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A Systematic Review of the Corporate Reputation Literature: Definition, Measurement, and Theory

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Abstract

A systematic review of the corporate reputation literature is conducted. The final sample of 54 articles (and one book) consists of well-cited papers, and papers in journals that have published high quality work in corporate reputation. The sample is then analyzed and the three fundamental problems in the reputation literature are addressed – the need for a comprehensive and well-accepted definition, the difficulty in operationalizing corporate reputation, and the ongoing need for more developed theory. Two main findings evolve from this analysis: (1) reputation may have different dimensions and is issue specific, and (2) different stakeholder groups may have different perceptions of corporate reputations. The implications for future research are discussed.

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Notes

  1. With a multi-disciplinary approach it was important to include terms relevant to the various areas. As such, the following words were searched in the title of articles: reputation, reputational, reputed, reputable, brand equity, brand image, corporate branding, corporate brand, corporate identity, corporate image, organizational identity, organizational image, and goodwill.

  2. Referring to FMAC specifically, she states that the only way it would be appropriate is if the answers to the above questions were ‘profitability, executives, and Wall Street’ (2002: 453).

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  1. Asper School of Business, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

    Kent Walker

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APPENDIX A

APPENDIX A

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Table A1 Study Sample: Listed Chronologically
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Walker, K. A Systematic Review of the Corporate Reputation Literature: Definition, Measurement, and Theory. Corp Reputation Rev 12, 357–387 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1057/crr.2009.26

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