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Abstract: The paper aims to investigate the role of reputation in the insurance industry. It is important to test the direct and indirect outcomes of reputation in insurance companies. Direct consequences of reputation include perceived value, satisfaction, trust, and commitment, while the indirect outcomes are loyalty and word-of-mouth (WOM). For this purpose, a theoretical model was proposed and tested using structural equation modelling (SEM). A questionnaire survey was developed to examine the relationships between reputation, perceived value, satisfaction, trust, commitment, loyalty, and word-of-mouth. For this study, 744 valid questionnaires were collected from a sample of Portuguese car insurance policyholders. The results revealed that reputation directly influences perceived value, satisfaction, trust, and commitment and indirectly affects loyalty via these variables. Additionally, reputation indirectly influences WOM through perceived value, satisfaction, and commitment. Finally, loyalty has an impact on WOM. This research emphasises the crucial role of reputation in insurance companies and fills a gap in understanding the outcomes of reputation in insurance services. PubDate: 2025-03-28
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Abstract: Water scarcity and sustainable water management are critical global issues. Iranian companies facing water-related challenges can benefit from implementing effective corporate water reporting. By continuing to operate sustainably, they can enhance their reputation. Some may argue that corporate reputation is a driver for corporate water disclosure, while others argue that corporate reputation can be a consequence of voluntary corporate reporting or sustainability reporting that includes water reporting. In this paper, the mutual relationship between corporate water reporting and corporate reputation was examined. Therefore, 102 companies were selected from among the companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange that disclosed information about the company's water from 2013 to 2022. The result showed that there is a mutual relationship between corporate water reporting and corporate reputation. Water-sensitive companies also strive to disclose water-related information, such as their water management practices, water consumption, and recycling efforts, to enhance their legitimacy and reputation. Finally, the results of this research can be utilized by various internal and external stakeholders and offers valuable insights to companies seeking to strategically manage their reputations amid the challenges of climate change. PubDate: 2025-03-24
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Abstract: The recent massification and globalization of higher education coupled with the changing trends in global economy have seen a surge in benchmarking and ranking practices at the international level. Quality rankings rely on public information gathered mainly from reputational surveys, some input measures, and indicators of research performance. While all these rankings and related indicators have questionable validity as predictors of effective student learning, they have become highly influential on academic behavior, often encouraging institutions to invest time, resources, and effort in improving their rated reputation and image rather than actually improving their academic standards. At the same time, the quality ranking score significantly impacts reputational surveys; reputation is, therefore, both the outcome and the medium of rankings. Consequently, basing the reputation of a higher education institution on rankings and surveys bears several pitfalls as reputation holds many facets, and it would be simplistic to reduce it to one aspect. Nevertheless, universities have a lot to gain from a good reputation (and a good ranking as a matter of fact) and should, therefore, be able to assess it, monitor it, and even control it. The first purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that reputation is not limited to international rankings and surveys. The second one is to propose a list of indicators that higher education institutions can use to assess their own institutional reputation thoroughly, based on objective metrics. Measuring those “reputational indicators” would help identify areas of improvement and serve as a roadmap for institutions wishing to work on building their reputation, monitoring it, and enhancing it. PubDate: 2025-03-22
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Abstract: This article attempts to determine the impact of each aspect of CSR on brand reputation in the age of the metaverse. Its purpose is to create new insight into the literature and for managers (especially restaurant managers) to show that adherence to different dimensions of CSR can affect brand reputation and equity. In addition, this study aims to uncover the moderating role of age in the relationship between CSR dimensions and brand reputation in the context of restaurant services. The study used SEM and CFA to analyze 319 questionnaires from Iranian restaurants. The study results suggest that every aspect of corporate social responsibility (except for the philanthropic dimension) has a direct and substantial impact on brand reputation, which in turn has a direct and significant influence on brand equity. Also, the findings of this study show that age only moderates the relationship between the legal dimension of CSR and brand reputation. The paper constitutes an initial exploration of the impact of specific dimensions of CSR on brand reputation. In this analysis, a novel dimension—environmental accountability—was integrated into Carroll's framework to address the significance of environmental concerns. This research further enriches the body of literature by demonstrating that the effectiveness of CSR activities is not uniform. The paper reveals that consumers are factoring CSR considerations into their evaluations of restaurants. Notably, the paper originally underscores the paramount importance of environmental responsibility for these consumers, alongside an emphasis on revenue generation by restaurants and an expectation for compliance with ethical and legal standards. The findings offer restaurant practitioners a deeper understanding of CSR and its influence on brand reputation while also indicating the potential for these results to be applicable in other regions. The research demonstrates that, in the age of the metaverse, emphasizing various dimensions of CSR can substantially affect brand reputation. Consequently, this study may motivate restaurant managers, particularly those in developing countries, to prioritize and invest in CSR initiatives. PubDate: 2025-03-07
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Abstract: This paper aims to uncover internal organizational details of corporate social responsibility (CSR) management in Kuwaiti banking and telecommunications companies. Through in-depth interviews with 12 public relations (PR) practitioners and corporate communicators, the paper addresses the following questions in the context of Kuwait: what is the role of PR in the management of CSR' Is CSR a tool for reputation management or a genuine belief in these companies regarding their responsibility toward society, or both' Is CSR in Kuwait managed strategically' The findings reveal that PR departments are solely responsible for the management of CSR and are involved in it from ideation to implementation rather than only for communication. CSR is facilitated through PR’s powers in research and communication, yet it lacks evaluation. The PR departments in these organizations are committed to the ethical aspects of CSR rather than its reputational intentions. According to these respondents, enhancing reputation is indispensable for implementing CSR and such a benefit is an added value. However, even though respondents provided a few indications of the strategic implementation of CSR, a comprehensive understanding of what “strategic management” entails remains lacking as it is occasionally implemented on an ad hoc basis. This study reinforces the accumulating body of empirical support for PR’s role in CSR and the reputational benefits of CSR. It extends the current body of knowledge beyond western contexts to include Kuwait as an Arab and Middle Eastern country. The findings provide theoretical and practical implications for PR practitioners in relations to PR, CSR, and reputation. PubDate: 2025-03-05
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Abstract: This study examines the complex interplay between Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance, corporate reputation (CR), and firm performance (FP) in the context of Indian companies. It further investigates the moderating role of corporate reputation in the ESG-FP relationship and explores how this moderation varies with firm size. The research utilizes a quantitative approach, analyzing data from a diverse sample of Indian firms. Panel regression analysis is employed to test the hypothesized relationships between ESG performance, corporate reputation, and firm performance. The findings confirm that ESG performance positively influences corporate reputation, which in turn enhances firm performance. Corporate reputation is found to significantly moderate the relationship between ESG performance and firm performance, with the moderating effect being most pronounced in mid-sized firms compared to smaller and larger firms. These results underscore the strategic importance of ESG activities in building corporate reputation and driving financial success. This study contributes by integrating corporate reputation as a moderator into the ESG-FP relationship and exploring the differential effects across firm sizes. It provides a nuanced understanding of how ESG performance can be leveraged to enhance corporate reputation and firm performance, particularly in the Indian context. For practitioners, the findings emphasize the value of ESG initiatives in enhancing corporate reputation, particularly for mid-sized firms. Companies are encouraged to strategically invest in ESG activities as a means of building reputation and achieving competitive advantage, which ultimately leads to better financial performance. PubDate: 2025-02-23
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Abstract: Companies are increasingly aware that their competitive advantage lies in having highly qualified employees who influence their internal reputation. Work–life balance (WLB) initiatives are a way for companies to demonstrate care for their workforce, which can positively influence how qualified workers perceive their employer’s reputation. Moreover, organizations that effectively manage WLB practices not only enhance employee well-being but also strengthen their internal reputation, fostering greater commitment and loyalty among skilled professionals. However, there is a gap in the literature concerning the impact of WLB initiatives on internal reputation. This paper seeks to shed light on this issue. We empirically investigate the relationships among categories of WLB practices and dimensions of internal corporate reputation in Spanish small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the most common type of businesses in Spain, using a database of 254 employees of auditing firms. The findings show that not all WLB practices have a positive effect on internal reputation. We examine how these practices can be managed to increase a firm’s competitiveness through employees’ views of their organization’s reputation. The implications for practitioners and academics are discussed. PubDate: 2025-02-17
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Abstract: As consumers learn about a company’s actions, information about negative actions could impact customer purchase decisions. Of interest to firms is how customers process this information when making evaluative decisions. Two experiments explore the effect of comparative and selective processing on brand choice when participants are given negative information about company manufacturing practices to test whether the information affected product choice. The results show that participants were less focused on positive aspects of a focal product and less likely to choose it when engaging in comparative processing compared to those engaging in selective processing. Mitigating information about the negative information made participants more likely to choose the firm’s products compared to those that did not receive the mitigating information. These results provide insight as to how companies can communicate to customers to help reduce the negative impact of negative news. Public relations efforts should be designed in a way that encourages consumers to engage in comparative processing. PubDate: 2025-02-06
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Abstract: We explore how negative media sentiment regarding social stability distinctly influences the non-financial performance outcomes of friendly and hostile takeovers. In so doing, we shift the attention of media sentiment research from a focal firm, action, or actor toward the country where the target firm is embedded. We thus propose a framework of how country-level negative media sentiment impacts firm-level takeover outcomes. In the framework, we suggest that negative media sentiment makes the attributes of a friendly takeover, where cooperation and collegiality are present, congruent with the target country desire for social stability, thereby creating legitimacy. On the other hand, the traits of a hostile takeover, where discord and animosity characterize the transaction, are incongruent with the target country, making the fear of legitimacy loss salient for the acquiring firm. These factors enable or impair the likelihood of takeover completion and the time it takes to finalize the takeover. Additionally, we find that the features of a free press, where press freedom exists in a target country, amplify the effect of negative media sentiment on takeover outcomes, where the trustworthiness of the sentiment enhances the congruence or incongruence with the type of takeover in a target country. We make contributions to the literature on media sentiment. PubDate: 2025-02-03
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Abstract: Employees' advocate behavior is of great importance for organizations, given the highly competitive environment in every industry, although previous studies have mostly focused on consumer advocacy behavior, with the role of employees' advocacy behavior in the telecommunication sector being understudied. Moreover, research suggests that an organization's CSR efforts can significantly affect employees' behavior in achieving sustainable growth, but the correlation between internal CSR and advocacy behavior among employees has not been extensively explored. This study is guided by social exchange and conservation of resources theories to explore the relationship between Internal CSR and advocacy behavior among employees, viewing the positive behavior of employees as discretionary efforts for their organizations and the role of psychological contract fulfillment as a mediator in this relationship. A research model was developed and validated by collecting data from 308 full-time employees operating in the telecommunication sector in developing countries through a self-administered online questionnaire. Amos and Process Macro were applied to analyze the data. The results show that perceived Internal CSR has a significant direct impact on employees' advocate behavior. The relational type of psychological contract fulfillment has a significant partial mediation effect on this relationship, which means that when employees believe that their organizations prioritize CSR efforts toward internal stakeholders, it leads to fulfilling a relational psychological contract fulfillment. In turn, this causes employees to engage in advocacy behavior. The study suggests that telecommunication organizations can significantly improve their reputation by converting their staff into advocates, as individuals tend to trust personal sources of information more than sources provided by the company. This study is one of the early endeavors to investigate the impact of organizations' Internal CSR practices on employees' informal communication patterns, information sharing, and distribution within and outside their organizations in the telecommunication sector. PubDate: 2025-01-17
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Abstract: The literature on entrepreneurial marketing has grown over the past 25 years, but entrepreneurial branding remains under-studied. The purpose of the present study was to conceptualize entrepreneurial branding in the context of tourism small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Firstly, this study seeks to add to the literature on entrepreneurial branding by developing a new definition of entrepreneurial branding, by looking at literatures on both ‘entrepreneurial’ and ‘branding’ addressing the limitations of existing definitions to offer a more complete conceptualization. Secondly, it explores whether and how tourism business SMEs employ bricolage in their entrepreneurial branding. The study adopts a qualitative approach with abductive reasoning. In total, 20 interviewees representing 16 Finnish tourism SMEs were interviewed. The findings demonstrate resource constraints faced by tourism SMEs in entrepreneurial branding. Unique features of the place, such as history and heritage of place, were significant sources for building a unique brand identity for the SMEs, often at little cost. The study exemplifies how companies use domains of bricolage (Baker and Nelson in Administrative Science Quarterly 50(3):329–366, 2005) to manage resource constraints. The study offers new insights into the contents of entrepreneurial bricolage domains (physical inputs, labor, skills, customers, and the institutional environment) within a specific context, while also suggesting a new bricolage domain in entrepreneurial branding—namely, media bricolage. This domain refers to companies’ innovative and proactive generation of unpaid or low-cost media coverage in different channels for the purposes of brand building. PubDate: 2025-01-09
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Abstract: With employer branding (EB), businesses aim to align their organizational norms with the norms of their current and prospective employees, and they explicitly communicate about the firm’s norms. Communication, however, carries different meanings depending on the context in which one operates. Also, the organizational norms may vary depending on the context, i.e., industry, different countries, and geographical context in which a firm operates. As such, the process of EB may be context-dependent, too. This study explores if and how EB is applied differently in different country and industry contexts. The analysis draws on a quantitative content analysis of 226 job vacancies targeted at highly educated graduates and professionals in IT, energy, and healthcare from the North of the Netherlands and comparable regions from Germany and Bulgaria. Our findings show that EB, as manifested in core values and distinctive characteristics, is not widely adopted in the vacancies we included in our analysis. When adopted, different values are emphasized depending on the context. General information and job-specific information are most frequent among all industries and countries. EB is a multidimensional concept with different dimensions used according to the context. The study’s main implication is that companies need to be mindful of the context in which an EB strategy is used. A one-size-fits-all approach in EB is likely not the most effective. This is particularly relevant for multinationals that adopt a worldwide organizational brand. PubDate: 2025-01-08
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Abstract: Banking services are a value co-creation process that includes information sharing, trust-building, and joint learning by professionals and customers alike; however, the efforts in value co-creation may be perceived differently by certain customer groups depending on their activism. Information collection and unauthorized secondary use may suppress positive e-WOM, even if a given bank has an excellent corporate reputation among customers with different market-shaping behaviors. This study aims to analyze the mediating effect of consumer-based corporate reputation in the relationship between information collection, unauthorized secondary use of information, and positive e-WOM in banking services and the moderation roles of boycott participation and participation frequency in the model. Data from 1157 participants who showed no, average, and high market-shaping behaviors were collected through snowball and convenience sampling, and the research model was tested by the partial least squares structural equation modeling approach. The results reveal that corporate reputation has a strong complementary mediating role in gaining positive e-WOM in banking services. Even though information collection negatively affects the corporate reputation, owning a solid reputation suppresses the negative effect of information privacy concerns. Lastly, though, if a customer is predisposed to participating in boycotts, unauthorized secondary use of information damages the strength of the corporate reputation. PubDate: 2025-01-07
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Abstract: This study explores the intervening role of corporate reputation within the nexus of moral and social responsibility, green practices at work, and organizational performance. It aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how organizations can utilize moral and social responsibility and green practices at work to enhance their competitive advantage while fulfilling their social obligations. Employing a quantitative approach, the research utilizes survey data from organizations in India and applies path analysis to test the hypothesized relationships. The findings confirm that moral and social responsibility, and green practices at work, positively influence organizational performance. This study offers new insights into how green practices at work and social and moral responsibility are not only ethical imperatives but also strategic assets that enhance both reputation and performance, particularly in emerging markets like India. The results underscore the importance of integrating moral and social responsibility, as well as green practices at work, into organizational strategies to boost performance and reputation. Business leaders and policymakers in emerging markets can use these insights to foster a culture of ethical behavior and sustainability, driving long-term success. By emphasizing moral and social responsibility, this research highlights the broader societal impact of ethical practices. PubDate: 2024-12-30
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Abstract: The purpose of this study is to offer a refined scale for the brand happiness construct, and distinguish its measurement items to other similar constructs (belonging, attachment, and likability) these concepts, though often used interchangeably in research, differ significantly and can lead to misinterpretation. In order to gain a deep understanding of the research phenomena, a qualitative approach was employed, incorporating nine in-depth interviews and four focus groups with both marketing academics and customers, to explore these constructs in greater detail. Utilising the ‘brand happiness scale’ by Bruhn and Schnebelen (Die Unternehmung 71:464–490, 2017), the study assessed its effectiveness in measuring brand happiness. Findings from the interviews and focus groups revealed that while the scale is robust, an additional factor ‘perceived quality’ emerged as a key contributor to consumer brand happiness. Incorporating this dimension into the scale could enhance its accuracy in capturing the full spectrum of brand happiness. This research contributes to academia by clarifying conceptual overlaps and proposing a refined measurement of brand happiness, which could lead to more precise theoretical frameworks. From a managerial perspective, understanding the distinct roles of brand happiness, attachment, belonging, and likability can aid in better targeting and improving consumer–brand relationships. Incorporating perceived quality into brand strategy may help companies foster stronger emotional connections with consumers, enhancing brand loyalty and long-term success. Numerous implications for academics and managers are highlighted. PubDate: 2024-12-24
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Abstract: The concept of reputation and its management is a very important topic, but the application of the concept in the context of athlete branding lags behind. Accordingly, the present study was conducted with the aim of identifying salient dimensions of athletes’ reputation. Thematic analysis technique was used to analyze the data obtained from in-depth interviews with 19 reputation experts in sports. A list of 11 components in 5 themes emerged: athletic performance (team and club status, athletic achievement, and sportsmanship), social responsibility (charitable activities, and community engagement), public relations (relationship with the media, and relationship with the fan), financial performance (high salary, and endorsement) and physical attractiveness (fitness, and being stylish and up-to-date). By providing a comprehensive and coherent framework of the key components of athlete reputation, the present study contributes to the development of a systematic understanding of the emerging research field and provides a foundation for future research. PubDate: 2024-12-16
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Abstract: Companies are increasingly faced with online misinformation that can damage their reputation. This article extends paracrisis research by identifying a new form of denial and explores how to refine paracrisis response strategies to better defend corporate reputation against misinformation. Using an explanatory research design and qualitative data analysis, this study introduces “denial by humour” as a distinct refutation strategy. The research outlines how this specific strategy functions within the broader context of crisis communication as one of the three types of refutation strategies. Through a detailed case study of DHL’s response to misinformation about the COVID-19 virus being spread from the sky, the paper enhances paracrisis research by identifying potentially effective communication tactics, including strategic silence, social media management, employee engagement, and crisis advertising. The article also provides managerial implications, highlighting the crucial role of stakeholders such as politicians, the media, and employees, and discusses appropriate preventive strategies such as media monitoring and the implementation of an ethical code of conduct. PubDate: 2024-11-19
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Abstract: The importance of employees as the main asset for competitive advantage underscores the need for attracting and keeping skilled employees for the benefit of the organizations’ performance. This turns the focus of the employer to branding and employer attractiveness. What constitutes an attractive employer brand is, however, not clear based on the existing literature. The current study’s purpose was to re-examine the attributes of employer attractiveness, given issues with the dominant approaches, by asking the following research question: What are the distinctive and generally relevant dimensions of employer attractiveness' Importantly, the study adopted a qualitative approach by using interviews with 20 graduating students from Canada and Norway as the main source of data, as the method enables exploration of emerging attributes. The findings partly support the existing literature in terms of important attributes of an employer as perceived by prospective employees. Nevertheless, the current study proposes potential modifications to previously identified attributes and suggests additional attributes of importance. Taken together, the results point to some easily communicated image aspects, such as, development challenges, application of educational skills, and advancement opportunities. However, recruiters will have to be creative to convey an attractive employer brand image for other aspects such as career advancement, organizational values, job security, work–life balance, organization and procedures, job characteristics, company size, and location. PubDate: 2024-11-12
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Abstract: The study approaches the shared nature of intangible resources in buyer–supplier relationships. More specifically, we examine the impact of (cross)insurance mechanisms of past socially and environmentally responsible efforts on the perception of buyer–supplier dyads. Through a multi-factorial scenario-based experiment with a total sample of 426 participants, we assess the extent to which sustainability matters affect the way buyers and suppliers are jointly perceived. Empirical results show that firms’ attitudes and failures impact a reputational level beyond that of single firms, confirming the idea of intangible resources shared by dyadic formations. Coped with a theoretical debate on the limits of organizational borders, evidence supports the development of new concepts specifically designed to address the complexities of intangible resources in buyer–supplier dyads (i.e., dyadic reputation, dyadic image, dyadic credibility, attitude towards the dyad). PubDate: 2024-11-11
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