Abstract:
Background: Employer branding plays a critical role in retaining skilled
professionals in Sri Lanka’s rapidly expanding IT sector. This study
examines how employees’ perceptions of their employer brand (EBP)
influence their turnover intentions (TI), with a focus on the mediating
role of trust in leaders.
Objective: Grounded in social exchange theory, the study argues that
when employees perceive their organization as a strong employer brand,
they are more likely to develop trust in their leaders, which in turn
reduces their intention to leave.
Methodology: A quantitative, deductive research design was employed,
and data were collected using a convenience sampling method from 310
IT professionals working in software development, cybersecurity, and
network administration roles across Colombo and Jaffna districts.
Established scales were used to measure EBP, trust in leaders, and TI.
The data were analyzed using SPSS and regression based on Baron and
Kenny’s (1986) four-step mediation procedure.
Key Findings: Results revealed that EBP had a significant negative
effect on TI (β = –0.278, p < 0.01) and a significant positive effect on
trust in leaders (β = 0.521, p < 0.001). Moreover, trust in leaders partially
mediated the relationship between EBP and TI (indirect effect β = –
0.134, 95% CI [–0.223, –0.056]), suggesting that employees’ trust
strengthens the retention impact of a positive employer brand.
Conclusion/ Implication: The study underscores the importance of
cultivating trustworthy leadership and strong employer branding
strategies to retain talent in Sri Lanka’s IT industry. However, the
reliance on self-reported data and a cross-sectional design limits causal generalization. Future studies could adopt longitudinal approaches and
examine sectoral differences in employer branding effects.
