Corporate Reputation

clipped from www.networkworld.com Cisco's corporate reputation was measured by the following seven dimensions: Leadership - Company is a company with strong leadership, it has visible leaders and is managed effectively. Innovation - Company is an innovative company, it makes or sells innovative products or innovates in the way it does business. Workplace - Company is an appealing place to work, it treats its employees well. Citizenship - Company is a good corporate citizen, it supports good causes and does not harm the environment. Governance - Company is a responsibly-run company, it behaves ethically and is open and transparent in its business dealings. Performance - Company is a high-performance company, it delivers goog financial results. Product/Services - Company offers high quality products and services, it offers excellent products and reliable services.

Whether it's the Reputation Institute's global study or Fortune's Most Admired Companies, corporate reputation is a hot issue these days. Measuring reputation is tricky, however. Here are the Reputation Institute's dimensions (with Cisco as its example--notice the "goog financial results").

My take: Corporate reputation is not a small consideration when deciding who to buy from or who to work for (or who to invest in). I want to align myself with a reputable firm, not one known for questionable ethics or poor products. It makes good business sense to uphold a good reputation because it smooths the way for effective marketing, recruiting, and investor relations.