great lengths to integrate all of its communication from websites to brochures and to brands (Cornelissen 2005; 24). This means that organisations have to be aware that actions and the external communication might affect the corporate image. Despite, organisations being open, honest and frank there is no guarantee that it will create a favourable image in the minds of the stakeholders, seeing that various other factors also influence the corporate image, such as the conduct of the employees and the dissemination of rumours (Van Riel and Fombrun 2005; 26). Though Dichter (1997) defines image as the total impression an organisation makes on the minds of people (Dichter in Hatch and Schultz 1997; 2), some researchers argue that a corporate image is a construction of public impressions created to appeal to an audience. This means that, the corporate image is intentionally manipulated by insiders as an attempt to alter or interfere with outsiders’ perceptions. Often this is done by top management or corporate spokespersons orchestrating deliberate attempts to influence public perceptions through corporate advertising (Hatch, Schultz 1997; 3). By using corporate advertising, it becomes possible to manipulate with the consumer’s perceptions, seeing that a campaign focussing on social responsibility creates an image of the organisation being supportive, responsible and caring (Keller 2008; 459). The corporate image is closely linked to the corporate values, and Thyssen (2007) argues that organisations attempts to portray certain values to enhance a favourable image (Thyssen 2007; 170), making the corporate values instruments for manipulating with the corporate image. This will be further elaborated in paragraph 3.1.7. Reputation Corporate reputation is a value-based construct, which means that the corporate image is compared to the stakeholder’s free-standing values about the appropriate behaviour of the organisation (Dowling 2001; 19). Corporate reputation is defined as: A reputation is the set of meanings by which an organisation is known and through which people describe, remember and relate to it. It is the net result of the interaction of a person’s beliefs, ideas, feelings and impressions about the organisation. An organisation will not have a reputation – people hold reputations of the organisation (Dowling in Van Riel et. al. 2007; 44)
great lengths to integrate all of its communication from websites to brochures and to brands (Cornelissen 2005; 24). This means that organisations have to be aware that actions and the external communication might affect the corporate image. Despite, organisations being open, honest and frank there is no guarantee that it will create a favourable image in the minds of the stakeholders, seeing that various other factors also influence the corporate image, such as the conduct of the employees and the dissemination of rumours (Van Riel and Fombrun 2005; 26). Though Dichter (1997) defines image as the total impression an organisation makes on the minds of people (Dichter in Hatch and Schultz 1997; 2), some researchers argue that a corporate image is a construction of public impressions created to appeal to an audience. This means that, the corporate image is intentionally manipulated by insiders as an attempt to alter or interfere with outsiders’ perceptions. Often this is done by top management or corporate spokespersons orchestrating deliberate attempts to influence public perceptions through corporate advertising (Hatch, Schultz 1997; 3). By using corporate advertising, it becomes possible to manipulate with the consumer’s perceptions, seeing that a campaign focussing on social responsibility creates an image of the organisation being supportive, responsible and caring (Keller 2008; 459). The corporate image is closely linked to the corporate values, and Thyssen (2007) argues that organisations attempts to portray certain values to enhance a favourable image (Thyssen 2007; 170), making the corporate values instruments for manipulating with the corporate image. This will be further elaborated in paragraph 3.1.7. Reputation Corporate reputation is a value-based construct, which means that the corporate image is compared to the stakeholder’s free-standing values about the appropriate behaviour of the organisation (Dowling 2001; 19). Corporate reputation is defined as: A reputation is the set of meanings by which an organisation is known and through which people describe, remember and relate to it. It is the net result of the interaction of a person’s beliefs, ideas, feelings and impressions about the organisation. An organisation will not have a reputation – people hold reputations of the organisation (Dowling in Van Riel et. al. 2007; 44)
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