Abstract/Summary

The present study responds to calls in the literature to explore and explain why the same message about a company and its activities sometimes results in diverse responses from stakeholders; and why people relate differently to whom they hear the message from. This thesis investigates the role and effects of the message–messenger interaction on perceptions of corporate reputation, organisational (dis)identification, and related behavioural outcomes. As such, key contribution to the literature includes a novel approach to understanding the role and effects of interactions between messages and (dis)identification with messengers on perceptions and behavioural outcomes of reputation. This approach helps to unpack underlying mechanisms of how and why stakeholders relate to messengers and why their behavioural responses are difficult to anticipate. A theoretical framework is initially built upon key elements of existing reputational models and stakeholder relationships. A moderated model is then developed and empirically tested. This is done by incorporating the interplay between messages (in a positive versus negative framing) and (dis)identification with messengers into the conceptual model. A quasi-experiment is conducted in the context of the Volkswagen emissions scandal and administered to a sample of 735 UK citizens. Data is analysed through the application of structural equation modeling partial least squares. Moderating effects of the message-messenger interactions are tested using MultiGroup Analysis. The findings demonstrate the particularly strong links between organisational (dis)identification and stakeholder behaviours, which are highlighted as interesting findings that increase understanding related to the impact of the message-messenger interaction on corporate reputation and its associated outcomes. This thesis is subject to a number of limitations, such as the study has been conducted in a specific car manufacturer context and from the perspective of general public, which may challenge the generalisability of the findings to other contexts. Finally, potential research avenues for future research are addressed.