Exploring the role of team building activities in internal marketing effectiveness: a conceptual framework
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26661/2522-1566/2025-2/32-15Keywords:
team building, internal marketing, employee engagement, organizational culture, productivityAbstract
This paper explores the impact of team-building activities on enhancing internal marketing by emphasizing their role as a strategic tool for fostering employee engagement, satisfaction, and alignment with organizational goals. In this regard, it highlights how team-building initiatives contribute to a cohesive work environment, which, in turn, strengthens internal marketing efforts. To achieve this objective, the study adopts a conceptual approach by synthesizing existing literature on team-building and internal marketing. Consequently, it develops a theoretical framework that explains how team-building interventions influence key internal marketing dimensions, including employee motivation, communication, and organizational culture. Moreover, the analysis reveals that team-building activities play a crucial role in enhancing trust, collaboration, and communication among employees. As a result, these improvements lead to a stronger internal brand and a more engaged workforce. Furthermore, they contribute to higher employee satisfaction, productivity, and commitment, thereby reinforcing internal marketing strategies. Ultimately, this paper offers a novel perspective by positioning team-building activities as a key driver of internal marketing effectiveness. More importantly, it provides actionable insights for organizations aiming to cultivate a unified, high-performing workforce through structured team-development strategies.
Jel Classification: M31, M54
References
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Cohen, S. G., & Bailey, D. E. (1997). What makes teams work: Group effectiveness research from the shop floor to the executive suite. Journal of Management, 23(3), 239–290.
Tannenbaum, S. I., Mathieu, J. E., Salas, E., & Cohen, D. (2012). Teams are changing: Are research and practice evolving fast enough? Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 5(1), 2–24.
Tuckman, B. W. (1965). Developmental sequence in small groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63(6), 384–399.
Varey, R. J. (2002). Marketing communication: Principles and practice. Routledge.
Zenger, J., & Folkman, J. (2014). The Extraordinary Leader: Turning good managers into great leaders (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Amabile, T. M. (1996). Creativity in context: Update to the social psychology of creativity. Westview Press.
Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2008). Towards a model of work engagement. Career Development International, 13(3), 209–223.
Bakker, A. B., Schaufeli, W. B., Leiter, M. P., & Taris, T. W. (2008). Work engagement: An emerging concept in occupational health psychology. Work & Stress, 22(3), 187–200.
Ballantyne, D. (2000). Internal relationship marketing: A strategy for knowledge renewal. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 18(6), 274–286.
Berry, L. L. (1981). The employee is the customer. Journal of Retail Banking, 3(1), 33–40.
Cohen, S. G., & Bailey, D. E. (1997). What makes teams work: Group effectiveness research from the shop floor to the executive suite. Journal of Management, 23(3), 239–290.
De Dreu, C. K. W., & Weingart, L. R. (2003). Task versus relationship conflict, team performance, and team member satisfaction: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(4), 741–749.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. Plenum Press.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2002). Handbook of self-determination research. University of Rochester Press.
Dyer, W. G. (2007). Team building: Proven strategies for improving team performance (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Gallup. (2023). State of the global workplace: 2023 report. Gallup Press.
Grönroos, C. (1990). Relationship approach to marketing in service contexts: The marketing and organizational behavior interface. Journal of Business Research, 20(1), 3–11.
Gully, S. M., Incalcaterra, K. A., Joshi, A., & Beaubien, J. M. (2002). A meta-analysis of team-efficacy, potency, and performance: Interdependence and level of analysis as moderators of observed relationships. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(5), 819–832.
Hackman, J. R., & Oldham, G. R. (1976). Motivation through the design of work: Test of a theory. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 16(2), 250–279.
Harter, J. K., Schmidt, F. L., & Hayes, T. L. (2002). Business-unit-level relationship between employee satisfaction, employee engagement, and business outcomes: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(2), 268–279.
Herzberg, F. (1966). Work and the nature of man. World Publishing Company.
Jobber, D., & Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2012). Principles and practice of marketing (6th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, F. P. (1995). Joining together: Group theory and group skills (5th ed.). Allyn & Bacon.
Katzenbach, J. R., & Smith, D. K. (1993). The wisdom of teams: Creating the high-performance organization. Harvard Business School Press.
Keller, K. L. (2012). Strategic brand management: Building, measuring, and managing brand equity (4th ed.). Prentice Hall.
Keller, K. L. (2013). Building an employer brand through internal marketing. Journal of Marketing Management, 29(7–8), 901–917.
Kotler, P. (2003). Marketing management (11th ed.). Prentice Hall.
Lencioni, P. (2002). The five dysfunctions of a team: A leadership fable. Jossey-Bass.
LinkedIn. (2021). 2021 workplace learning report. LinkedIn Corporation.
Lings, I. N. (2004). Internal market orientation: Construct and consequences. Journal of Business Research, 57(4), 405–413.
Mayer, R. C., Davis, J. H., & Schoorman, F. D. (1995). An integrative model of organizational trust. Academy of Management Review, 20(3), 709–734.
Morgeson, F. P., DeRue, D. S., & Karam, E. P. (2010). Leadership in teams: A functional approach to understanding leadership structures and processes. Journal of Management, 36(1), 5–39.
PwC. (2023). Global workforce hopes and fears survey 2023. PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Rafiq, M., & Ahmed, P. K. (2000). Advances in the internal marketing concept: Definition, synthesis and extension. Journal of Services Marketing, 14(6), 449–462.
Robinson, D., Perryman, S., & Hayday, S. (2004). The drivers of employee engagement. Institute for Employment Studies.
Saks, A. M. (2006). Antecedents and consequences of employee engagement. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 21(7), 600–619.
Salas, E., Sims, D. E., & Burke, C. S. (2005). Is there a “big five” in teamwork? Small Group Research, 36(5), 555–599.
Salas, E., Diaz-Granados, D., Klein, C., Burke, C. S., Stagl, K. C., Goodwin, G. F., & Halpin, S. M. (2008). Does team training improve team performance? A meta-analysis. Human Factors, 50(6), 903–933.
Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Schilling, M. A., Vidal, P., Ployhart, R. E., & Marangoni, A. (2011). Learning by doing something else: Variation, relatedness, and the learning curve. Management Science, 57(1), 39–56.
Schneider, B., & Bowen, D. E. (1985). Employee and customer perceptions of service in banks: Replication and extension. Journal of Applied Psychology, 70(3), 423–433.
SHRM. (2021). 2021 employee engagement and retention report. Society for Human Resource Management.
Cohen, S. G., & Bailey, D. E. (1997). What makes teams work: Group effectiveness research from the shop floor to the executive suite. Journal of Management, 23(3), 239–290.
Tannenbaum, S. I., Mathieu, J. E., Salas, E., & Cohen, D. (2012). Teams are changing: Are research and practice evolving fast enough? Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 5(1), 2–24.
Tuckman, B. W. (1965). Developmental sequence in small groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63(6), 384–399.
Varey, R. J. (2002). Marketing communication: Principles and practice. Routledge.
Zenger, J., & Folkman, J. (2014). The Extraordinary Leader: Turning good managers into great leaders (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill.
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Published
2025-06-20
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Section
Marketing
How to Cite
Zidane, K. (2025) “Exploring the role of team building activities in internal marketing effectiveness: a conceptual framework”, Management and Entrepreneurship: Trends of Development, 2(32), pp. 187–196. doi:10.26661/2522-1566/2025-2/32-15.
