Assignment 1 - Corporate Reputation Conceptual Model
University of Amsterdam
Communication Science
Corporate Communication
Tutorial group: 5
Assignment: 1
Word count: 794
1
, 1. Introduction
In an increasingly globalised and connected world, it has become
extremely easy for information about companies to become public, even
information that was meant to be kept private or denigrates the
company’s image. What organisations do, even when outside their
country, is now highly visible and can impact their image and reputation,
as journalists are able to discover and report information faster than ever.
Due to the current global focus on sustainability and climate change, this
is especially true when a company is caught engaging in unsustainable
activities, which usually earns them criticism from activists and the public
alike. Corporate reputation is vital for companies as it relates to how the
company is viewed by internal and external stakeholders, possibly
impacting their sales and popularity. Negative corporate reputation can
not only affect the company’s sales, but also their market value, resulting
in great financial loss (Hansen, Samuelsen & Silseth, 2008).
The model I introduce concerns the effect of corporate environmental
responsibility has on corporate reputation, as it is a vital component in
shaping an organisation’s reputation. I also acknowledge the impact of
news media attention on organisation’s reputation, especifically negative
attention, as media may focus on wrongdoings and not report on positive,
sustainable actions the organisation has taken or is currently taking.
2. Variable Definitions
Variable Name Type of Variable Definition and Source
Corporate Reputation DV “Observers’ collective
judgments of a
corporation based on
2
University of Amsterdam
Communication Science
Corporate Communication
Tutorial group: 5
Assignment: 1
Word count: 794
1
, 1. Introduction
In an increasingly globalised and connected world, it has become
extremely easy for information about companies to become public, even
information that was meant to be kept private or denigrates the
company’s image. What organisations do, even when outside their
country, is now highly visible and can impact their image and reputation,
as journalists are able to discover and report information faster than ever.
Due to the current global focus on sustainability and climate change, this
is especially true when a company is caught engaging in unsustainable
activities, which usually earns them criticism from activists and the public
alike. Corporate reputation is vital for companies as it relates to how the
company is viewed by internal and external stakeholders, possibly
impacting their sales and popularity. Negative corporate reputation can
not only affect the company’s sales, but also their market value, resulting
in great financial loss (Hansen, Samuelsen & Silseth, 2008).
The model I introduce concerns the effect of corporate environmental
responsibility has on corporate reputation, as it is a vital component in
shaping an organisation’s reputation. I also acknowledge the impact of
news media attention on organisation’s reputation, especifically negative
attention, as media may focus on wrongdoings and not report on positive,
sustainable actions the organisation has taken or is currently taking.
2. Variable Definitions
Variable Name Type of Variable Definition and Source
Corporate Reputation DV “Observers’ collective
judgments of a
corporation based on
2
