Title: A complexity view of organisational reputation

Authors: Hosein Piranfar, Robin Matthews

Addresses: East London Business School, University of East London, London, UK. ' Business School, Kingston University, London, UK

Abstract: This paper looks at the concept of reputation from four angles: cost-benefit, semiotics, quality and complexity. The complexity outlook may include all the other approaches in certain conditions but is in comparison wider, deeper, evolutionary and more fickle. It can embrace apparently contradictory states that evolve through interaction. The focus is on ambiguity, one of the less-known principles of complexity and is argued that it can act as a stem cell to build sustainable reputation. Two cases from industry are reviewed.

Keywords: ambiguity; complexity; quality; organisational reputation; semiotics; cost-benefit; sustainable reputation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJETM.2008.016300

International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, 2008 Vol.8 No.1, pp.87 - 102

Published online: 16 Dec 2007 *

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