Title: Internal service branding: exploring the perception 'gap' in India's banking sector

Authors: Vikram Srinivasan

Addresses: Department of Management, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, UK; Strathclyde Business School, 199 Cathedral Street, Glasgow, G4 0QU, Scotland, UK

Abstract: We are in a technology driven age where organisations are finding it difficult to differentiate their products and services. In particular, the service sector face challenges in distinguishing from competitors, as technologies enable competitors to replicate service offerings. Furthermore the current turbulent economic conditions pose a greater threat to financial services in terms of retaining customers and brand building. This is the reason behind choosing to study the Indian financial sector as India is one of the fastest emerging economies. The working title of the research is |Internal service branding: exploring the perception |gap| in India|s banking sector|. One of the principle aim of this paper will be to identify, gauge, explore and understand the prevalent |perception gap| between the stated (internal) personality of a brand and employee (intra-internal) perception of the brand among Indian banks. The study would focus on how a brand is perceived within the micro environment of organisations.

Keywords: brand management; organisational culture; financial services; institutionalisation; internal service branding; India; banks; banking; perception gaps; product differentiation; service differentiation; service industries; competitors; competition; replication; economic conditions; customer retention; emerging economies; internal personalities; employee perception; intra-internal perceptions; micro environments; organisations; customer relationship management; e-CRM; electronic CRM; decision making; multivariate techniques; customer services.

DOI: 10.1504/IJECRM.2010.036184

International Journal of Electronic Customer Relationship Management, 2010 Vol.4 No.4, pp.359 - 376

Published online: 27 Oct 2010 *

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