Topic: organisations in the media
Study questions 1
Rainey, Backoff & Levine (1976)
1. What are the most important diferences between public
organisations and private organisations? Name four and
explain each.
(All diferences according Rainey, aacoof & Levine are the degree o
maroet exposure, legal, ormal constraints, political infuences,
coerciveness, breadth o impact and public scrutiny).
The degree o maroet exposure = Less maroet exposure means among
other things, lower availability o maroet indicators and in ormation and
lower allocational efciency. There is no maroet exposure or public
organisations and loads or private organisations.
Legal, ormal constraints = More constraints on procedures, spheres o
organisations means less autonomy o managers in maoing such choices.
More external sources o ormal infuence, and greater ragmentation o
those sources. Public organisations has more legal constraints than private
organisations.
Political infuences = Greater diversity and intensity o external in ormal
infuences on decisions (bargaining, public opinion, interest group
reactions), means greater need or support o ‘constituencies’(client
groups, sympathetic ormal authorities etc.) There is more political
infuence on public organisations than on private ones.
Coerciveness = More lioely that participation in consumption and fnancing
o services will be unavoidable or mandatory (the government has unique
sanctions and coercive powers).
Deephouse & Suchman (2008)
1. Explain ‘legitimacy’ in your own words.
A perception or assumption that the actions o an entity are desirable,
proper or appropriate within some socially constructed system o norms,
values, belie s and defnitions. (An example could be a student association
lioe Corps).
2. Explain ‘subjects of legitimation’ and ‘sources of legitimacy’
in your own words.
1
,Subjects o legitimation are those social entities, structures, actions and
ideas who are questioned by others (who are not in the social entity or
example). Sources o legitimacy are the internal and external audiences
who observe organizations and maoe legitimacy assessed. You can split
the sources in two parts; people/groups who have a license (the State) and
those who have collective authority over what is acceptable (lioe lawyers).
3. Explain the diferences between the concepts of ‘legitimacy’
and ‘reputation’ in your own words.
Legitimacy is dichotomous, non-rival and it tends to attach to
organisations that share a certain orm and is political, whereas reputation
is about the lioe between the past and uture behavior, it tends to attach
to individual actors and I economic. (
I an organisation with a legitimacy which is not what they want, they have
to woro on the values etc. to maoe their reputation better)
4. Why are legitimacy and reputation important for
organisations?
A good legitimacy and reputation is important or organisations in a many
ways, or example: it creates a organizational stability, the possibility to
increase product prices, maoes more proft, lower organizational costs,
loyal employees, attracting applicants, attracting investors and clients and
satisfed clients/citizens/staoeholders.
Einwiller, Carroll & Korn (2009)
1. Explain the six dimensions of corporate reputation.
Products and services ( or example: quality products services, reliable
products, satis ying customers, strong brands, ascinating products)
Innovativeness ( or example: leader in R&D, best innovation or
customers, promising product pipeline, seminal technologies, innovative
potential)
Social and environmental responsibility ( or example: commitment or
environment, environmental production, environmental products, social
responsibility, ethical standards, care or employees)
Management and corporate strategy ( or example competent top
management, clear vision or uture, leveraging opportunities, path
breaoing, convincing strategy)
Financial per ormance ( or example: good fnancial per ormance,
fnancially strong, fnancially sound, leading role)
2
, Emotional appeal ( or example: lioe frm, respect frm, enthusiastic about
frm, trust frm).
2. What are the most important fndings of this study?
Staoeholders constructs reputation on the basis o in ormation
Media are important to organizations as they can help to interact with
staoeholders
‘We ound that staoeholders depend more on the news media to learn
about reputation dimensions that are difcult to directly experience or
observe and or which the news media are the main source o
in ormation.’
3. What are the implications of this study for corporate
reputation management?
Firms are advised to be aware o and systematically analyze their
staoeholders’ need or orientation and media dependencies. Which
reputation dimensions are important to staoeholders and or which
dimensions do they need the news media to learn about them? This
onowledge is essential in developing frms’ media strategies or enhancing
corporate reputation. It shows communication managers which
dimensions they should place emphasis or enhancing evaluative
perceptions o specifc staoeholder groups, thereby rendering media
relations more efective.
Wæraas & Byrkjefoo (2012)
1. What is the relation between strategy, self-presentation,
and measurement (fgure 1) in the context of reputation
management?
Strategy is the frst step in reputation management, it provides a basis or
a gap analysis in which uture actions aimed at closing these gaps.
Sel -presentation is the second step in reputation management, to
infuence perceptions by developing a program or organizational sel -
presentation or expressiveness. This step entails closing the gap between
organizational identity and reputation I success ully done, organizational
identity is aligned with image, and the organization will be an object o
trust, admiration, esteem and respect, ultimately producing the emotional
bond between them and the external audiences that is necessary or the
development o a strong reputation.
3