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The purpose of this paper was to examine the relationship between image, service satisfaction and public opinion towards reforms in public organizations and postulate a more detailed relationship among them. The concept “New Public Management” (NPM) was initially suggested in the literature sometime around the early 1990s (Aucoin, 1990; Hood, 1991). NPM-style reforms raised the flag of responsiveness to citizens and improved public satisfaction with the assumption that organizational image would also be positively affected by such reforms. Image, satisfaction and support in public sector reforms are, therefore, the major focus of this study.

The focus is on a major reform in the Israel electricity industry and data were collected from 500 respondents by telephone interviews.

The findings support the authors ' hypotheses concerning the major role of image and satisfaction in forming attitudes towards NPM-style reforms. However, beyond conventional direct effects, the authors point to the mediating effect of organizational image on the relationship between satisfaction and support for reforms.

First, other factors not included in the model may influence support for NPM-style reforms in public organizations. Second, the study focused on a single organization in one country only and a very specific culture. Finally, the study is cross-sectional and may suffer from common-method and common-source biases and for this reason, should be replicated to allow better generalization and firmer implications.

The findings about the preponderance of organizational image over service satisfaction can contribute to policymakers in their efforts to increase support for reforms among the public. The results demonstrate the strong relationship between organizational image and public opinion towards reform and the secondary effect of service satisfaction.

The centrality of organizational image as a core social focus for citizens as clients and for policymakers is highlighted in the discussion. It is maintained that NPM-style reforms in the social arena, and beyond, are predominantly affected by image. Therefore, there is a need to better understand how image affects social and economic reforms and attitudes towards those reforms and what may be the social consequences of such attitudes by citizens and by policymakers’ decisions.

The originality of this study is fourfold: a unique model of image, satisfaction and attitudes towards NPM-style reforms not been studied thus far is in its current form; exploring interrelations of citizens’ satisfaction, image of the public sector and calls for reforms and change in the market-like environment of the public sphere; a telephone survey of opinions towards a specific NPM-style reform; and a focus on a major public sector organization in Israel going through reform.

The purpose of this chapter is to investigate the notions of “Public Image Monitoring and Forecasting” done using media available in digital formats, such as blogs, discussion groups, and news articles, referred to in the aggregate as “digital scuttlebutt.” This chapter analyzes the purposes behind development of such a system and the different kinds of information that such a system would draw from. The chapter also investigates construction and extensions of a public image monitoring system designed to troll through various digital media to better understand a firm's public image.

A study of the published statements of Australian school administrators revealed that two distinctive configurations of power and service relationships are projected in their publically presented images of state school administration as it relates to government and the public. A previous Traditional Centralist‐Unity configuration is now being replaced by an Emergent Devolution‐Diversity conformation. Analysis was directed to (a) understanding the significance of the two images in terms of their function as public communications, and (b) accounting for the shift in the imagery in the light of pressures for change, the way administrators are interpreting change as turbulence, and the projection of counter images incorporating critiques of government school systems. To help organise analysis, it was assumed that images of system administration have the potential to communicate: 1. information, 2. explanation, 3. judgements and value positions, 4. statements designed to advance sectional interests, and 5. themes and persuasive symbols. It was also assumed that the shift in the public images of administrators may be studied in the way their images relate to three basic sources of administrative tension: tensions which arise from problems of meaning, problems of aspiration, and problems of practice.

This paper aims to examine the strategic importance of perceived internal branding in building symbolic and behavioral relationships with a corporate in the service sector. Research on internal branding has been confined only to how internal staff understand brand values. Despite the importance of alignment between internal and external communication, little emphasis has been placed on consumers’ perception of how internal staff understand brand values. Even before experiencing service, consumers can shape their overall evaluation on service based on external communication about internal training and its congruence with brand values.

The theoretical model of cognitive, affective and behavioral responses is empirically tested using the structural equation modeling approach with a sample of 258 adults. Multiple group comparison is also conducted to identify the difference between user and non-user groups.

The findings indicate that perception of employees’ training and its congruence with external communication enables consumers to shape their cognitive and affective response toward a corporate, which is a source of future purchase intention. How consumers think about internal branding forms their attitudes and images of business and social conduct and enhances their behavioral intention.

The results imply that internal branding should not be limited to organizational communications but should be stretched into a critical topic for external communications. In particular, notable differences between user and non-user groups determined in the model provide further implications for corporate communication.

This paper stretches the concept of internal branding into the area of public interest. Theoretically, it tests a dual process model that suggests cognitive and affective antecedents in predicting consumer intention. Practically, it provides new ground for viewing internal affairs as part of a continuum of external communication and not a separate element of a corporation. The results are conducive to robust customer-firm relationship building in the service sector.

In 2015, Malaysia’s investment vehicle, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), came under international scrutiny after it amassed a debt of US$11 billion (10.3 billion) (Wright & Clark, 2015), which it had difficulty repaying. More disturbingly, investigators found that US$700 million (658 million) was transferred into the personal bank account of Malaysia’s prime minister, Najib Razak, founder and chairman of 1MDB’s advisory board (Wright & Clark, 2015). Najib was also accused of embezzling state money (Reuters, 2015) and damaging the image of the country (“Najib tried to bribe me”, 2015). This chapter aims to examine the strategies used by the Malaysian prime minister to repair his image in the 1MDB scandal, the effectiveness of these strategies, and how these impacted Malaysia’s public diplomacy efforts in restoring the country’s image and reputation. Findings showed that the prime minister denied wrongdoing, and simultaneously bolstered his position and promised to turn 1MDB around. In contrast to the current explication of Benoit and Pang’s (2008) image repair strategies, Najib’s way of attacking the accusers sheds light into how image repair strategies may be operationalized in the Asian context. A new image repair strategy – diversion – is proposed to be added to the existing framework.

Concerns itself with the way in which company images are formed and disseminated and discusses work carried out among the employees, suppliers and purchasers of a heavy goods manufacturing company. Argues that company employees should be made the focus of attention, since these are potential salesmen in the widest sense of the world. Suggests a company's experience, particularly in the industrial and service sectors will rely heavily on personal contact with employees, e.g. employees will portray an image of the company as it effects them. Proposes that all people external to the company but coming into contact with it receive the same image. Pinpoints a questionnaire involving a company image profile of engineering where employees are slightly pessimistic – includes these in question and answer format. Concludes that a company's good image among its employees and subsequently among those outside it, rests in the hands of top management. – and how can this be ignored?

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the effectiveness of image-repair strategies adopted by organizations to restore their public image and reputation following crisis situations, the lessons learned from these cases and the significance of contextual factors that are likely to affect image-repair efforts and strategies adopted.

Three cases have been reviewed in this paper: Weather, Jordan; Nestlé Waters, Jordan; and Victoria College School, Jordan. Information was obtained from published materials, such as YouTube commentaries, local newspapers and online news agents, primarily the Jordan Times, which is considered the number one daily in the country. The discussion of these cases is original and based on academic theory and literature.

Organizations differ in terms of the ways they respond to corporate crises and the strategies they are likely to adopt to restore/recover their reputation and public image.

Corporate reputation or public image is an asset that is built over time. Organizations within all industries seek to secure positive images in the minds of people. The image of an organization however can be threatened by crises. Trust and public image decline when stakeholders feel they have not been adequately informed in times of crises regarding the different attributes of the situation or how the organization is dealing with the crisis. Organizations have the choice to adopt one image-repair strategy at a time or a combination of strategies according to the requirements of the situation.

Image-repair strategies have been examined in American and European contexts but have, to the author’s knowledge, never been examined in the context of Arab organizations and more specifically in the context of Jordanian organizations. This paper therefore provides a new insight into how to apply these strategies in a unique and new context and will also motivate future research in this regard.

In this age of extremely well-developed social media, it is necessary to detect any change in the corporate image of an enterprise immediately so as to take quick action to avoid the wide spread of a negative image. However, existing survey-based corporate image evaluation methods are costly, slow and static, and the results may quickly become outdated. User comments, news reports and we-media articles on the internet offer varied channels for enterprises to obtain public evaluations and feedback. The purpose of this study is to effectively use online information to timely and accurately measure enterprises’ corporate images.

A new corporate image evaluation method was built by first using a literature review to establish a corporate image evaluation index system. Next, an automatic text analysis of online public information was performed through a topic classification and sentiment analysis algorithm based on the dictionary. The accuracy of the topic classification and sentiment analysis algorithm is then calculated. Finally, three internet enterprises were chosen as cases, and their corporate image was evaluated.

The results show that the author’s corporate image evaluation method is effective.

First, in this study, a new corporate image evaluation index system is constructed. Second, a new corporate image evaluation method based on text mining is proposed that can support data-driven decision-making for managers with real-time corporate image evaluation results. Finally, this study improves the understanding of corporate image by generating business intelligence through online information. The findings provide researchers with specific and detailed suggestions that focus on the corporate image management of emerging internet enterprises.

The purpose of this paper is to examine women’s reactions to celebrity endorsers holding positive and negative public images and the consequences for purchase intentions of the endorsed product.

The paper draws on the social comparison literature and applies the theory of upward and downward comparisons to the celebrity endorsement context.

Study 1 shows that exposure to celebrities holding a positive public image decrease consumers’ temporal self-esteem, while celebrities holding a negative public image increase temporal self-esteem. Study 2 suggests that this change in self-esteem transfers to the product depending upon the type of social comparison focus (similarity vs dissimilarity) which people have. Study 3 shows that for consumers low in true self-esteem, i.e. self-esteem based upon a stable foundation, celebrities holding a positive public image decrease purchase intentions. For consumers high in true self-esteem, there was no difference between exposure to celebrities holding a positive and a negative public image for purchase intentions. Study 4 focused on replicating the results found in Studies 1-3 in the context of an achievement celebrity (as opposed to a regular celebrity). The findings in Study 4 provide further support for the results of Studies 1 and 3, and identify expert celebrities as a boundary condition for the effects found in Study 2.

The results provide evidence suggesting that celebrities holding a negative public image can be used as celebrity endorsers in product categories in which it can be considered helpful to protect women’s self-esteem, such as beauty products or self-expressive products.

This research contributes to the literature on celebrity endorsement by adding a boundary condition for the effectiveness of celebrity endorsement. According to the results, choosing a positive celebrity can, for some groups, have negative effects on purchase intensions and that a negative celebrity might be the safer choice.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the simultaneous effect of perceived value, image, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness on passengers’ satisfaction.

The empirical data were collected through survey. The respondents of the survey are 292 public transport passengers in Jakarta, Indonesia. Multiple regressions analysis was performed to test the conceptual model and the proposed hypotheses.

The findings showed that public transport passengers’ satisfaction is influenced by perceived value, perceived usefulness and image while perceived ease of use does not affect public transport passengers’ satisfaction.

The authors performed the survey only at Jakarta using convenience sampling method. Hence, the research results may not be generalized to other contexts. Given this, in order to test the stability of the findings in other contexts, a replication research is important to be performed in the future.

Public transport service managers need to pay attention to perceived value, perceived usefulness and image in order to ensure public transport passengers’ satisfaction.

This study is believed to be the first to develop and test public transport passengers’ satisfaction model that integrated perceived value, image, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness.