Introduction
Gronroos (1982) has been among the scholars who first introduced the term ‘internal
marketing’ during the early 1980s. He defined internal marketing as the behavior of selling
a corporation to its internal customers (employees). Under this principle, highly satisfied
employees will help create a market-oriented and customer-centered corporation and
subsequently will increase employees’ marketing awareness (Bernstein, 2005; Long-bottom et al., 2006). Furthermore, Kale (2010) reveals the importance of internal
marketing by stating that recruiting and retaining quality employees in a service
establishment requires designing job products that attract, develop, and motivate the
appropriate type of employees. This application approach requires an understanding of the
internal customer’s aspirations, attitudes, and concerns. Consequently, such understanding
develops market research, experience, and constant communication across all levels
within an organization.