IMPACT OF EMPLOYER BRANDING ON JOB APPLICATION INTENTION OF FINAL YEAR MANAGEMENT UNDERGRADUATES UNDERGOING INDUSTRIAL TRAINING: WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO STATE UNIVERSITIES IN WESTERN PROVINCE, SRI LANKA

Abstract

In today's competitive global job market, employer branding has emerged as a critical strategy for attracting and retaining top talent. Organizations are increasingly recognizing the importance of cultivating a strong employer brand to appeal to potential candidates, particularly as the demand for skilled human capital intensifies. In Sri Lanka, this trend mirrors global practices, with leading corporations emphasizing employer branding to mitigate brain drain and secure the best talent. Accordingly, this research assesses the impact of employer branding on the job application intentions of final-year management undergraduates of state universities in the Western Province of Sri Lanka, who are undergoing industrial training. A structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data from a sample of 327 final-year management undergraduates, as determined using the Morgan table. This was a quantitative, cross-sectional study in which the unit of analysis was an individual final year management undergraduate who underwent industrial training. The sampling technique employed was stratified random sampling to ensure representation across various state universities in the Western Province. Data were analyzed using the SPSS 21 package, which includes both univariate and bivariate analyses. The analysis included multiple regression, descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation. The study identified that employer branding has a significant impact of employer branding on the job application intentions of final-year management undergraduates undergoing industrial training in the Western Province, Sri Lanka. The study emphasizes the significance of employer branding in shaping the job application intentions of final-year management undergraduates in Sri Lanka. By identifying the key dimensions that influence these intentions, this study provides a framework for organizations to enhance their employer branding strategies and better compete for top talent.