Linking Sustainability and Brand Love Through Employees’ Insights on ESG Practices in the Airline Industry

Abstract

This study investigates the intricate mechanisms linking ESG practices, innovation performance, and brand outcomes from the perspective of internal stakeholders—employees. This study investigates employees’ perceptions of ESG practices and their influence on brand identification and brand love, based on a quantitative survey conducted among 346 employees from three major Taiwanese airlines; the findings reveal that ESG practices positively influence innovation performance, which, in turn, significantly enhances brand loyalty and brand value, ultimately fostering greater brand love. Moreover, the results indicate that an innovative organizational climate exerts a significant positive moderating effect on the relationship between ESG practices and innovation performance. In contrast, the moderating effect of human capital was not found to be significant.