When Outsiders Step In: Investigating the Phenomenon of Reputational Support

Abstract

This article introduces reputational support: when individuals who are not part of a public organization publicly explain or promote that organization. Whereas existing research focuses on organizations’ reputation management, reputational support highlights the relevance of unassociated actors’ behavior in organizations’ environment. Relying on social psychology insights, I explore an extreme case of the motivations behind reputational support and its perception and evaluation from the organization. Combining media content analysis and semi-structured interviews, I show that although helping the organization was not a primary motivation, employees perceived and appreciated reputational support. Thus, reputational support constitutes a valuable resource for organizations.