Developing Employer Branding Models for Human Resource Retention: A Case Study of the Zarrin Industrial Group (Zarnam, Zarkam, Zarr Flour, Zarr Macaroni)
Keywords:
Zar Industrial Group, Organizational Justice , Employer Value Proposition , Human Resource Retention, Employer BrandAbstract
This study aims to develop and articulate a localized employer branding model to enhance human resource retention within the Zarrin Industrial Group. The study adopts an applied orientation and employs a systematic literature review with a meta-synthesis approach covering publications from 2015 to 2025. Forty-one eligible studies were selected from reputable international and national databases and analyzed using MaxQDA 2024 through open, axial, and selective coding. Analytical rigor was ensured via intercoder review and theoretical triangulation. The results indicate that employer branding is a multidimensional construct comprising six core dimensions: cultural, motivational, communicative, value-based, economic, and organizational justice and job security factors. From 981 initial open codes, 878 non-duplicative codes were retained and organized into 130 first-order subcategories, 30 second-order subcategories, and six core categories. Alignment between organizational values, justice, transparent communication, and employee experience is inferentially associated with higher loyalty and retention. The proposed localized model demonstrates that an integrated focus on culture, justice, motivation, and effective communication provides a sustainable strategic pathway for reducing turnover and strengthening employee commitment in the food industry.
Downloads
References
Abu-Mahfouz, S., Halim, M. S. A., Bahkia, A. S., Alias, N., & Tambi, A. M. (2023). Sustainable human resource management practices in organizational performance: The mediating impacts of knowledge management and work engagement. Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation, 19(2), 57-97. https://doi.org/10.7341/20231922
Ada, N., Korolchuk, M., & Yunyk, I. (2023). The Role of Employer Branding Practices on Management of Employee Attraction and Retention. Economics Ecology Socium, 7(1), 46-60. https://doi.org/10.31520/2616-7107/2023.7.1-5
Anujan, A., Foroudi, P., & Palazzo, M. (2024). Rethinking digital entrepreneurship in a digital transformation era: leveraging on brand avatars to boost brand experiences and loyal communities. European Journal of Innovation Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-03-2024-0325
Azhar, A., Rehman, N., Majeed, N., & Bano, S. (2024). Employer branding: A strategy to enhance organizational performance. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 116, 103618. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2023.103618
Babapour, S., & Karimizadeh, Z. (2022). The Impact of Human Resource Development on Entrepreneurship and Organizational Innovation in Sports Organizations. Human Resource Management in Sport Journal, 12(4), 68-81.
Bojnourdi, Z., Nikkhah Farkhani, Z., Mirzaei, V., & Rahimpour, A. (2024). Providing a model of employer branding attractiveness in the Khorasan Regional Electric Company. International Journal of Nonlinear Analysis and Applications, 15(12), 247-258.
Borjinia, F., Mashali, B., & Askari, N. (2023). Designing and explaining the employer brand reinforcement model of Tejarat Bank to Attract and retain human resources (A mixed-method approach). International Journal of Nonlinear Analysis and Applications, 14(11), 219-232. https://ijnaa.semnan.ac.ir/index.php/article_7333.html
Davies, G., Mete, M., & Whelan, S. (2018). When employer brand image aids employee satisfaction and engagement. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness, 5(1), 64-80. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOEPP-03-2017-0028
Drūteikienė, G., Savickė, J., & Skarupskienė, D. (2023). The impact of employer brand on the relationship between psychological empowerment and employee engagement. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 21(1), 193-203. https://doi.org/10.21511/ppm.21(1).2023.17
Elegbe, J. A. (2018). Talent management in the developing world: Adopting a global perspective. Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781315611822/talent-management-developing-world-joel-alemibola-elegbe
Falah Noushabadi, M., Mahmoudzadeh, S. M., Abbaspour, A., & Yazdanshenas, M. (2022). Employer Branding Model of the Ministry of Education for Attracting and Retaining Talented and Specialized Human Resources. Iranian Journal of Political Sociology, 5(12), 2133-2147. https://jou.spsiran.ir/article_158314.html
Fernandes, R., Sousa, B., Fonseca, M. J., & Oliveira, J. (2023). Assessing the Impacts of Internal Communication: Employer Branding and Human Resources. Administrative Sciences, 13(6), 155. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci13060155
Gilani, H., & Cunningham, L. (2017). Employer branding and its influence on employee retention: A review of the literature. The Marketing Review, 17(2), 239-256. https://doi.org/10.1362/146934717X14909733966209
Grigore, G., Chapleo, C., Homberg, F., Alniacik, U., & Stancu, A. (2024). Employer branding dimensions: An adapted scale for Eastern Europe. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 32(4), 447-466. https://doi.org/10.1080/0965254X.2023.2241460
Hietaniemi, L. (2023). Human Resource Redeployability and Entrepreneurial Hiring Strategy. Strategic management journal, 45(2), 272-300. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.3547
Irawan, D., Ady, S. U., & Sayidah, N. (2024). Building Brand Trust: The Role of AI-Driven Personalization and Brand Storytelling in Strengthening Brand Authenticity Perceptions. Journal of Economics, Management, Entrepreneurship, and Business (JEMEB), 4(2), 83-91.
Jamshidi, A. (2023). Examining the role of human resource empowerment and good governance agility in private organizations. Tenth National Conference on New Studies and Research in the Fields of Humanities, Management, and Entrepreneurship in Iran, https://civilica.com/doc/1828189/
Karimi Zand, M., & Tayebi, A. (2023). Designing model Internal Marketing with Entrepreneurial Orientation approach to the development of start-up businesses (Mixed paradigm). Political Sociology of Iran, 5(12), 1061-1081. https://doi.org/10.30510/psi.2022.343906.3500
Khalili, A., Asadi, K., Rahmani, N., & Farahani, E. (2022). A model for attracting and developing human resources in the school of Martyr Soleimani. The First National Conference on Management and Entrepreneurship in the School of Martyr Haj Qasem Soleimani (Focusing on Poverty Alleviation in the Jarmorian Region of Kerman Province),
Najarian, R., Hajinabi, K., & Nazarimanesh, L. (2022). The Relationship Between Human Resource Empowerment and Organizational Productivity of Imam Hossein (AS) Shahrood Hospital. Journal of healthcare management, 2(13), 7-15. https://doi.org/10.30495/jhm.2022.67880.11054
Nejad Mohammad, N. (2022). A Model for the Role of Transactional Memory, Learning, and Human Resource Development in Entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship Knowledge, 1(1). https://sanad.iau.ir/fa/Journal/enkn/Article/791148
Ojha, N., & Vaishnaw, H. (2024). Employer branding tactics for elevating attractiveness. European Economic Letters, 14(1), 552-557. https://www.eelet.org.uk/index.php/journal/issue/view/22
Oyewole, A. T., Okoye, C. C., Ofodile, O. C., Odeyemi, O., Adeoye, O. B., Addy, W. A., & Ololade, Y. J. (2024). Human resource management strategies for safety and risk mitigation in the oil and gas industry: a review. International Journal of Management & Entrepreneurship Research, 6(3), 623-633. https://doi.org/10.51594/ijmer.v6i3.875
Rahimi, E., Heidari, A., & Ghasemi, B. (2024). The Impact of Entrepreneurship-Based Branding on Startup Performance. International Journal of Innovation Management and Organizational Behavior (IJIMOB), 4(1), 100-106. https://doi.org/10.61838/kman.ijimob.4.1.12
Rahma, D. N., & Nasir, M. (2024). Understanding Brand Loyalty: The Impact of Brand Reputation, Corporate Reputation, and Brand Experience with Mediating Satisfaction on Skincare Facetology. Jurnal Orientasi Bisnis dan Entrepreneurship, 5(2), 150-162. https://doi.org/10.33476/jobs.v5i2.4855
Sarlak, S. A., Foroughipour, H., & Nikravan, M. (2022). Providing a Human Resource Development Model in Sports Organizations with an Entrepreneurial Approach Using Grounded Theory (Case Study of Lorestan Province). Sports Management Journal, 14(4), 322-340.
Srimulyani, V. A., & Hermanto, Y. B. (2022). Employer Branding and Employee Performance at KAI: Employee Retention' Role as Mediator. Jurnal Studi Komunikasi (Indonesian Journal of Communications Studies), 6(3), 921-940. https://doi.org/10.25139/jsk.v6i3.5381
Suwarsi, S., Fauzan, N., & Herliawan, P. (2024). Value-Based Employer Branding to Attract and Retain Millennial Doctors at Hospitals in Indonesia. International Journal of Professional Business Review, 9(1), 24. https://doi.org/10.26668/businessreview/2024.v9i1.4235
Sypniewska, B., Baran, M., & Kłos, M. (2023). Work Engagement and Employee Satisfaction in the Practice of Sustainable Human Resource Management—Based on the Study of Polish Employees. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 19(3), 1069-1100. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-023-00834-9
Szántó, P., Papp-Váry, Á., & Radácsi, L. (2025). Research Gap in Personal Branding: Understanding and Quantifying Personal Branding by Developing a Standardized Framework for Personal Brand Equity Measurement. Administrative Sciences, 15(4), 148. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci15040148
Verčič, A. T., & Corić, D. S. (2018). The relationship between reputation, employer branding, and corporate social responsibility. Public Relations Review, 44(4), 444-452. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2018.06.005
Westerbeek, H. (2025). Platform Power, Athlete Branding, Generative AI, and the Future of Sport Governance—a Systematic Review. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2025.1642180
Wijaya, F., & Senen, S. H. (2024). Strategic Human Resource Management in Social Enterprises: A Systematic Review of Practices and Challenges. Journal of Social Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.31098/jsetp.v3i2.2821
Zolfaghari, S. A., Akbari, F., & Mohammadi, H. (2023). The Relationship between Human Resource Management Policies and Organizational Innovation in the Tehran Province Department of Sport and Youth. Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Sport Quarterly, 5(2), 19-34.
Downloads
Published
Submitted
Revised
Accepted
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Morteza Soltani (Author); Taher Roushandel Arabtani; Amir Khanlari, Mohammad Rahim Esfidani (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.