Face of CEO in corporate publicity affects viewer regard for the firm

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the ability of head-and-shoulder photos of CEOs appearing in a publicity item to influence reader regard for the corporation linked to the CEO. Design/methodology/approach Study 1 investigated three factors, face of a male CEO (trustworthy versus less trustworthy), headline framing of a corporate merger (tax-dodge vs specialization strategy) and respondent gender, whereas Study 2 explored two factors, face of a CEO (male vs female) and headline framing. The primary dependent variable was respondent regard for the firm. Findings Study 1 resulted in a significant three-way interaction. Face of a male CEO moderated a two-way interaction between the gender and the headline. Women, as compared with men, responded particularly unfavorably to the combination of an untrustworthy face and a tax-dodge headline. In Study 2, a firm headed by a male CEO and engaged in a tax-dodge action was poorly regarded, whereas a firm headed by a female CEO pursuing the same action did not suffer a loss of regard. Research limitations/implications Only one framing device (headlines) was studied when there are multiple such devices. Also, overall regard for the firm is influenced by multiple factors. Originality/value Of the factors investigated (facial image, headline and reader gender), only one is controlled by the corporation – the image of the spokesperson presented to the media. Findings suggest less downside risk to reputation if the company uses only trustworthy-looking spokespersons. Also, a female CEO may be a reputational asset. Women reported significantly more positive feelings toward a corporation headed by a female CEO than a male CEO.