Online Company Reputation—A Thorny Problem for Optimizing Corporate Sustainability

Ionica Oncioiu,Anca-Gabriela Petrescu,Marius Petrescu,Elena Anghel,Florentina-Raluca Bîlcan,Delia-Mioara Popescu

doi:10.3390/su12145547

Ionica Oncioiu, Anca-Gabriela Petrescu + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su12145547

Copy DOI

Abstract

The new economic environment, characterized as volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous, has been generated through the evolution of a world in which online reputation and corporate social responsibility have become closely interconnected. In this study, we assessed whether corporate social responsibility is a goal with multiple implications for the image of the organization and its financial results, which present a model for measuring online reputation in the context of optimizing corporate sustainability. We used an econometric approach that showed that the main purpose of the model is to determine the best value of the dependent variable by providing a number of new sets of explanatory variables on the exact quantification of the company’s online reputation. The main results can support the decision-making process in building and maintaining online reputation in the short or long term, and the information provided is useful for implementing online reputation management programs. We provide a rather nuanced picture of the relationship between the credibility of corporate sustainability claims, financial security, and the chance of preserving the online reputation built. The research shows that online reputation risk management is no longer optional; online reputation must become a strategic resource for sustainable business.

Highlights

Regardless of the managerial vision adopted, in any contemporary organization, online reputation risk management is essential [1,2,3,4]
We aimed to answer the following questions: What is the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in building online reputation? Is online reputation one of a company’s most important resources and does it significantly impact financial success? Can online reputation be predictable? To answer these questions, the model proposed in this paper provides strong support for a more nuanced picture than that provided by existing research, which treats online reputation through specific stakeholders
The literature review highlighted that quantifying the performance of responsible behaviors is challenging, relevant research has shown that the companies that practice social and environmental responsibility have prospered in the long term and enjoyed a solid online reputation

Summary

Introduction

Regardless of the managerial vision adopted, in any contemporary organization, online reputation risk management is essential [1,2,3,4]. Companies engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities to show that they are legitimate and to enhance their online reputation. Both practitioners and theorists agree that the goals pursued by companies through CSR are to promote management based on the values spread within the organization and to improve their online reputation [9,10,11,12,13,14]. The issue of corporate ethics cannot be separated from online reputation risk management, as a damaged online reputation is often the result of what is perceived as unethical conduct by an organization. Organizations that have successfully demonstrated the importance of ethics have linked ethics to business issues and real processes

Objectives

Results

Conclusion