Project topics and materials
Get Complete Project Material File(s) Now! »
CHAPTER 2 CORPORATE IMAGE
INTRODUCTION
The perceptions of the rural consumers regarding the corporate image of pharmaceutical organisations will be investigated in this study. It is therefore imperative to discuss the corporate image of organisations and relate it to the pharmaceutical organisations in the Bushbuckridge area.
Gregory (1991, and in Christie, 2002) says every company has an image, whether planned or not, and a good image can contribute much to an organisation‟s success. Ferrand and Pages (in Christie, 2002) believe corporate image to be of such value that they refer to it as “image capital” adding that it can serve to differentiate organisations that in other respects may be similar if not identical. A positive image can create value and impacts on consumer behavior but can also include perceptions which may or may not reflect the objective truth.
Gooch (in Christie, 2002) believes that image is everything, and Lewis says reputation is an asset of immense value that enables organisations to charge a premium for their products and services. Schorff (in Christie, 2002) agrees saying that a good image can compel consumers to prefer a product to a lower-priced though equally good one.
The purpose of this chapter is to understand corporate image and why it should be aligned with consumer culture in the pharmaceutical sector. Recommendations will be made in chapter 7 on how organisational behavior (discussed in chapter 4) should be structured to be aligned with consumers‟ perception of the ideal corporate image in the pharmaceutical sector.
The emphasis in this chapter is on definitions of corporate image, its related fields, the determinants of corporate image and how to lead corporate image successfully.
DEFINITIONS OF CORPORATE IMAGE
According to Massey (2003), two definitions of organisational image are most prevalent in their research, one focusing on the perceptions of employees and the other focusing on the perceptions of outside stakeholders and other interested parties. The first set, sometimes referred to as “the construed external image”, is a descriptive view and refers to how insiders believe external audiences view their organisation. The second is a projective view and is defined as “outsiders‟ ” beliefs about what distinguishes an organisation. Massey, 2003 argues that this “projective view” encompasses the “characteristics organisational elites want stakeholders to ascribe to the firm,” and refer to this definition of organisational image as the “communicated image”.
An organisational image is the “shared meanings, knowledge, and opinions” of the organisational stakeholders. An image is “something projected” by the organisation and “something perceived or interpreted by others” (Massey, 2003).
Organisational images are therefore created and sustained by organisations and their stakeholders; while the organisation is actively attempting to project a particular image of it, stakeholders are forming their own perceptions of the organisation. This duality is what produces the organisational image, and it is an important aspect of the definition of organisational image.
Keller (2003:538) says a corporate image can be thought of as the association that consumers have in their minds with respect to the company or corporation making the product or providing the service as a whole. Similarly, Kotler (2003:326) defines image as the way the public perceives the company or its products. Such an image is affected by many factors beyond the company‟s control. According to Johnson and Zinkhan (1990 in Javalgi, Traylor, Gross & Lampman, 1994), corporate image refers to impressions of a particular company held by some segment of the public.
For the purpose of this research corporate image is defined as something created by Pharmaceutical organisations and something interpreted by consumers in the Bushbuckridge area.
RELATED FIELDS OF CORPORATE IMAGE
For the past three decades, researchers have demonstrated increased interest in public perceptions of organisations, including concepts such as corporate image, credibility, corporate reputation, corporate identity, organisational identity, corporate communication, visual identity, total corporate communication and corporate brand. One problem for the research in this area is that many, if not all, of these concepts have, at one time or another, been treated synonymously. Of course, similarities exist among the concepts, and there are interdependencies as well. However, the key differences between the concepts must be understood if research and theory in this field are to move forward.
Corporate identity
The past decade has witnessed a surge of interest from marketing scholars and organisational behaviorists in two distinct but inextricably linked areas. While marketers have focused on the concept of corporate identity, the behaviorists have emphasised organisational identity.
Research in marketing, public relations and corporate communications, as well as those from a general management background, appear to be concerned with two issues: The nature of corporate identity and the purpose of corporate identity management.
Christie (2002) defines identity as the organisation‟s sense of self and image as what the organisation transmits to its receivers about itself and how these projections are received. He goes on to say that the picture receivers have of the organisation does not come solely from what is projected by the organisation; some of its identity may also be perceived. Similarly, Gioia et al (in Christie, 2002) define corporate identity as that which is core, distinctive and enduring about the character of the organisation.
The main objective of corporate identity management is to secure a competitive advantage for the individual organisation. It is based on the notion that the effective management of an organisation identifies results in the acquisition of a favourable corporate image and over time of a favourable corporate reputation which enables the organisation‟s key stakeholders and stakeholder groups to be favorably disposed towards it. An important prerequisite for a corporate reputation to contribute to business survival and success is that it offers a distinct advantage in relation to the organisation‟s external environment. This brings to use the concept of organisational identity (Chirstie, 2002)
Organisational reputation
Organisational identity is based on internal stakeholder actions and perceptions and organisational reputation is based on external stakeholder perceptions. An organisation‟s reputation is premised on stakeholders‟ overall evaluation of that organisation over time. This evaluation is based on stakeholders‟ direct experiences with the company and on any other form of communication and symbolism that provides information about the organisation‟s actions (Massey, 2003). Notice that time is a key component of the concept of organisational reputation. This will become important in the discussions of organisational image.
Declaration
Acknowledgements
Table of contents
List of Tables
List of Figures
List of Charts
Abstract
Chapter 1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
1.2 NEED FOR THE STUDY
1.3 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
1.4 METHODOLOGY OF RESEARCH
1.5 BENEFITS OF THE STUDY
1.6 DELIMITATIONS OF THE RESEARCH
1.7 OUTLINE OF THE THESIS
2 CORPORATE IMAGE
2.1 INTRODUCTION
2.2 DEFINITIONS OF CORPORATE IMAGE
2.3 RELATED FIELDS OF CORPORATE IMAGE
2.4 COMPONENTS (DETERMINANTS) OF CORPORATE IMAGE
2.5 THE LEADERSHIP OF CORPORATE IMAGE
2.6 SUMMARY
3 THE AFRICAN RURAL SURVIVALIST CONSUMER CULTURE
3.1 INTRODUCTION
3.2 SOCIETAL CULTURE
3.3 THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CULTURE AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
3.4 CULTURE DIVERSITY IN SOUTH AFRICAN ORGANISATIONS
3.5 THE RURAL SURVIVALIST CULTURE
3.6 SUMMARY
4 ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
4.1 INTRODUCTION
4.2 RELEVANCE OF ORGANISAITONAL BEHAVIOUR FOR THE RESEARCH
4.3 DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES OF ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
4.4 ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR AS AN INDEPENDENT STUDY FIELD
4.5 THE RELATED FIELDS OF ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
4.6 ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR AS A MULTIDISCIPLINARY FIELD
4.7 ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR VARIABLES
4.8 SUMMARY
5 METHODOLOGY
5.1 INTRODUCTION
5.2 RESEARCH DESIGN
5.3 SAMPLING
5.4 DATA COLLECTION
5.5 DATA ANALYSIS
5.6 VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF THE INFORMATION GATHERED
5.7 SUMMARY
6 RESULTS
6.1 INTRODUCTION
6.2 SECTION: THE BIOGRAPHICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SAMPLE
6.3 SECTION: CONSUMERS PERCEPTION OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
6.4 SECTION: COMPANY BUSINESS CONDUCT
6.5 SECTION: EMPLOYEE CONDUCT
6.6 SECTION: PRODUCTS
6.7 SECTION: COMMUNICATION
6.8 SECTION: PRICE
6.9 SECTION: SUPPORT
6.10 SECTION: DISTRIBUTION
6.11 SECTION: SALES FORCE
6.12 SUMMARY
7 CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND GUIDELINES
7.1 INTRODUCTION
7.2 THE RURAL CONSUMERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THE CORPORATE IMAGE AND GUIDELINES TO ALIGN ORGANISATIONAL BEHAIVOR CLOSER TO THIS IMAGE
7.3 UTILITY VALUE OF THE RESEARCH RESULTS
7.4 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
LIST OF REFERENCES
GET THE COMPLETE PROJECT
