Reputations at Stake

Reputation is important to all of us. Reputations at Stake provides evidence-based and engaging examples that reveal a compelling story about the phenomenon of reputation. Organisations cannot ignore reputation because it impacts the sales of its products or services, its share price if publicly listed, and the types of employees it can attract and retain. Reputation is relevant for governments and politicians because it influences public perceptions and voting. It also relates to us at an individual level and impacts on how we can operate and integrate within our home, work, and social lives.

Reputation is not merely a macro-level strategic issue (e.g., for governments, corporations, or charities), a meso-level intermediation issue (e.g., for mass media, social media, and PR agencies) or a micro-level operational issue (e.g., for leaders, managers, or employees), but it is a multi-scale phenomenon that impacts everyone. The multiple ways that different and often conflicting reputations are playing out are articulated through research and examples, from the British royal family, libraries during lockdown, the world of influencers, Rio Tinto in Madagascar, white collar inmates in a US Federal Prison, and companies including BP, VW, and McKinsey & Company.

William S. Harvey, Professor of Leadership, University of Bristol

Will Harvey is Professor of Leadership at the University of Bristol. He is an International Research Fellow at the Oxford University Centre for Corporate Reputation and Chair of the Board of Libraries Unlimited. Will advises leaders on reputation, talent management and leadership.