Title: Exploring corporate identity management in the Malaysian higher education sector

Authors: Bahtiar Mohamad; Ahmed Rageh Ismail; Muslim Diekola Akanmu; Talhat Almohamed Alhaiou

Addresses: Othman Yeop Abdullah Graduate School of Business (OYAGSB), Universiti Utara Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia ' Arab Open University - Egypt Campus, El-Shorouk City, Cairo, Egypt ' Johannesburg Business School, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa ' College of Business Administration (CBA), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Abstract: Research in Corporate Identity Management (CIM) within the higher education sector has yielded inconsistent findings. This paper aims to expand and deepen the understanding of CIM and its dimensions from the perspective of practitioners, focusing specifically on Malaysian higher education. Additionally, it seeks to investigate the factors influencing CIM and the outcomes resulting from CIM constructs, areas that existing literature has not thoroughly explored. Using qualitative methods, this research conducts a thematic analysis with NVivo, based on ten in-depth interviews. The findings identify internal brand, transformational leadership and corporate culture as key influencers of CIM. They also highlight the importance of employee brand support and affective commitment as essential outcomes of CIM. By clarifying CIM concepts, this study contributes to a better understanding of the issue and elucidates the role of CIM dimensions.

Keywords: corporate identity management; internal brand; organisational culture; leadership; brand support.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMIE.2025.147063

International Journal of Management in Education, 2025 Vol.19 No.4, pp.367 - 390

Received: 29 Mar 2024
Accepted: 07 Jul 2024
Published online: 10 Jul 2025 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article