Organizational embeddedness and employee word of mouth: The moderating role of employer reputation

The paper addresses the issue of employee word of mouth by investigating its potential determinants. Drawing on the extant literature on organizational embeddedness and extra-role behaviors, we test the relationship between organizational embeddedness and employee word of mouth on a sample of 626 employees working in eight Italian firms operating in the mechanical industry. Findings show that the more employees feel embedded in their current organization, the more they tend to talk positively with friends and relatives about their organization, recommending it as an employer. Such a relationship not only holds but is even reinforced when the organization has poor reputation as an employer. This study contributes both to extant literature on organizational determinants of employee word of mouth and studies on positive consequences of organizational embeddedness.