Objectives and research questions

Through the information and traces we leave on the Internet, prospects, customers, applicants and potential partners form an opinion about us before they contact or meet us for the first time. They attribute a reputation to us – a term that usually has positive connotations. Ideally, our reputation is the expression of our competence in our field of expertise and perhaps beyond. A good reputation is a resource for us and our business.

The research questions on “competence and reputation” are:

• What is reputation? What is competence?
• What is the value of reputation for organizations?
• Can one influence one’s own reputation? If so – how?
• How do we protect ourselves from falling for the “good reputation” of others and being disappointed?

The current state of research

The topic of reputation is being researched by a number of university disciplines: by marketing, by business studies, by sociology and also by psychology.

The topic of competence is being researched much more intensively and by even more interest groups.

For some time now, reputation has been seen as a resource for companies and entrepreneurs and has been used systematically, especially by marketers and communication experts.

Interesting contributions to the topic of “Competence and Reputation”

Brogan, Chris; Smith, Julian (2010) Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust.

Carreras, Enrique; Alloza, Angel; Carreras, Ana (2013) Corporate Reputation. LID Publishing, London

Deephouse, David L (2000) Media reputation as a strategic resource: an integration of mass comunication and resource-based theories. In: Journal of Management, 26,6, S 1091-1112.

Dietrich, Gini (2014) Spin Sucks: Communication and Reputation Management in the Digital Age.

Our own offer

We have partnered with a company in Spain that is leveraging reputation as a resource in an entrepreneurial way. You can find more information about it at STRONGELEMENT.COM.