Understanding a leader’s behaviour: Revisiting the role of reputation management in leadership research

This paper argues for the adoption of reputation as a conceptual prism to discern patterns in political leadership behaviour. The author intends to reach a judgement about the concept’s value for our understanding of leadership by offering a fuller appreciation of reputation itself that is grounded in a recognition of its role in managing followers and entrenching power structures, which makes it critical both to the incumbent leader and challengers. Methodologically, for this analysis both theoretical and descriptive materials have been selected and discussed in order to fully appreciate reputation’s applicability in leadership research. In light of the evidence reviewed one may infer that what renders a leader decisive or passive is essentially a reflection of reputational strength or weakness. In turn this leads us to conclude that concern with reputation engenders and shapes activity we observe in leaders and at the same time guides our interpretation of political decisions and phenomena. Eventually, we may come to see reputation as a concept that serves as a lens through which we view leaders’ responses to challenges. The rationale for this approach is leaders’ own focus on their respective reputation that may at times incentivise action or, alternatively, administrative and political immobility

The effect of bad reputation: The occurrence of crisis, corporate social responsibility, and perceptions of hypocrisy and attitudes toward a company

Based on attribution theory, this study examines how corporate social responsibility (CSR) and media coverage of corporate reputation, crisis, and CSR history affect the attribution of corporate hypocrisy and subsequently shape attitudes toward a company. The study found that perceptions of corporate hypocrisy mediated corporate reputation and attitudes toward a company during a crisis. The study suggested that CSR might be utilized best when a company has a good reputation with no crisis, whereas corporate hypocrisy is perceived most when a bad reputation and/or a company crisis lead the public to infer ulterior motives in CSR. Theoretical and practical implications for corporate communication and effective CSR communication strategies are discussed

Buffering negative news: Individual-level effects of company visibility, tone, and pre-existing attitudes on corporate reputation

Building on the agenda-setting theory, this study investigates the effect of corporations’ visibility and tone in news coverage on reputation. More specifically, we examine the buffering role that prior reputation may have for the potential damaging impact of news coverage. Providing a stringent test of causality, data from an automated content analysis of Dutch online and print newspaper coverage (N = 5,235 articles) were linked to individual responses from a three-wave panel survey (N = 3,270 respondents) with repeated measurements of corporate reputation (12 organizations). The analyses show that mere exposure to corporations negatively affects reputation, whereas tone has a positive effect on reputation. It is furthermore shown that the effect of negative news is three times larger than the effect of positive news. Finally, in accordance with research on buffering effects of corporate reputation, we demonstrate that negative news is less influential for people holding more positive existing reputational attitudes

Why can CSR seem like putting lipstick on a pig? Evaluating CSR authenticity by comparing practitioner and consumer perspectives

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to explain and better understand some of the challenges and even contradictions in relationships between CSR and stakeholder attitudes by comparing consumer and practitioner perspectives on social responsibility, its role in organisations, and its influence on consumer attitudes towards companies. Our objective is to understand and evaluate factors influencing the authenticity of social responsibility as a contributor to an organisation’s value proposition. Design/Methodology/Approach: Focus groups of consumers and practitioners (N = 39) were asked to explore CSR in a semi-structured discussion. Themes were analysed using a constant comparative method. Findings: These data suggest that rather than existing on a continuum of authenticity, there are clear paths emerging for CSR efforts to be deemed authentic versus inauthentic that can begin to better explain the often-contradictory findings with regard to consumer attitudes towards CSR and an organisation’s value proposition. Consumer efficacy to influence an organisation and localised CSR emerge as critical determinants for evaluations of CSR as authentic. Further, these data also suggest practitioners may not understand consumer motivations and attitudes about CSR. Practical Implications: Ultimately, these data produce testable models for authentic (i.e., motivator) and inauthentic (hygiene) consumer judgments about CSR and draw implications for CSR leadership, learning, and management. Originality/ Value: These data provide new insights into evaluations of CSR to explain when and why it can fail to meet its objectives

Kommunikationsstrategier i en värderelaterad kris : en fallstudie av Oatly

The global food system faces great challenges in terms of sustainability. The access to food is unevenly distributed and one third of the population is either suffering from micro deficiencies or from a high calorie intake. Moreover, the food productions system contributes to more than 25 % of the total greenhouse gases and 18 % of these stems from livestock. With a growing population demanding more of these climate intense products, great challenges await. Subsequently, a change of diets to one including more plant-based products is seen as one solution to substantially reduce negative impacts of consumption and reach a more sustainable planet. Stakeholders are expecting corporations to act responsible and incorporate CSR into their business conducts. This is especially true for corporations in the food system when facing challenges that can eventually escalate to a crisis. The aim of this study was to examine how a corporation communicate to its consumers in a value-related crisis. This encompasses finding out what communication strategy is used and the reputational outcome from this approach. The study was constructed as a case study of the communication of a Swedish oat milk company. How the corporation communicated was examined from their main communication channels: sustainability reports, webpage, and social media. Moreover, three focus groups were conducted with the corporation’s consumers and a corporate representative to gain a deeper understanding of the study phenomenon. Based on corporate social responsibility, corporate social responsibility communication, situational crisis communication theory and social media, a theoretical framework was created to guide the analysis of data. Findings of the study show that the corporation used a denial- and a CSR communication strategy. It is suggested by the theoretical framework that these strategies were not sufficient nor successful in this endeavour of protecting the reputation in a crisis. In crisis communication through social media, it is perceived important with strategies that are more accommodating to consumer expectations to protect corporate reputation. The corporation’s prior reputation and CSR actions was expected to shield a corporation in a crisis which was not perceived to be the case for the studied corporation. Neither did the response strategy protect the reputation as this was not found fitting for the specific crisis situation. Though, it was found that the financials were not affected, and the corporation continued to grow in a rapid phase. Therefore, it is suggested that the reputation was only slightly affected, if affected at all, in the end.Det globala livsmedelssystemet står inför stora utmaningar när det gäller hållbarhet. Förändrade kostmönster till sådana som släpper ut mindre växthusgaser och är nyttigare är en del av lösningen för en hållbarare matproduktion. Tillgången på mat är ojämnt fördelat och en tredjedel av jordens befolkning lider antingen av näringsbrist eller av ett för högt kaloriintag. Vidare så står livsmedelssystemet för mer än 25 % av de totala växthusgaserna och 18 % kommer från djurhållningar, och med en växande befolkning kommer efterfrågan på dessa produkter öka och föra med sig stora utmaningar. Därför ses kostförändringar där intaget av växtbaserade produkter är ökad som en del av lösningen för att minska den negativa påverkan av vår konsumtion och för att nå en mer hållbar planet. Intressenter förväntar sig att företag agerar ansvarsfullt och väver in företagens sociala ansvar i deras affärsverksamhet. Det är extra sant för företag i livsmedelssystemet när de står inför hinder som eventuellt kan leda till en företagskris. Målet med den här studien är att undersöka hur företag kommunicerar till dess konsumenter i en värderelaterad kris. Det innefattar att studera vad för kommunikationsstrategi som används och vad det fått för konsekvent på företagets rykte. Den här studien är baserad på en fallstudie av hur ett svenskt havremjölksföretag kommunicerar. Hur företaget kommunicerar studerades på deras huvudkanaler: hållbarhetsrapport, hemsida och i sociala medier. Utöver detta så hölls fokusgrupp intervjuer med några av företagets konsumenter samt en intervju med en företagsrepresentant för att få en djupare företeelse för det studerade fenomenet. Baserat på förtegens sociala ansvar, kommunikation av företagens sociala ansvar, situationsbaserad teori för kriskommunikation, konstruerades ett teoretiskt ramverk för att guida analysen av data. Fynden från den här studien visar att företaget använde en förnekelser- och en företagens social ansvar strategi vid sin kriskommunikation. Det föreslås av det teoretiska ramverket att dessa strategier inte var tillräckliga eller lyckade i att skydda företagets rykte i krisen. Vid kriskommunikation i sociala medier, är det viktigt att strategier är mer tillmötesgående mot kunders förväntningar för att skydda ryktet. Företagets tidigare rykte och sociala ansvarstagande var förväntat att skydda företaget i krisen, men fynden tyder på att det inte gjort det för det studerade fallet. Inte heller skyddade svarsstrategin ryktet då det inte passade den specifika krissituationen. Dock så visar fynden på att företagets finanser inte påverkats, då företaget fortsatte växa snabbt efter krisen, därav tros ryktet ha påverkats lite om det ens påverkats alls i slutändan

Is Brand Equity an Asset or a Liability in Brand Harm Crisis? Buffering and Amplifying Effects and Contingent Conditions

Brand harm crisis often result in negative consumer responses. This thesis addresses the buffering and amplifying theoretical perspectives of brand equity effects. We theorize that brand equity may interplay with the nature of brand-harm crisis in shaping consumer reactions. Results from focus group studies provide interesting insights into the amplifying and buffering effects. Moreover, research findings from two experiment studies show that brand equity amplifies consumer negative responses in a performance-related crisis but only when the crisis is extremely severe. When the crisis becomes less severe, the amplifying effect diminishes from outset. However, in a value-related crisis, the amplifying effect of brand equity is pervasive regardless of the level of crisis severity. The current thesis adds to the extant literature by demonstrating that brand equity can have very complex effects on consumer responses, which are contingent on the severity and domain of a crisis. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed