Doing “Reputation” in the Indian Context: An Employee Perspective

Abstract

Corporate reputation has been studied as an aggregate of stakeholder perceptions with some emphasis on distinguishing among the perceptions of different stakeholder groups. This study focuses on the perceptions of employees, a critical group of stakeholders, within the Indian context and examines factors that inform an understanding of reputation from an employee perspective and shares the consequences of the same. Building on existing research conducted in developed countries, the study reveals similarities and dissimilarities with existing reputation conceptualizations. Results reveal three new factors, namely stakeholder connect, customer centricity, and company ethos, which are critical to an understanding of reputation from the perspective of Indian employees. Based on factors and attributes emerging from employee perceptions, the study proposes the Loyalty, Engagement, Emotional Connect, and Commitment model, which highlights the consequences of a good reputation in the Indian context.