This dissertation studies the dynamics behind sudden, negative shifts in the corporate reputations of business firms, through three independent but related papers, a phenomenon that we refer to as a reputational crisis. This issue is of critical importance because the corporate reputation of a firm is one of its most valuable but potentially volatile intangible resources. Therefore, a better understanding of the situations where business firms suffer significant reputational losses within relatively short periods of time can contribute to both strategic management and business and society. From a strategic management perspective, the examination of sudden major losses in corporate reputation is an examination of the loss of what is potentially one of the most important intangible firm resources, if not the most important intangible resource of the firm. While, from a business and society perspective, an examination of sudden drops in corporate reputation could reveal the reputational impact that such sudden events have in the network of stakeholders (Freeman, 1984) who surround the firm and are, in a sense, the 'evaluators' of its reputation. / The first paper of this dissertation consists of a theoretical exploration of the management of reputational crises caused by sudden and unexpected incidents like industrial accidents, scandals, and product failures. Drawing on the stakeholder and crisis management literatures, a model useful in providing a better understanding of reputational crises is developed. The second paper is an empirical investigation into the impact that accidents can have on the corporate reputation of business firms. More specifically the impact that a number of accident characteristics have on the reputational re-evaluations of two particular stakeholder groups, industry executives and financial analysts, is investigated with data drawn from Lexis-Nexis and the America's Most Admired Corporations (AMAC) survey of FORTUNE magazine. Finally, the third paper of the dissertation examines the Brent Spar controversy to investigate two issues of importance in the management of reputational crises: the reasons behind a company's decisions to buffer or bridge when faced with a reputational crisis; and, the role of stakeholder salience in this decision.

No description available.

Yu Yat-Wah. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1992. / Includes bibliographical references. / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iii / LIST OF TABLES --- p.v / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.vi / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.vii / CHAPTER / Chapter 1. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 2. --- MARKETING IMAGE STUDY FOR TELECOM PAGING LIMITED --- p.3 / Market Situation of the Paging Industry --- p.3 / Marketing Strategy --- p.6 / The Target Company - Telecom Paging Ltd --- p.11 / Research Objective --- p.12 / Chapter 3. --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.13 / Chapter 4. --- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY --- p.19 / Exploratory Study --- p.19 / Descriptive Research --- p.20 / Chapter 5. --- LIMITATIONS --- p.24 / Chapter 6. --- RESULTS --- p.26 / Demographic Characteristics of the Respondents --- p.26 / Media Through Which Respondents Became Aware of Telecom Paging and New World Paging --- p.29 / Top of Mind Paging Companies --- p.31 / Mean Score of Each Attribute --- p.32 / Mean Importance of Each Attribute --- p.35 / Chapter 7. --- IMAGE GAP ANALYSIS --- p.37 / Telecom's Image versus New World's Image --- p.40 / Actual Image versus Perceived Image --- p.44 / Chapter 8. --- RECOMMENDED MARKETING STRATEGY FOR TELECOM PAGING LIMITED --- p.49 / Chapter 9. --- CONCLUSION --- p.56 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.58 / APPENDICES --- p.60

by Chan Wing-Sum. / Includes Chinese questionnaire. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1993. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 115-117). / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iii / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.vi / LIST OF TABLES --- p.vii / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.viii / Chapters / Chapter I. --- BACKGROUND --- p.1 / Chapter II. --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.3 / Chapter III. --- STELUX HOLDINGS LIMITED --- p.6 / Chapter IV. --- CITY CHAIN CO. LTD --- p.8 / Company Development --- p.9 / Stage 1 (May 85 - May 86) --- p.9 / Stage 2 (May 86 - May 87) --- p.10 / Stage 3 (May 87 - now) --- p.12 / Current Marketing Strategies --- p.14 / Target Market --- p.14 / Competitors --- p.14 / Product --- p.15 / Price --- p.16 / Distribution --- p.17 / Promotion --- p.18 / Personnel --- p.19 / Presentation --- p.22 / Personality --- p.23 / Chapter V. --- OPTICAL 88 LIMITED --- p.25 / Company Development --- p.26 / Stage 1 ( April 79 - May 84) --- p.26 / Stage 2 ( May 84 - April 86) --- p.27 / Stage 3 (86- Oct. 88) --- p.28 / Stage 4 ( Oct. 88 - Now ) --- p.29 / Current Marketing Strategies --- p.30 / Target Market --- p.30 / Competitors --- p.30 / Product --- p.32 / Price --- p.33 / Distribution --- p.34 / Promotion --- p.35 / Personnel --- p.38 / Presentation --- p.40 / Personality --- p.40 / Chapter VI. --- RESEARCH --- p.42 / Methodology --- p.42 / Results --- p.45 / Demographics of Total Sample --- p.45 / "Demographics of City Chain ""Shoppers"" and ""Non-shoppers""…" --- p.47 / "Demographics of Optical 88 ""Shoppers"" and ""Non-shoppers""" --- p.49 / Research Implications and Recommendations --- p.51 / City Chain --- p.51 / Optical 88 --- p.58 / Chapter VII. --- DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS --- p.64 / Synergy Effect --- p.64 / Definition of Business --- p.65 / Definition of Products --- p.66 / Shopping Process --- p.72 / Life Cycle of Chain Stores in Hong Kong --- p.74 / Introduction Stage --- p.74 / Early Growth Stage --- p.76 / Rapid Growth Stage --- p.77 / Consolidation Stage --- p.78 / Maturity Stage --- p.78 / Chapter VIII. --- SUMMARY --- p.79 / APPENDIX --- p.80 / Chapter A. --- Factor Analysis of Attributes : City Chain --- p.80 / Chapter B. --- Factor Analysis of Attributes : Optical 88 --- p.81 / Chapter C. --- "TV Commercial of City Chain - ""Solvil et Titus (Shanghai 1937)""" --- p.82 / Chapter D. --- Instore Layouts of City Chain --- p.90 / Chapter E. --- "TV Commercial of Optical 88 - ""Stand by Me""" --- p.91 / Chapter F. --- "TV Commercial of Optical 88 - ""The Kid""" --- p.96 / Chapter G. --- Instore Layouts of Optical 88 --- p.107 / Chapter H. --- Questionnaire --- p.108 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.115