Employee ambassadorship: Scale development and validation

Abstract

In today’s competitive job market, attracting and retaining skilled employees is crucial for organizational success. To navigate the war for talent and establish themselves as the Employer of Choice, many organizations are employing employer branding strategies. A critical element in this process is employee ambassadorship (EA), where employees play a dual role by promoting the employer brand externally (e.g. through sharing positive work-related messaging) and internally (e.g. through alignment between employer brand promises and employee experience). This dual role enhances employer brand perceptions, strengthens reputation, and attracts talent. Recognizing the importance of EA, many employer branding resources emphasize transforming employees into knowledgeable, emotionally connected ambassadors to promote the brand both internally (e.g. among employees) and externally (e.g. to customers and potential candidates). Despite its significance, existing measures—such as organizational citizenship behavior and word-of-mouth—tend to focus on either internal or external aspects, primarily emphasizing behavior without considering the employer branding context. To address this gap, the Employee Ambassadorship Scale (EAS) was developed, a standardized, domain-specific measure of EA. Using a rigorous six-phase methodological approach, including conceptualization, item generation, factor structure analysis, confirmatory analysis, construct validation, and assessment of criterion-related and incremental validity—we created a reliable and valid 20-item, five-dimensional scale. The EAS is proven to be a reliable and valid tool that enables organizations to assess EA effectively and enhance their employer branding strategies. By following best practices in scale development, this study ensures methodological robustness and provides a comprehensive framework for future research on EA. It addresses existing gaps in the literature while offering practical insights for both academics and practitioners.