Examining corporate reputation judgments with generalizability theory.
The researchers used generalizability theory to examine whether reputation judgments about corporations function in a manner consistent with contemporary theory in the corporate-reputation literature. University professors (n = 86) of finance, marketing, and human resources management made repeated judgments about the general reputations of highly visible American companies. Minimal variability in the judgments is explained by items, time, persons, and field of specialization. Moreover, experts from the different specializations reveal considerable agreement in how they weigh different aspects of corporate performance in arriving at their global reputation judgments. The results generally support the theory of the reputation construct and suggest that stable estimates of global reputation can be achieved with a small number of items and experts.
Highhouse
Scott
S
Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA. shighho@bgnet.bgsu.edu
Broadfoot
Alison
A
Yugo
Jennifer E
JE
Devendorf
Shelba A
SA
D000328:Adult; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D005260:Female; D005793:Generalization, Psychological; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017146:Models, Organizational; D015279:Organizational Culture; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D011582:Psychological Theory; D011639:Public Opinion; D012935:Social Justice