Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / Some digitised pages may appear illegible due to the condition of the original hard copy / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Since the 1990's researchers have been adding different perspectives to the phenomenon of
corporate reputation and its management (Fombrun, 2002a: x; Gotsi & Wilson, 2001: 99). To
some extent, the growing attention paid to this topic has come from a consciousness about
prevailing trends in the current business landscape, such as the ongoing globalisation, the
proliferation of media, the public's new focus on transparency and social responsibility, as
well as an avalanche of corporate crises. Yet, besides leading to an unfortunately high
fragmentation of the study subject in the academic area, a result of this rapidly increasing
interest seemed to be a lack of practitioner's knowledge about the nature, potential, and
practical implication of this new management issue (Abratt, 2001: 368).
With the general aim to examine this assumed gap between reputation theory and practice,
this empirical study therefore presents a preliminary attempt to explore how corporate
reputation is approached in real business life. It focuses on the German business environment
and seeks to investigate companies' current understanding of corporate reputation, as well as
their moves towards fostering and protecting it. To be able to explore corporate reputation
management in this particular business environment, the study uses a qualitative research
design, for which a range of in-depth interviews are conducted with 18 managers of German
companies.
The results of this empirical research reveal how German companies understand, value, and
approach the issue of reputation and its management. Examining the responses, it becomes
evident that, although German companies attach high importance to the reputation issue, even
with regard to a strategic consideration, they demonstrate a less specific and less pro-active
approach when putting reputation management into practice.
After all, this research project informs academics about areas in reputation management that
still require theoretical underpinning, whereas practitioners can gain unique insights into what
the current reputation management practice looks like and how it could possibly be improved.
Thus, the ultimate value of this study stems from providing a bridge which enables these two
groups to learn from and move towards one another. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Navorsers het sedert die 1990s verskillende bydraes met betrekking tot die begrip, die
reputasie van 'n maatskappy en die bestuur daarvan, gemaak (Fombrun, 2002a: x; Gotsi &
Wilson, 2001: 99) Die groeiende belangstelling in hierdie onderwerp het tot 'n mate te doen
met die bewuswording van heersende tendense in die sake-omgewing: toenemende
globalisering; groei van die media; die publiek se aandrang op deursigtigheid en sosiale
verantwoordelikheid; sowel as 'n stortvloed van korporatiewe krisisse. Tog, benewens die feit
dat hierdie belangstelling tot die ongelukkige verbrokkeling van die studie-onderwerp op
akademiese gebied lei, volg daar ook 'n gebrek aan praktiese kennis aangaande die aard,
potensiaal en praktiese implikasies van hierdie nuwe bestuursgeskilpunt (Abratt, 2001: 368).
Die doel van hierdie studie is om ondersoek in te stel na die veronderstelde gaping tussen die
teorie en praktyk van reputasie-bestuur. Hierdie empiriese studie behels 'n voorlopige
ondersoek na die hantering van 'n maatskappy se reputasie in die sake-wêreld. Dit fokus op
die sake-omgewing in Duitsland en doen ondersoek na maatskappye se huidige opvattings oor
korporatiewe reputasie sowel as die pogings wat deur maatskappye aangewend word om
sodanige reputasie te bevorder en te beskerm. Die studie gebruik 'n kwalitatiewe
ondersoekmetode in 'n poging om die bestuur van die korporatiewe reputasie in hierdie
spesifieke sake-omgewing te ondersoek. Daar is gebruik gemaak van 'n aantal in-diepte
onderhoude wat met 18 bestuurders van Duitse maatskappye gevoer is.
Die bevindings van hierdie empiriese ondersoek dui aan hoe Duitse maatskappye die kwessie
van maatskappy-reputasie, en die bestuur daarvan, begryp, na waarde skat, en benader. 'n
Ontleding van die respondente se terugvoer lewer stawende getuienes dat, alhoewel hulle baie
waarde heg aan die kwessie van reputasie, selfs met betrekking tot strategiese oorwegings,
Duitse maatskappye 'n minder gedefinieerde en minder pro-aktiewe benadering volg sover dit
die praktiese bestuur van reputasie betref. Ten slotte word bydraes gemaak ten opsigte van die
akademiese kennis in die veld van reputasie-bestuur wat steeds mank gaan aan 'n teoretiese
onderbou, terwyl die praktiese veld unieke insigte met betrekking tot huidige praktyke in
reputasie-bestuur, en hoe dit verbeter kan word, bykry. Die uiteindelike waarde van die studie
lê daarin dat dit kennis verskaf wat hierdie twee groepe bymekaar kan laat leer, en nader na
mekaar kan laat beweeg.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/49961 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Twehues, Jennifer Elisabeth |
| Contributors | Brickau, Ralf, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic & Management Sciences. Graduate School of Business. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 162 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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