Hrm Journal

07-105443- Martin:Layout 1

4/10/2009

3:25 PM

Page 91

Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources

2009 47(2)

91

Driving corporate reputations from the inside: A strategic role and strategic dilemmas for HR? Graeme Martin University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland

The field of reputation management has been dominated by marketing and communications though there is an emerging consensus that corporate reputations and good governance are built from the inside-out. However, HR professionals and academics have been slow to contribute to these key strategic drivers of organizational success. In this paper I draw on our previous research from often disparate bodies of literature to develop a model of the links between strategic HR and corporate reputations. The model suggests converging lines of enquiry and interest for academics in HR, marketing, communications and strategy, but also highlights some strategic dilemmas for organizations in balancing best practice and best-fit HRM.
Keywords: corporate branding, corporate reputations, employer branding, governance, human resources

Managing corporate reputations is becoming an increasingly important strategic issue for organizations in the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors of developed and developing economies (Balmer and Geyser 2003; Bouchikhi and Kimberly 2008). This is especially so among organizations relying on intangible assets such as creativity, innovation, intellectual capital and high levels of service as the basis for competition (Kay 2004) and organizations in the financial services sectors in western economies following the credit crisis in 2008. Reputations and brands have also become more important following the spate of corporate governance scandals in the USA, Europe and the Asia Pacific region, problems with dangerous lines of products and services, and concerns expressed over the encroachment of big business on all aspects of social and political life (Bakan 2004; Clarke 2007).... [continues]

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