Brand Associations and Brand Identity with an Emphasis on the Mediating Role of Citizenship Behavior in Staff of Sport and Youth General Office in Khorasan Razavi and Providing the Structural Model of Brand Equity Enhancement

This study aimed at brand associations and brand identity with an emphasis on the mediating role of brand citizenship behavior and providing a structural model of brand equity enhancement from the viewpoint of staff in Sport and Youth general office of Khorasan Razavi. This study was applied and survey. Researcher-made questionnaires of brand associations and brand citizenship behavior and standard questionnaires of brand identity and brand equity were used. Their reliability was 0.85, 0.82, 0.79 and 0.81 respectively. According to the information of Personnel Department of Sport and Youth general office in Khorasan Razavi, the population consisted of 123 employees in 2016. The sample equaled the population. To test the research model, structural equation modeling based on partial least squares method was used. The results showed that brand associations had a significant effect on brand equity and brand citizenship behavior. Also, brand identity had a significant effect on brand equity and brand citizenship behavior. Therefore, attention to maintain and develop brand identity and favorable brand associations in staff is a factor which influences brand equity enhancement in the organization.