Théories de la réputation et discussion de leur utilité dans la pratique des relations publiques et de la communication interne à l'entreprise

In a study conducted by Kevin Murray and Jon White (2005) that consisted of qualitative interviews with 14 CEOs and chairmen from leading UK corporations and international organisations, several findings established role of reputation management and public relations as perceived by executive managers. All the interviewees recognised reputation as one of the most important assets that a company can possess. On a more academic perspective, reputation and its associated concepts, identity and image, have been discussed by scholars for many years now. If lately researchers have developed several models that clearly distinguish the terms, they have often been used interchangeably. The Chartered Institute of Public relations' (CIPR) definition of public relations states that "Public relations is about reputation, the result of what you do, what you say, and what others think about you" (CIPR, 2008). This broad definition does not include all the components that will construct a company's reputation, as they have been described in several different models of reputation/image management. This analogy has been developed by scholars as a way to give a better image to a field that has developed an ambiguous reputation (Hutton, 1999). However, this essay will describe the main models and paradigms of corporate reputation management, reviewing the definitions that have been attributed to corporate image, identity and reputation. Although reputation appears to have many different components, including communication, the relationship between corporate reputation and public relations/corporate communications will be further developed and direct outcomes of successful reputation management for business in general and public relations in particular will be discussed. Finally, the essay will provide a brief overview of the new challenges for public relations raised by new technologies around corporate reputation management.