is the influence of Self-Brand Development on Employee

Engagement?

2.3 Conceptual Framework

Research Gap

This report will address the research gap by examining the organizational internal dynamics,
that have helped promote Brand Citizenship Behavior that could lead to increased employee
engagement, the dynamics could include The Bank of Ceylon's culture and values, employee
training programs held by the bank, the leadership styles and strategies implemented within the
organization.

Through the Questionnaires distributed among employees the researcher can find information
about internal dynamics that are related to employees within the Bank of Ceylon, therefore the
researcher can address the research gap of what extent has organizational dynamics influenced
BCB in increasing employee engagement

According to the research gap, internal dynamics play a role in promoting employee
engagement through BCB. Therefore, independent variables like self-brand development, brand
endorsement, and helping behavior, and dependent variables like employee engagement, depict
key aspects of employee interaction and behaviors within the organizational context.

 Dependent Variable:

Employee Engagement: This encompasses the emotional, cognitive, and behavioral

commitment of employees to their work and the organization (Saks, 2006). It can be measured
through surveys, interviews, and observations of employee motivation, enthusiasm, and

22 | P a g e
dedication. This will aid to improve in the performance and productivity of BOC eventually,
leading to providing quality services to the consumers.

 Independent Variables:

Self-Brand Development: This refers to the deliberate and proactive shaping of one's
professional identity and reputation within the organization (Bhattacharya et al., 2012). As it is
evident, BOC is one of the well-known superior customer service-providing organizations in Sri
Lanka so, it gives the employees their freedom, and aids them in improving their reputation and
professional identity within BOC. It includes activities like acquiring relevant skills, networking,
and actively contributing to organizational goals.

Brand Endorsement: This involves employees actively and positively promoting the bank and
its brand values to internal and external stakeholders (Brammer et al., 2011). BOC presents its
values like “accountability” toward using a specific type of endorsements so, it futher promotes
its positive brand image towards both the internal and external stakeholders in BOC to, motivate
and encourage them to work. This can manifest in advocating for the bank's products and
services, participating in marketing campaigns, and defending the bank's reputation.

Helping Behavior: This describes collaborative and supportive workplace behaviors aimed at
assisting colleagues and achieving collective goals (Organ et al., 2006). As, BOC has a very
worker-friendly environment employees can support each other in order to, improve themselves.
It includes sharing knowledge, providing feedback, and helping when needed.

Figure 1-employee engagement

23 | P a g e
H01: There is no relationship between brand endorsement and employee engagement in selected
public sector banks.

Ha1: There is a relationship between brand endorsement and employee engagement in selected
public sector banks.

H02: There is no relationship between helping behavior and employee engagement in selected
public sector banks.

Ha2: There is a relationship between helping behavior and employee engagement in selected
public sector banks.

H03: There is no relationship between self-brand development and employee engagement in

selected public sector banks.

Ha3: There is a relationship between self-brand development and employee engagement in

selected public sector banks.

3. Methodology

3.1 Theoretical Stance and Research Methods

Figure 2-Theoretical Stance

24 | P a g e
Research Philosophy

The researcher has chosen positivism as the research philosophy because positivism is more
appropriate given that the researcher used a quantitative technique to collect data for the study.
According to positivists, the reality is steady and amenable to objective observation and
description (Cityu, n.d.).Further, in this research report, it is presented that the quantitative data
had been gathered by providing hard copies of the questionnaires to carry out the survey and
successfully collecting 152 feedbacks from the employees in the BOC company in Sri Lanka.
This method is used in this research because the information is more credible and can rely on
the responses provided by the employees themselves, due to this reason, the researcher has
come to the conclusion this method is more suitable and can make accurate decisions comparing
feedback of each employee and adapting accordingly to futher improve bocs’ BCB. Moreover,
the use of this method is advantageous for BOC as it allows the bank to track the progress of the
workers and focus on continuous improvement through their decision-making, within the
internal workspace to gain more success for the organization. On the other hand, this method
might also, make it hard to conclude as the employees may have different types of likings and
personalities, and attitudes accordingly, it might have different feedback through the questioners
which might make it hard for the research to analyze.

Research Approach

Based on results from the body of literature, the researcher developed a research hypothesis that
demonstrates the existence of adequate data to support the study. Deductive reasoning is
therefore the most appropriate study technique. Based on David (2021), he defines deductive
research as a targeted approach to hypothesis testing. The ability to explain causal linkages
between ideas and variables, the ability to quantify concepts quantitatively, and the ability to
partially generalize research findings are some benefits of the deductive research technique.
After determining the aforementioned benefits, the researcher decided to use a deductive
technique. As for this, a deductive approach has taken place in this research as, this is utilized to
identify the Bank endorsement, self-brand development, and helping behavior in BCB of BOC.
So firstly, the researcher distributed the questionnaire to the staff workers like managers,
internship workers, etc, and with the help of the results gained back are used to identify and
answer how employees are influenced by BCB. However, this will have a positive impact on
BOC because, this will allow them to address specific areas they need to improve to satisfy their

25 | P a g e
workers more effectively which will result, in rapid improvement in the effectiveness that
allows BOC to get a good competitive edge in the Banking industry. Despite that, as the
deductive method is used to address and identify the problem or the information that the
researcher is looking for so, it might limit some opportunities and challenges that could futher
improve the employees' productivity and their professions.

Research Choice

In order to conduct the research, the researcher has chosen to use a monochromatic research
design. A researcher will administer a survey to participants to gather data, and they will then
do statistical analysis with their data collection. The researcher uses a survey questionnaire to
gather data and futher the questions are divided into 3 subtopics which are, Brand Citizenship
Behavior, Brand-Self Connection, and Employee Brand Love. This is done in order to, make it
more clear for the employees when filling out the questionnaires. The quantitative approach to
data collection is comparatively faster than the qualitative method. Since the researcher will not
be conducting interviews or making observations to gather data, the research is not essentially
doing the qualitative research type as an option. For this research, the main advantage of using
quantitative data is that the responses are more direct unlike in interviews where BOC will have
to properly understand what the employees are saying if not there can be miscommunication
which could lead for the business to make wrong decisions. However, in case if the researcher
wants deep feedback in this scenario, it might be difficult, and questioners are getting very short
feedback unlike the qualitative data but, if the questions are directly included, in that case, it
will be easy to get the proper response and quick analysis.

Research Strategy

A survey will be used as a research approach by the researcher to address any issues with the
study. This approach is popular in business research since it makes a large number of
participants accessible. The organizing of the replies and the widespread and affordable
distribution of surveys are made possible by allowing the researcher to physically distribute the
hard copies to the colleagues of the BOC. The researcher intends to create a survey instrument
using a Questionnaire which will be shared as hard copies, this will enable the researcher to

26 | P a g e
promptly collect data by sharing the questionnaire physically with participants and get instant
feedback just in time from the employees of BOC. This researcher was able to get 152
responses from the employees who worked including the top management, middle management,
and the lower management. This approach was more comfortable for most of the employees as
some of the elderly experienced employees might find it difficult to fill out scurvy through
online forms, so this was a much more suitable method to carry out the research. Moreover, as
the hard copies were distributed physically the employees were able to clarify issues right at the
moment from the researcher which, made it easier for the employees to provide proper
comments towards the questions which made it faster and time-saving when passing out the
questionnaires.

Time Horizon

The cross-sectional is the time horizon that the researcher has chosen because it is a convenient
location for the researcher to collect data at one time in large quantities. entailing gathering data
at a certain moment in time and the data is gathered quickly. The cross-sectional temporal
horizon is chosen since this research is also constrained by a certain period. The longitudinal
research design will not be chosen by the investigator. The researcher's research will be
completed quickly. In order to do longitudinal research, we must first gather data from primary
research interviews in order to, determine the dependent and independent variables. This
requires a labor-intensive effort that is repeated through a survey. As a result, the cross-sectional
time horizon was chosen by the researcher due to, the accessibility of information within a short
period of time and specifically getting information specifically according to the information that
the researcher is searching for.

3.2 Sampling Framework

The Bank of Ceylon consists of 651 branches in total. Therefore, for this research, the number
of employees is narrowed down to the branches in greater Colombo, which consist of about 20
branches. Further, by the usage of stratified sampling, the researcher decided on a sample of 152
employees, with each stratum including employees from various grades. The involvement of
employees of different levels, from security guards to branch managers, will enable the
researcher to gather significant information about how Brand Citizenship Behavior helps in
employee engagement. Additionally, the researcher implements random sampling to choose

27 | P a g e
employees of each grade for each stratum, therefore each stratum is made up of an unbiased
selection of employees.

In summary, the researcher draws conclusions about the vast population of employees through
small groups or stratum of employees, who seemingly represent the majority. Further
distributing questionnaires among employees in each stratum who were randomly selected
provides an optimum result for the research

3.3 Data Collection Method

The researcher will be using the Mono quantitative method to collect the data from the
participants of the research. This means the researcher selected the primary research
quantitative method to continue the research. Accordingly, in this research the questioners
have been used to collect the quantitative data as for the primary research so, the information is
up-to-date which presents that the information is more reliable when decision making that
involves employees as once the research is done the researcher has a better understanding about
the BOC employees BCB. However, even usually primary research is usually more expensive
to carry out, in this scenario it is better in comparison, to other methods like interviews. So,
information is collected with less about being invested in the research so the saved money can
be used for the future use of BOC as a result once again it advantages the organization through
this method in the future as well in the long run.

3.4 Data Collection Instrument

Primary research: as described previously the researcher will be using the research method as
quantitative, mono choice, and therefore data will be collected through a survey questionnaire
including closed-ended questions. The researcher will use statistical analysis of descriptive, co-
relation, and inferential statistical analysis in data analysis which is further explained below.
Primary research will be conducted through the survey questionnaire based on the identified
literature findings as given below in preparing the operationalization table.

Primary data

The researcher selected the Survey questionnaire as the primary data collection instrument
where the research is done on mono quantitative choice. The researcher chose a survey
28 | P a g e
questionnaire because it is a suitable method to collect data from the respondents. Respondents
just need to tick the correct answer as far as they know. The researcher has not selected a multi
or mixed method because if the researcher selected that method researcher needs to use
quantitative. Consistently, as for primary data, the researcher utilizes questionnaires to get
responses quickly and accurately from the BOC to identify the influence of BCB on the
employees.

Secondary data

The researcher will use Literature findings, journal articles, books, web articles, magazines, and
newspapers to gather secondary data. The method of considering these resources or else
collecting data researcher will use observation. So, observation will be used to collect data for
secondary research. These data are freely available on the internet and can be obtained easily.

Questionnaire Structure:

General Questions;

Question Option 01 Option 02 Option 03 Option 04 Option 05 Option 06

Research-related questions;

Question Scale 01 Scale 02 Scale 03 Scale 04 Scale 05 Scale 06

Q1 – Q20 Disagree Disagree Disagree Agree Agree Agree very

very Strongly Strongly strongly
strongly

Analysis

The researcher will use SPSS software to conduct the data analysis. Using this software
researcher only needed to enter the data of primary research and then automatically analysis will
be done. Because formulas are already in SPSS software. This will ensure the data analysis is
accurate and time-effective. However, this research mainly took information which was
gathered through the survey where the questionnaires were distributed to the employees.

29 | P a g e
Operationalization table

Independent variable Sub factor

Brand endorsement Cost of Endorsement

Risk of Negative Publicity
Target Audience
Brand loyalty
Helping behavior Collaborative workplace
accountability
Self-brand development Self-Identity
Personal Values
Skills & Abilities
Personal Goals
Personal Image
Consistency
Authenticity
Table 1-Operationalization table

3.5 Role of Researcher

A researcher should be well-versed in the research methodology, which outlines the approach
the researcher will use to carry out the investigation. The primary responsibility of a researcher
is to carry out research; further responsibilities include writing reports, conducting experimental
studies using the data, and reviewing literature.

Using a survey questionnaire, the researcher should gather data in the topical area regarding
Brand endorsement, Helping behavior, and Self-brand development on the perceived
performance of banks. Based on the survey results, the researcher should conduct an
experimental study with the assistance of a literature review, and the study should be completed
within the allotted time frame.

3.6 Validity
Using a questionnaire, the researcher has chosen Bank of Ceylon branch-level personnel to
participate in the study. Without putting them underdress, the researcher will be able to get their
information for the study. The Pearson correlation test was chosen by the researchers to assess
30 | P a g e
validity. To do a reliable and solid study, the researcher must guarantee that the facts they
obtain are true and entirely their own opinions. It consistently raises the research's validity, by
ensuring the employees have provided is accurate and based on their opinion.

3.7 Reliability
How regularly the questionnaire displays its measurements is referred to as reliability. The
dependent variable is the bank's perceived performance, and the researcher has identified three
primary independent variables; self-branding development, brand endorsement, and helping
behavior. The researcher determined the study questions and objectives based on these criteria.
The researcher will administer a survey, collect data, analyze the data, and draw conclusions
based on the information obtained.

Due to, the hard copies being distributed to the colleagues of BOC and being analyzed and
interpreted physically by the researcher with the help of Excel to prepare the graphs, it made
sure the researcher got a good understanding of the responses of the employees which,
eventually aided in the preparation of this research report.

3.8 Generalizability
According to this research, the population has been selected from twenty branches in the greater
Colombo area in Bank of Ceylon, total employees are 250. From that population, 152
employees were selected according to the Morgan table to get the required data. These
recommendations and suggestions on the Bank’s perceived brand citizenship behavior on
employee engagement based on the sample of 152 employees, but when it’s considered about
the researcher’s recommendations and suggestions in the research consider all 250 employees
not only 152. Therefore, all the findings apply to all 250 employees of all 20 branches in the
greater Colombo area and also these recommendations and suggestions apply to any other BOC
branch, any bank in Sri Lanka and also to the whole banking sector in Sri Lanka. That is called
wider population generalizability. This means these recommendations and suggestions are not
just applicable to the sample population but to the whole population.

31 | P a g e
3.9 Ethical Consideration

Informed consent

The researcher decided on the Bank of Ceylon. Twenty branches in the greater Colombo region
for the research project. To administer the survey and obtain the information needed to carry out
further study on the issue, the researcher will also notify the BOC HR department and obtain
written agreement from the pertinent parties.

Human treatment of subjects

First and foremost, the researcher should express gratitude to the participants for their insightful
responses and thoughts on the questionnaire. The researcher should also make sure that the
permission letter makes explicit the goal of the research. Additionally, this will guarantee their
active participation in the research as well as their unwavering support and sincere suggestions.

Voluntary participation

The bank responders won't face any pressure from the researcher. Researchers want to obtain
the respondents' true ideas. This guarantees that the study is conducted morally. As stated by
Parveen and Showkat (2017), participants are free to choose not to read the replies.
Additionally, respondents should have the option to retract their responses from the researcher.
This means that once respondents have provided their responses, the researcher must accept
their request and remove their responses from the analysis if they choose to discontinue utilizing
them in the research.

Anonymity

Since the study questionnaire shouldn't include personal information like respondents' names,
phone numbers, email addresses, or employee IDs, the researcher should make sure the research
participants are kept anonymous. Additionally, sensitive information like their marital status,
number of children, and private information like their salary should not be inquired about by
researchers.

Confidentiality

The public should not be made aware of the research's data. It implies that this study should
only be conducted for scholarly purposes. The information gathered from primary research
using sample workers is not to be shared with third parties, transferred to another bank, or
posted online.

32 | P a g e
Data security

Data must remain in the researcher's possession until the study is completed. The data that was
gathered from respondents should be deleted by the researcher once the study is over. Only
educational purposes should be served by using this data (Kalichman & Plemmons, 2013). It's
an additional moral way to carry out primary research.

Conflicts of interests

The sole goal of this study should be scholarly; no attempt should be made to get personal
benefit from it. This indicates that the study should be conducted just for the purpose of
fulfilling the research requirement, not for personal gain and that it should concentrate on
gathering data and analyzing the findings.

3.8 Identified constraints in the research

The three primary restrictions this study encounters are those of time, money, and data
availability.

Time

The researchers always strive to finish their work within the time range they have given via a
Gantt chart. The investigator has 28 weeks to finish the study. Based on the dependent variable,
the researcher has determined three primary independent factors. Given the sample
demographic, the researcher anticipates that nearly every issue related to the topic will be
addressed in the study. However, considering only one bank from the whole banking sector is
not a smart approach to obtaining reliable results, especially when considering the time element.
In this case, the study would only be conducted on one bank.

Cost

The researcher must pay the internet service provider and the energy bill to perform secondary
research online. A Hard Copy of the survey questionnaire was used by the researcher for their
primary study, which also required a lot of data collection. Occasionally, the researcher had to
provide participants' requirements, which might be considered research costs.

Data access
The researcher has chosen twenty BOC branches to study. Since the researcher is affiliated with
one of those branches, gathering data from that branch will be simple using a hard copy.
However, in order to finish the research, the researcher will need to focus much more on
gathering responses from the other branches.
33 | P a g e
4. EMPIRICAL FINDINGS & ANALYSIS

4.1 Introduction

According to the research, the data is collected from the Central Colombo BOC and other 20
branches in Sri Lanka, through the distribution of hard copies to 152 employees of BOC. The
information gathered from the employee is later, analyzed through the SPSS software and the
output is presented in the graphs. The data which is analyzed is then explained future in this
chapter. In this research, the data will be analyzed based on the value label that is provided
below.

Lable Value

Very strongly 1
disagree

Strongly disagree 2
34 | P a g e
 Disagree 3

Agree 4

Strongly agree 5

Very strongly 6
agree

4.2 Statistics Question Analysis

4.2.1 Brand Citizenship Behaviour (BCB)
Table 1 – Statistic Table question1

I’m always friendly towards customers and other coworkers

Figure 3 - question 1 table

35 | P a g e
Figure 4- question 1 graph

For question 1, every individual answered positively as, according to the analysis the employees
are friendly with both their coworkers and the customers. As 74.34% agreed, 17.11% Agreed
strongly, 8.55% very strongly agreed and, 0% disagreed. This connotes, how well the
employees are engaged when working with a hint of their good communication skills which
helps them to be friendly with each other, therefore it eventually improves the productivity of
BOC.

Table 2 – Statistic Table question 2

I’m always helpful towards customers and other coworkers

Figure 5- Question 2 table

36 | P a g e
Figure 6 - Question 2 Graph

For question 2, according to the analysis of the above graph, 81.58% have agreed, 5.92% have
strongly agreed and 12.50% have very strongly agreed, because they believe they are helpful
towards others when working, which presents how well BOC have managed their employees by
sharing the values making sure they work well. Moreover, this presents that BCB has aided the
employees to be engaged in the workplace through self-branding, etc.

Table 3 – Statistic Table Question 3

I always try to put myself in the customers’ or other coworkers’ positions in order to understand
their views and problems

Figure 7 - Question 3 table

37 | P a g e
Figure 8 - Question 3 Graph

Question 3, represents 86.18% have agreed, 12.50% agreed strongly, and 1.32% have very
strongly agreed with this statement. Based on the above results, it represents that the employees
are well trained to be proactive rather than reactive which, will help in the future when they
have to face critical situations within the organisation, as then the employees will know how to
react to the situation properly. Futher, it helps to improve customer loyalty when they try to
understand the customers and secondly, helps to improve their bond with their colleagues. As a
result, this will make sure that BOC has a good working environment along with a productive
workforce as if, an issue arises the workers can communicate and solve it with each other.

Table 4 – Statistic Table Question 4

At any time I would take responsibility outside of my job duties if necessary (e.g., in handling
customer questions and complaints, promoting Banks’ products during non-working hours etc.)

Figure 9 - Question 4 table

38 | P a g e
Figure 10 - Question 4 Graph

In question 4, the majority agreed with the statement 90.13% agreed, 5.92% strongly agreed,
and 2.63 % very strongly agreed this is a good sign for BOC because this presents the
employees’ accountability and their willingness to work in the company rather than just
thinking about the salary and the benefits, as they work to achieve goals for the betterment of
BOC. However, 1.32% or 2 people have disagreed with this statement which futher, denotes
that there can be some people in the organization who will disagree with this statement. Due to
this reason, BOC will have to try getting close to these employees and let them feel they are
valued and secure within the organization so that they will eventually agree with this statement
and will be willing to do additional work outside working hours. So, BOC will have to work on
this with the help of BCB and as a result, will be able to gain success in the banking industry.

Table 5 – Statistic Table Question 5

I actively ask other coworkers for feedback

Figure 11 - Question 5 table

39 | P a g e
Figure 12 - Question 5 Graph

For question 5, according to the above results, 94.08% have agreed and 4.61% have strongly
agreed on getting feedback from their coworkers, this will allow them to reduce mistakes being
made as a result, there would not be misinterpretations which could affect long-term business
activities for example,if mistakes occur in an large scale project it could affect the banks’
overall performance, therefore when employees collaborate and get feedback to improve
themselves, it could lead to an improvement in the overall performance of BOC. However,
1.32% disagreed as they are not sure about their work and prefer to have control over what they
do, this kind of employees get work done quickly and they are well organized and comfortable
working alone. Due to this reason, BOC should allocate work accordingly based on how the
employees are comfortable working which will allow them to improve their effectiveness of the
workers.

Table 6 – Statistic Table Question 6

I strive to develop expertise by reading the Bank internal website, reference and procedure
guides, etc.

40 | P a g e
Figure 13 - Question 6 table

Figure 14 - Question 6 Graph

According to question 6, all the individuals have agreed to this statement as 90.79% have
agreed and 9.21% have agreed strongly. This behavior will effect BOC positively as when
workers follow this method it presents their validity, accountability, and transparency. So, the
employees have a good idea on what is the current situation of the bank which will allow them
to make decision based on that. Finally, this will lead to improvement in the brand image of
BOC as, any employee can explain the current situation of the company which depicts the bond
between the employees and the organization.

Table 7 – Statistic Table Question 7

I regularly take the initiative to participate in training

41 | P a g e
Figure 15 - Question 7 table

Figure 16 - Question 7 Graph

Question 7, as presented in the above graph everyone has agreed as, 1.32% have strongly
agreed while the other 98.68% have agreed on this statement which connotes, the regular
participation on trainings being provided by BOC. This allows the employees to stay up-to-date
with the technological advances which is used in the bank and allows the employees to focus
on their betterment and uplift the reputation of their profession.

Table 8 – Statistic Table Question 8

I take initiative to develop ideas for new products, services or process improvements

42 | P a g e
Figure 17 - Question 8 table

Figure 18 - Question 8 Graph

In question 8, 95.39% agreed with this statement while 4.61% strongly agreed. This represents
that the BOC gives the freedom to the employees to be innovative when they are working. As a
result, this will lead to rapid improvement of BOC as they can come up with different ways to
communicate with their customers effectively which will eventually improve the brand image of
BOC through their employee engagement.

Table 9 – Statistic Table Question 9

In all I say and do, I think about the consequences it has on the Bank brand

43 | P a g e
Figure 19 - Question 9 table

Figure 20 - Question 9 Graph

For question 9, based on the table 87.50% of the employees have agreed and 12.50% have
strongly agreed, that before they do something they would consider how their action affects the
bank's brand image. So, this presents that employees will help to improve in the risk
management as they will be working in a way that if would not affect BOCs’ bank reputation in
a negative way. Furthermore, this allows BOC to gain a competitive edge in the baking
industry, due to the improvement in the reputation it will allow to gain more customer attraction
as it displays the bank as a trustworthy and reliable Bank.

Table 10 – Statistic Table Question 10

44 | P a g e
I act according to the Bank brand identity, even when I’m not observed or controlled by anyone

Figure 21 - Question 10 table

Figure 22 - Question 10 Graph

Question 10, for this statement 76.97% have agreed and 23.03% have strongly agreed which
means positive feedback, according to this it is good for BOCs’ brand reputation because, when
the employees act according to the banks' identity being given its looks much more formal and
presentable, as fewer judgments will be made allowing the employees them self to benefit by
improving in their profession as they know how to behave in the organization even when no one
is monitoring them. This is a good influence of BCB on the employee engagement of BOC.

Table 11 – Statistic Table Question 11

45 | P a g e
I take special care in my work and check the quality of my work outcome if it has a positive
effect on the Bank's brand image

Figure 23 - Question 11 table

Figure 24 - Question 11 Graph

Question 11 in conclusion, all the individuals who answered this question have agreed to this
statement in general, by strongly agreeing with 15.79% and the other 84.12% agreeing to this
statement. Once again this will affect positively to BOC since the employees take accountability
and make sure they proofread and provide quality work for the organization. This will
eventually lead to fewer mistakes being made by the individuals and proper decisions are made
based on the documents being prepared by the employees.

Table 12 – Statistic Table Question 12

46 | P a g e
I would even accept extra work, if I would influence the Bank brand image positively (e.g. for
finishing a customer request time)

Figure 25 - Question 12 table

Figure 26 - Question 12 Graph

Question 12 expresses, that employees are willing to work extra hours for instance like, to finish
a customer request on time, and 94.74% of the workers in BOC have agreed with this, and
5.26% of them strongly agree with this statement as well. This will satisfy the customers which
will eventually lead to an increase in customer loyalty. So, through this, the BOCs' income will
be increased, while increasing the job security of the employees as well, finally allowing them
to keep a competitive edge within the public banking industry in Sri Lanka.

Table 13 – Statistic Table Question 13

47 | P a g e
I would always recommend the Bank brand to friends, acquaintances, or relatives, also in
private conversations

Figure 27 - Question 13 table

Figure 28 - Question 13 Graph

In question 13, for this also the majority agreed with 71.71% and 28.29% strongly agreeing
without anyone disagreeing, it helps BOC to increase its customer base and brand recognition,
which will lead to an expansion in the growth of BOC futher, it will indirectly advantage BCB
by encouraging a healthier banking system because, the employees themselves will be
promoting the Bank to their family and friends,as a result BOC is promoted through the word of
mouth by the employees.

48 | P a g e
4.2.1 Brand-Self Connection (BSC)
Table 14 – Statistic Table Question 14

I feel like, that the brand name of the Bank I’m working is like a real part of myself which
represent who am I?

Figure 29 - Question 14 table

Figure 30 - Question 14 Graph

Question 14, according to the table 76.32% have agreed and 23.68% have strongly agreed with
this statement which connotes, how the employees have a good connection with BOC as they
believe that the bank represents themselves as the workers .Moreover, BOCs’ values like,
providing superior services to the customers, being ethical and being transparent, may align
with the employees’ values therefore, employees feel connected with the organization.
Furthermore, this helps in increasing the trust of the employees within the organization
alongside the support of BSC, which affects positively on the productivity and effectiveness of
BOC.

49 | P a g e
Table 15 – Statistic Table Question 15

I feel that I am personally bonded to the Bank (including its brand name) that I am employed

Figure 31 - Question 15 table

Figure 32 - Question 15 Graph

For question 15, everyone agreed to this statement as well with 129(84.87%) of the employees
agreeing and 23(15.13%) of them strongly agreeing out of the 152 employees who filled the
questionnaire. This again emphasizes, the bond between the employees and the bank according
to the feedback, it portrays the job satisfaction of the employees, as the the job will become a
meaningful part of their life and allow them to fulfill their roles. Finally, this will benefit BOC
as they will have higher employee engagement since the employees are emotionally attached to
the organization and only wish for success and to do their best to achieve BOCs’ goals and
objectives.

50 | P a g e
Table 16– Statistic Table Question 16

To what extent do you feel that you’re working organization is able to express something ‘true’
and ‘deep’ about whom you are as a person?

Figure 33 - Question 16 table

Figure 34 - Question 16 Graph

For question 16, 73.68% agreed and 26.32% strongly agreed with this statement. This means,
the employees are comfortable to be themselves in the organization and BOC has given the idea
that they understand their employees and will support them if there is any issue ( it could be an
issue in the organization or a personal problem as well). This leads to an improvement in
authenticity and will motivate the employees to work in the organization which will also be a
reason for the reduction in the employee retention of BOC.

51 | P a g e
4.2.3 Employee Brand Love (EBL)
Table 17 – Statistic Table Question 17

To what extent do you feel yourself desiring to use the product and service of your Bank? (e.g.:
Savings, loans, pawning, internet Banking facility, ATM etc.)

Figure 35 - Question 17 table

Figure 36 - Question 17 Graph

For question 17 also, everyone is agreeing that they are highly likely to use banking services
from BOC itself as 91.45% have agreed and 8.55% have strongly agreed with this statement.
This presents the employee brand love towards BOC as it will also help them to improve the
customer base as the employees also will be using the services and are given discounts for the
services however this will not reduce the profit as there is a large customer base including
almost all the employees using the services and the value is being returned to BOC with
improvement in the motivation of the employees.

52 | P a g e
Table 18 – Statistic Table Question 18

Please express the extent to which you feel emotionally connected to your Bank?

Figure 37 - Question 18 table

Figure 38 - Question 18 Graph

Question 18, According to the research being done and the above data, 67.11% feel emotionally
connected to BOC and 32.89% feel strongly connected to the organization. Based on the
analysis, most of the generally agreed employees are internship workers due to that reason, they
don’t feel close as they have not worked in BOC for a long time however, none of them feel not
connected emotionally to the organization due to, the welcoming culture and worker-friendly
environment of BOC. In conclusion, this will guarantee that there is a high probability that the
employees will remain in the company including the currently working internship employees as
they will go beyond their extent to achieve the goals of BOC.

53 | P a g e
Table 19 – Statistic Table Question 19

Please express the extent to which you believe that you will be using products and services of
your Bank for a long time. (e.g., Savings, loans, pawning, internet Banking facility, ATM etc.)

Figure 39 - Question 19 table

Figure 40 - Question 19 Graph

Question 19, based on the result presented above, evaluates that 79.61% believe that they will
be using the service or the product being provided by the bank for a long time and 20.39%
strongly agree with that statement. This enhances the high level of trust and the satisfaction of
the organization. This once again will promote BOC as, when the employees utilize the Banks
services it will lead to employee brand loving as a result, with word of mouth more people will
get to know about the services being provided by BOC creating a good brand image in the
society eventually leading to increase in the customer base.

54 | P a g e
Table 20 – Statistic Table Question 20

Suppose your Bank were to go out of existence, to what extent would you be anxious?

Figure 41 - Question 20 table

Figure 42 - Question 20 Graph

Question 20, for this 94.08% have agreed that they will be anxious and 5.92% have strongly
agreed with this statement. This means, the emeployees are emotionally attached to BOC as
they are now used to work in this organization and comfortable as well with the working
envrionemnt and the collegues which highlights the employee brand love towards BOC.
Moreover, due to this reason the employees will be willing to work hard and stay motivated to
improve the productiveness so BOC would be able to stay in the banking industy with a good
good rank.

55 | P a g e
Table 21 – Statistic Table Question 21

Rate your overall feelings and evaluations toward your Banking brand as an employee.

Figure 43 - Question 21 table

Figure 44 - Question 21 Graph

Question 21, the employees have agreed they have a good or a positive feeling towards the
banking brand as an employee with 64.47% agreeing and 35.53% have strongly agreed to this
question. This ensures that the employees are well motivated and happy to work in BOC futher,
aiding in the future as the employees will remain within the organization and will work much
better with the experience they receive.

In conclusion, according to the statistics which had been gathered from the feedback collected
by 152 employees of BOC, it presents that on an average 127 people have agreed with most of
the survey which presents, that the employees of BOC are well-productive and effectively
working. Furthermore, the first few questions present that the employees are happy to work in
BOC as it represents that they are good when it comes to effectively communicating with the
customers by providing them superior services.

Moreover, the questions are divided into 3 sectors in the questionnaire to, make it clearer and
easier to analyze and understand for both the researcher and the employees who filled them out.

56 | P a g e
4.3 Time scale chart

57 | P a g e
CHAPTER 5 – Conclusion and Recommendation

5.1 summary of the research and the Key Findings

Throughout this research, it presents, the influence of BCB on employee engagement in BOC
further, the researcher uses elements like Self-brand development, brand endorsement, and
helping behavior to explore this topic in depth. In addition, this report is a collection of both
primary and secondary data, so to do this research more fairly, the researcher utilized a survey
to gather primary data from 152 employees of BOC.

Key findings are that employees will improve their productivity by utilizing BCB in the banking
industry, as the BOC is involved in self-brand development it will aid to improve in their
motivation ultimately leading to improvement in the effectiveness of the employee.

The positive link between BCB and employee engagement will foster benefits for the banking
industry of Sri Lanka.

Through surveying employees BOC will get a better understanding of the current situations of
their employees and their level of motivation allowing BOC to further improve in their
strategies and further motivate the employees to increase the organization's effectiveness.
Hence, most of the feedback of the employees is positive it will not create much cost for BOC
to improve in the future as they already have a good, well-engaged workforce in the
organization.

5.1 Constraints of the research

Based on the research being carried out by the researcher, there were some constraints faced in
getting feedback from well-experienced workers. The researcher utilized hardcopies to carry out
the scurvy as some of the well-experienced workers are not up to date with the technology for
example the older employees who have to be retained in BOC. As a result, there were some
struggles in order to get feedback from the employees as it took a while to collect all the
information. Due to this reason, it was unable for the researcher to utilize Google Forms in
order to gather information which could have been much faster unlike distributing hard copies.

58 | P a g e
5.3 Contribution to knowledge
Practical contributions

To improve employee engagement In BOC, understanding and utilizing BCB and more
focusing on the targeted strategies will aid in improving the engagement of the staff. By doing
this it will lead to customer satisfaction, reduce employee turnover, and overall performance
will be increased and through this, it will allow satisfying the employees when they achieve a
goal which they set and by looking at the improvement of the organization they will feel more
valued

Furthermore, the possibility of wider application is where it will not only be connected to public
banks but also the other organizations, this will create a good brand image for BOC which will
lead to attracting more employees to the organization allowing the growth of the organization.

Theoretical contributions

This research presents it aids improve the link of engagement with the BCB, as it contributes to
the body language of the information that already exists. It advances the knowledge of the link
in a wider organizational cultural context based on impacts on the employees within a particular
context in Sri Lanka.

Ability to improve in the theory development, as this will allow the employees to improve their
productivity by improving their strategies and the framework of the organization by creating a
more collaborative working culture in the banking sector. This could impact in leading to a
much deeper comprehension the organizational behavior.

5.4 Suggestions for future research

For future research, it is better to do in-depth research in depth about the BCB concept in
general for all the organizations and to further compare this research with other similar research
done by other researchers to, see the compatibility and further gather form information to
improve the knowledge. Moreover, it explores how different types of individual characteristics
could affect BCB, especially in the banking sector.

5.5 Recommendations

According to the analysis done through the research, it is recommended to implement a targeted
initiative. Here, it will allow to encourage BCB behaiours like through reward and recognition
systems, where BOC will acknowledge and reward employees who carry out the BCB
behaviours in the workplace for examole like, satisfying customers well by exceedignt hier
59 | P a g e
expetations, and staf participating on drand related activites done for engagement and bank
promotion done in public by, showing their values and ethical practices and etc. Moreover, to
implement a targeted initiative the organization can carry out training and development
programs to make sure the emplyees know the values, ethics, banks mission and brand
messeaging. Through the training it makes sure the emplyees will represent the Bank in s good
effective manner. Futhure, the banks can carry out programs for customers with supiriour
services this will lead to, creating a good brand image for the bank by exceeding cutomers
expectation and finally affect the cutomer base positively as it would lincrease the base of
cutomers due to positive word of mouth.

60 | P a g e
References

 Aaker, D.A. and Joachimsthaler, E. (2000). Corporate branding: Building value in the
information economy. Free Press.
 Bank of Ceylon. (2020). Annual Report 2020. Bank of Ceylon.

 Celebrity endorsement: Through the ages (2004) The Case Centre. Available at:
https://www.thecasecentre.org/products/view?id=20301#:~:text=Celebrity
%20endorsement%20of%20products%20has,dominated%20endorsements%20in%20the
%20US.
 Ceylon, B. O. C 2019. Bank of Ceylon Annual Report 2019, s l.: Bank of Ceylon.
 Ceylon, B. O. C 2020. Bank of Ceylon Annual Report 2020, s l.: Bank of Ceylon
 Davis, A. A., & Day, E. D. (2011). Brand citizenship behaviors: An employee
perspective. Journal of Business Venturing, 26(5), 537-555.

 Erdogan, B.Z. (1999) ‘Celebrity endorsement: A literature review’, Journal of Marketing

Management, 15(4), pp. 291–314. doi:10.1362/026725799784870379.
 Goldman, B. M. (2013). The Oxford handbook of organizational citizenship behavior.
Oxford University Press.
 Hatch, TJ, and Schultz, M. (2001). Bringing the corporation into corporate branding:
Integrating corporate identity and communications. Journal of Marketing, 65(3), 18-32
Available at:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/215915908_Bringing_the_corporation_into_c
orporate_branding.
 John, F. (2019) Full article: Celebrity vs. Influencer endorsements in advertising: The
role of identification, credibility, and product-endorser fit. Available at:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02650487.2019.1634898.
 Lin, C. Y., & Wang, Y. (2016). Self-brand development and consumer behavior: A
meta-analysis. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 33(4), 407-417.

61 | P a g e
 Media, M. (2023) The power of storytelling in brand endorsement - the 7 handy tips,
LinkedIn. Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/power-storytelling-brand-
endorsement-7-handy-tips-morismedia.
 Morhart, W.M. Ashforth, B.E. and Hunt, SD. (2009). Brand loyalty: Determinants and
strategies. Journal of Marketing, 73(2), 23-46.
 Park, C. W., Lee, J. M., & Han, J. (2009). The effect of sportsmanship on brand image
and loyalty: Moderating role of consumer's sports involvement. Journal of Business
Research, 62(12), 1564-1573.

 Zahran, O. (2023) Five considerations when choosing a celebrity to endorse your brand,
LinkedIn. Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/five-considerations-when-
choosing-celebrity-endorse-your-oweis-zahran.

62 | P a g e