CHARACTER, CONFORMITY, OR THE BOTTOM LINE? HOW AND WHY DOWNSIZING AFFECTED CORPORATE REPUTATION

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Love, E. Geoffrey; Kraatz, Matthew
• 署名单位: University of Illinois System; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; University of Illinois System; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• 刊物名称: ACADEMY OF MANAGEMENT JOURNAL
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0001-4273
• DOI: 10.5465/AMJ.2009.37308247
• 发表日期: 2009
• 页码: 314-335
• 关键词: ORGANIZATIONAL LEGITIMACY; firm; CONSEQUENCES; performance; survival; BEHAVIOR; returns; layoffs; QUALITY; models

摘要

The aim of this study is to illuminate reputational change processes and identify the underlying theoretical mechanisms. We draw upon extant literature to develop three distinct explanations for reputational change, respectively emphasizing criteria of organizational character, symbolic conformity, and technical efficacy. We evaluate these explanations by examining the reputational consequences of corporate downsizing. Our results show that downsizing exerted a strong, negative effect on reputation, consistently with the character explanation. However, significant moderation of this negative effect by other factors, including stock market reaction and downsizing's overall prevalence, indicates the need for a multitheoretical approach to reputational change.