Industrial advancement in modern society and the development of marketing strategies have lessened the disparities in quality between corporate products and services. Now, consumers are more responsive to the visual and emotional aspects in purchasing...
Industrial advancement in modern society and the development of marketing strategies have lessened the disparities in quality between corporate products and services. Now, consumers are more responsive to the visual and emotional aspects in purchasing commodities. Considering that human beings obtain 83% of all outer information through the eyes, it seems natural that design, as part of immaterial corporate resources, performs determining role in building corporate image. Corporate image is to be constructed not by a single factor but by a variety of complicated elements. Out of the numerous elements, this study focuses on exterior design of the building of a company and its influence on corporate image.
The office building of a company is one of the most effective media for corporate publicity. Nowadays, companies try to express their unique corporate identities by applying various changes to their company buildings. A unique building style evokes curiosity about the company in the minds of passengers, residents living nearby the building, and even potential customers: the curiosity is likely to develop into interest in the company. Moreover, the unique style of the building makes the employees have the sense of corporate pride, which, in turn, facilitates the development of the company.
This study aims to examine the value of the company building design as an instrument of corporate publicity. To do this, it investigates the degree to which exterior design of a company building generates favorable impression among the applicants of the company, and the ways in which the favorable impression influences on the applicants' attitudes when applying for the company and on the association and symbolism that customers have from the exterior building design.
This study consists of two parts. The preliminary research is literature review. The second research is based on the results of questionnaire asked to new graduates of professional schools, colleges, and universities. SPSS ver 13.0 is used to analyze the answers to the questionnaire, while frequency analysis that calculates frequency and percentage is used to analyze the demographic statistical factors and the applicants' perception of and desire to work for a particular company. To test the validity of measuring tools and measuring variables, Cronbach's Alpha value, which enables us to examine the inner consistency for factor analysis and reliability verification, is applied. In addition, to analyze the distribution of each variable, technical statistical analysis is utilized, whereas t-verification and distribution analysis are enacted to illuminate the demographic statistical factors and the differences in the empirical variables such as the times that an applicant sought information regarding the location and environment of a company building. Finally, regression analysis is used to test the original premise. The conclusions of this study are as follows.
First, the number of those who had interest in company building and investigated its location, working environment, and facilities accounted for 48.8% of all of the applicants who are about to graduate from school. On the other hand, those who did not conduct such research comprised 51.2% of all respondents. Therefore, the interest in company building turned out to be relatively strong.
Second, the study on the influence of the exterior design of company building on the impression of the company shows that favorable impression of a company increases in proportion to the degree of favorable impression of the exterior design of the company building.
Third, the study on the influence of the exterior design of a company building on the association and symbolism related to the company shows that the favorable impression of the building design makes direct impact on the company's symbolic aspects such as corporate culture, corporate character, and corporate vision.
Fourth, the study on the influence of the favorable impression of the exterior design of company building on the applicant's decision to apply for the company shows that the answer "moderately agree" accounts for 35.3% and the answer "agree" occupies 31.3; therefore, the above-average number of the applicants takes into consideration the exterior design of a company building. Outstanding exterior designs invite more applicants and influence on their decision to apply for the companies that have attractive office buildings. Furthermore, when a company building is prominently and characteristically designed, the employee are likely to think their company as culturally superior, which makes them feel proud.
This study proves that the exterior design of a company building is the instrument by which to make favorable impression and far-reaching symbolism of the company, and that the building design enhances the immaterial value of the company. However, the scope of this study is limited to the company applicants. Further studies about the social impact of company building design are to be conducted in relation to customers, local residents, and employees.