The Evolution of Branding

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Methodology & Method

This section will first present the methodology of this research, which includes the research strategy, research philosophy and research approach. Then, the method of this research will be explained, including the sampling method, data collection as well as the types of interviews conducted. Lastly, the ethics and trustworthiness considered in this research will be discussed.

Methodology

Research Strategy

One of the first resolutions with regards to constructing a research is the decision between a quantitative and qualitative research study. A qualitative study is used to “emphasize the themes and patterns of meanings and experiences related to the phenomena” (Collis & Hussey, 2014, p. 10). The fundamental difference between qualitative and quantitative is the subject of measurement. Given that an abundance of literature and knowledge is available considering the objectives of the employment market and the phenomena of self-branding, this research seeks to understand and identify the meaning and use of self-branding through different dimensions of the Swedish employment market. Hence, a qualitative research was deemed most appropriate. The qualitative strategy has been earlier adopted in self-branding research by Gandini (2016), Vallas and Cummins (2015) and Rangarajan et al. (2017).

Research Philosophy

When conducting research, the researchers’ values and beliefs impact the way in which decisions are made and how the research is pursued (Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill, 2016). Throughout the research process many assumptions are made, both consciously and unconsciously, these assumptions are innate and vary in types. The three primary assumptions with regards to the development of a research philosophy are; ontology, epistemology and axiology (Saunders et al., 2016), all which must be considered when conducting research.
Since the purpose of this research is to gain richer and deeper insight into the functionality of self-branding in the Swedish employment market and the differentiations of its use, the philosophy that will be adopted is interpretivism, hence an interpretive paradigm. Interpretivism tends to use small samples, conduct in-depth investigations and produces rich, subjective and qualitative data (Collis & Hussey, 2014; Saunders et al., 2016). An interpretivist philosophy and interpretive paradigm were deemed most appropriate as the research is largely based on individual interpretations and reflections as part of a subjective reality. Self-branding is a tool that bears different means and importance to individuals with complex implications that follow.

Research Approach

When it comes to research and the development of theory, there are three approaches; deduction, induction and abduction (Saunders, et al., 2016). The difference between the three approaches is derived from the research purpose or goal; adopting a deductive approach is used in the falsification or verification of a theory, an inductive approach is adopted for theory generation and construction whilst an abductive approach strives to generate or modify an existing theory with the combination of new ones (Saunders, et al., 2016).
The inductive approach was deemed most suitable for this research purpose. An inductive approach is designed to generate untested conclusions, generalise the specifics and collect data with the function of exploring said phenomena and identifying themes and patterns within (Saunders, et al., 2016). The induction process begins with observations and findings and seeks a theory to build upon it (Bryman & Bell, 2015). An abundance of facts are available concerning the employment market and fewer on the phenomena of self-branding, their correlation is clear and so are the implications of the phenomena, however how, where, when and why should/ is self-branding encouraged? As an interpretivist philosophy and inductive approach are adopted throughout this research, the collection of data and hence generation of theory through analysis is what is hoped to be established with regards to insight.

Method

Sampling Method

In order to express and conduct the purpose of this study, it is of utmost importance to identify a relevant and representative sample for the interviews. Taking this into consideration, Saunders et al. (2016) provide two different types of sampling techniques; probability sampling and non-probability sampling. Probability sampling often entails that every individual from the target population has an equal chance of being selected, whilst a non-probability sampling method, means the probability of each participant being selected is unknown. The decision of applying probability sampling versus non-probability sampling is dependent on the research question (Saunders et al., 2016). Since the aim of the research is to question and confer with individuals in different types of employment, more specifically; freelancers, entrepreneurs and the traditionally employed, it was decided to apply the technique of non-probability sampling. In order to provide a representative consensus of the entire employment market, participants of different ages, genders and assignments must be included. Hence, the sampling must be purposeful and non-probable.
Saunders et al. (2016) further explain that there are four different sampling techniques within the realm of non-probable sampling; quota, purposive, volunteer and haphazard sampling. Since the aim was to examine individuals in different types of employment, to generate a well-reflected overview of people in the workforce, purposive sampling was deemed most appropriate. Purposive sampling, also known as judgemental sampling, is the selection of participants based on their knowledge and experience without amending or adding to the participant list after the commencement of the interviews (Collis & Hussey, 2014).
The criteria set for the participants/ interviewees was relatively basic, they needed to be employed, reside in Sweden, and separately, range in employment type. The composition/ demographics of the participants ultimately ended up being three freelancers, five entrepreneurs and two individuals who are ‘traditionally employed’. However, one of the participants did not completely match the specified criteria. The decision was made to include one freelancer whom is Swedish and works both in the Swedish and international market. This participant was ultimately included for comparison sake, but also to gain insight into differences between the Swedish market and the European or international market. The goal was for this participant to strengthen the propositions made about self-branding within the Swedish employment market.
For the purpose of anonymity, each participant has been allocated a number (see table 3), which is in chronological order to the interview process, which will be used throughout the remainder of the paper both in quotes and written statements.

Data Collection

In this paper, both primary and secondary data will be used. The secondary data referred to throughout this paper is represented by the literature, including predominantly academic articles, books and published news articles from reputable sources. Non-academic studies provided relevant information on the basis and disposition of certain concepts as well as their implication and were therefore incorporated, to simply complement the existing literature. The primary data will be represented and generated from the empirical findings retrieved from the interviews conducted (Collis & Hussey, 2014).
The existing research and literature on self-branding with regards to freelancers and entrepreneurs has been well articulated, however, it has not been properly researched within Sweden and especially not when it comes to the employment category of; ‘traditionally employed’. In order to find secondary data suitable for this paper, databases such as Google Scholar and Primo (Jönköping University Library), were used to search for the most relevant literature. Once the articles were retrieved, the academic articles were carefully evaluated based on a variation of criteria. The aim was to solely include reliable, relevant and trustworthy literature and academic articles, making the date of publication and location of publication central factors. Older literature was integrated as the history and evolution of branding is strongly connected to the concept of self-branding. The academic articles ultimately selected were peer-reviewed, and the large majority on the Association of Business Schools (ABS) list. The ABS list is used by certain schools and departments to aid in the research auditor’s judgements, allowing them to be more informed about the nature and quality of specific works (Morris, Harvey & Kelly, 2009). The majority of focal articles were graded three or higher (out of the maximum of four) and published between the years 2015 and 2018.
Additionally, in order to gather appropriate data, the following keywords were used; branding, personal branding, self-brand, reputation, social media, digitalisation, freelance. These keywords were chosen in order to retrieve a large and broad amount of literature and material which subsequently could be narrowed down and categorised.

Interviews

There are generally three forms regarding interviews; structured interviews, unstructured interviews and semi-structured interviews. When deciding upon which type of interview to conduct, the purpose and objective of the study must be taken into consideration (Saunders et al., 2016). Implementing a semi-structure to the interviews allows for the discussion of new ideas, the uncovering of patterns and themes, and the examination of subjective motivations and the highlighting of individuals differences (Collis & Hussey, 2014).
Furthermore, the majority of the interviews were conducted face-to-face, as a priority of this research was to increase familiarity, comfortability, a strengthened environment and the comprehension of complicated natured questions (Collis & Hussey, 2014). The remaining two interviews were conducted through video-chat.
A possible limitation of three prospective interviews is the language barrier. As this research intends to fill the gap of lack of self-branding research directed in Sweden, the interviewing of Swedes is essential. Respondent five, six and ten felt substantially more comfortable carrying out the interview in their mother tongue, Swedish, and translation was therefore needed. Conducting interviews in one’s mother tongue or a language in which they are more comfortable allows for more accurate and expressive results. When translating the interviews, the researchers did so together, which allowed for more correct translation, as well as translating verbatim. Translating verbatim is not translating exactly word for word but capturing the meaning and essence of what has been spoken (Temple & Young, 2004).

Interview Questions

The aim and objective of the interviews was to reach a better and deeper understanding of the Swedish employment market with regards to self-branding and to interpret individuals’ usage, perspective and strategy.
The general structure of the interview is two-fold (see appendix 1 & 2). Initially, the interview begins with a combination of basic and specific questions regarding the individual; personality, daily routine, social media usage, goals and perceptions. The interview continues onto the second component, where questions regarding self-branding respectively are posed. The creation of the interview questions was inspired from a previous study conducted by Rangarajan et al. (2017) exploring the strategic aspects with regards to self-branding as well as integral concepts discussed throughout the frame of reference: consistency, personification, consciousness, brand values and attributes and social media usage.
A distinctive element with this specific interview process is the decision to not introduce the concept of self-branding until halfway through. The decision to simply not introduce the term self-branding was made after conducting two pilot interviews, where the concept of unconsciousness became apparent, also previously discussed and supported by Rangarajan et al. (2017). Self-branding is introduced as a concept later on during the interview process to not warrant any answer that otherwise would have not been given. This method was used to prevent bias, specifically question order bias, the avoidance of leading the interview in a particular direction (Alsaawi, 2014).

Data Analysis

Seeing as the primary data presented in this paper was gathered through semi-structured interviews, the most suitable analysis approach is thematic analysis. Thematic analysis is a systematic method used when it comes to the analysing of data collected in a qualitative study with the purpose of identifying and interpreting themes and patterns related to the stated research question (Clarke & Braun, 2017; Saunders et al., 2016).

1. Introduction
1.1 Background
1.2 Problem
1.3 Purpose
1.4 Perspective
1.5 Research Questions
1.6 Definitions
2. Frame of Reference
2.1 The Evolution of Branding
2.2 Self-Branding
2.3 Precarious Employment Market
2.4 The Swedish Mentality: The Law of Jante
3. Methodology & Method
3.1 Methodology
3.2 Method
3.3 Ethics
3.4 Trustworthiness
4. Empirical Findings
4.1 Thematic Analysis
4.2 The Effects of Digitalisation
4.3 The Online vs. Offline
4.4 Authenticity
4.5 Self-Employment
4.5.2 Attitude Towards Self-Branding
4.6 The Traditionally Employed
4.7 The Law of Jante & Its Effects
5. Analysis
5.1 Social and Digital Platforms
5.2 Accessibility
5.3 The Online vs. Offline Debate
5.4 Self-Branding for the Traditionally Employed
5.5 The Perception of Self-Branding
5.6 The Law of Jante
6. Conclusion
7. Discussion
7.1 Practical Implications
7.2 Strengths and Limitations
7.3 Future Research
References
Appendices.
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