The Impact of Transformational Leadership and Organizational Culture on Employee-Based Brand Equity in Vietnamese Small and Medium Enterprises

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are vital to Vietnam's economic development but face challenges competing for resources.The purpose of this study examined how transformational leadership style and organizational culture influence employee-based brand equity in Vietnamese SMEs.Surveys from 618 employees at 60 SMEs were analyzed using structural equation modeling.Results showed transformational leadership and cultures emphasizing employee development have positively impacted the employee brand equity.However, cultures focused on profits had negligible effects.These findings suggest that SME managers should adopt transformational leadership approaches and employee-supportive cultures that invest in employees to build stronger internal brand equity as a competitive advantage.More research on fostering favorable leadership and cultures in emerging market SMEs is warranted.