Psychological Aspects of Corporate Identity, Image and Reputation

Abstract

Language creates problems for the study of corporate identity, image and reputation. The concept of corporate personality is based on an implicit analogy that has both advantages and disadvantages. Results from qualitative research studies illustrate the relationship between individual and collective representations. Persons and organizations are known and described in terms of the attributes that people assign to them. Organizations and persons have multiple identities, images and reputations that change over time. A reputation typically consists of a skewed distribution of beliefs with a greater or lesser degree of conformity among members of an interest group. This is the result of the spread of information and influence in a social network. Methods for studying reputation are briefly mentioned.