Corporate Reputation: A Study of Practitioners in the Indian Context

Abstract

Emerging markets face unique challenges of issues and business practices that border in the grey areas of questionable ethical norms, inadequate transparency in reporting relating to funding, financial transactions and in the appointment of business associates and partners. Market realities in emerging markets such as India impose unique challenges for organisations striving to practice their intent. Issues of governance, regulatory frameworks and transparency pose considerable roadblocks. This paper measures the perceptions of principal stakeholders, that is, corporate executives, purposively selected from across varied business sectors spanning the technology, manufacturing, consulting, financial services, consumer goods, NGOs and the educational sectors in emerging market context to identify factors and attributes considered as significant for corporate reputation (CR) building though they are not part of the reputation models developed for the western and developed markets context. The role of ethical values and practices, active boardroom management, ethical branding and corporate communication, organisation’s core values, innate culture and professed purpose and principles in CR and branding are found to be significant. The study shows that CR building is adversely affected by excessive focus on financial results and government regulations.