Reputation Management in the Age of Information Transparency
摘要
In the world of globalization and digitalization, strategical value of reputation allows to class it as one of the most significant strategic company’s intangible assets that secretly influences long-term security and continuous existence on market. Dealing with reputation management needs to be systematized; the impact of a tarnished reputation is much more ruinous to an organization than financial losses. That is especially true in times of information transparency – as companies open up to the whole world and allow every interested party (consumers, investors, authorities, social media NGOs) to monitor them up to every possible extent. In the modern world of business, advancement in digital means can influence how rapidly people communicate and social media interaction possess a forum were opinions exchange hands. This can open a world of new opportunities whilst also bringing dangerous risks to company reputation. Transparency on the part of a business may increase engagement and openness – but only when trust has been secured with the audience. On the other hand, any error or less than savoury event that occurs spreads like wildfire to the rest of society, where our reputations may be permanently destroyed. The point is that reputation management has become a growth industry for any number of very good reasons during the last few decades. One, today’s customers have more knowledge than ever before when it comes to corporate ethics, openness in processes and social responsibility. Then the values of a company´s profit may be quickly and severity impacted by crises with privately handled or even shady, unethical business practices. As an aside, the essay goes into ideas on keeping a company’s «reputation» in an information-enabled world. We will pay particular attention to real-world examples and resources that support the management of corporate images and the reduction of reputational risk. We will also explore how communication methods have changed and started affecting corporate reputation in the last few years.