The impact of corporate branding dimensions on firm performance: Evidence from the Zimbabwean petroleum industry

Abstract

The study sought to establish the impact of corporate branding dimensions (mission statements, corporate visual identity and identity review on the performance of petroleum firms in Zimbabwe. The study sought to complement other previous studies that were carried out in other different contexts by producing evidence on the same phenomenon from a developing country context. The study adopted a quantitative approach. A self-administered survey was conducted to collect data that was processed by SPSS version 21. Data analysis techniques namely descriptive, correlation and regression were used to analyse the data. This study has shown that in a developing country context, mission statements, corporate visual identity and identity review impact significantly on performance. On the other hand there is no statistical evidence to support that corporate culture and corporate communications are predictors of firm performance. The findings of the study if taken seriously can provide some invaluable insights to managers of petroleum companies in developing countries and other parts of the world about how they can leverage on corporate dimensions to ensure firm performance. The study sought to contribute to the existing body of knowledge on corporate branding by developing a comprehensive conceptual framework of corporate branding and performance, a research area that has not being exhausted in a developing country context.