Italy: Analyzing Reputation in a Cross-National Setting

Abstract

This study analyses the perceived reputation of large Italian companies by the general public in Italy. The study identifies those companies which are most ‘visible’ before going on to note which receive the most positive nominations and which are perceived as the poorest performers. The study concludes that researching corporate reputation in Europe is more complex than in the USA. For a number of reasons the same company may enjoy very different reputations in different European states. Initial evidence from this study also seems to support the idea of a sticky, inertial nature of corporate reputations. The age of a company seems to matter to the Italian public, as old and respected companies seem to enjoy a good reputation regardless of recent misfortunes or poor service. On the other hand negative collective judgment seems to persist even in the face of considerable changes in products, services and codes of conduct.