AN ANALYSIS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF CORPORATE REPUTATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

AN ANALYSIS OF THE
IMPORTANCE OF
CORPORATE
REPUTATION IN HIGHER
EDUCATION
INSTITUTIONS
Mazvita Trishie Nyatsambo

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CHAPTER I. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter I. Executive summary......................................................................................................................................3
Chapter II. Background and objectives ....................................................................................................................4
2.01 Introduction........................................................................................................................................................4
2.02 Objectives ..........................................................................................................................................................5
Chapter III. Critical literature review...........................................................................................................................6
3.01 Defining reputation ...........................................................................................................................................6
3.02 Why build a reputation?...................................................................................................................................7
3.03 Key drivers of reputation..................................................................................................................................8
Corporate Social Responsibility....................................................................................................................................8
Credibility.....................................................................................................................................................................8
3.04 Identity, image and reputation ........................................................................................................................9
3.05 Reputational value..........................................................................................................................................10
3.06 Reputational capital........................................................................................................................................11
Chapter IV. Reputation measures ............................................................................................................................14
4.01 Fortunes Most Admired Companies..................................................................................................................15
4.02 Reputation Quotient .........................................................................................................................................15
4.03 Corporate Personality Scale ..............................................................................................................................15
4.04 Coclusion...........................................................................................................................................................16
Chapter V. Chapter 3: Methodology........................................................................................................................16
5.01 Research Strategy and Method.........................................................................................................................16
Research objectives ...................................................................................................................................................16
5.02 Methodology.....................................................................................................................................................17
Purpose of research...................................................................................................................................................17
Approach to research and research strategy.............................................................................................................18
5.03 Research strategy..............................................................................................................................................19
Sample........................................................................................................................................................................21
Chapter VI. Chapter 4 Analysis of data and findings.............................................................................................24
6.01 Introduction.......................................................................................................................................................24
6.02 Findings............................................................................................................................................................25
Reliability and Credibility ...........................................................................................................................................25
Prospective Students .................................................................................................................................................27
Current students........................................................................................................................................................32
Importance of Reputation..........................................................................................................................................33
Birmingham City University’s Reputation ..................................................................................................................34
Alumni........................................................................................................................................................................35

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Value of reputation....................................................................................................................................................37
Chapter VII. Conclusions and summary of findings................................................................................................38
A university with a good reputation is one that has a number of learning and self-development facilities.............39
A university with a good reputation has relevant industry links................................................................................39
A good university has good graduate prospects........................................................................................................40
Chapter VIII. Recommendations ...............................................................................................................................41
Chapter IX. References..............................................................................................................................................42
9.01 Table of figures..................................................................................................................................................46
Chapter X. Appendices .............................................................................................................................................47
10.01 Project proposal............................................................................................................................................47
10.02 Contents ......................................................................................................................................................47
10.03 Introduction..................................................................................................................................................49
10.04 Objectives....................................................................................................................................................49
10.05 Preliminary literature review .....................................................................................................................50
10.06 What is reputation?....................................................................................................................................50
10.07 Research Strategy and Method ...............................................................................................................55
10.08 Prospective students survey results .............................................................................................................57
10.09 Current students survey results....................................................................................................................61
10.10 Alumni survey results....................................................................................................................................64

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CHAPTER I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This project is looking at the topic of reputation in higher education institutions. In particular,
focusing on the opinions of students currently studying at Birmingham City University as well
as past and future students of the university.
Reputation is a very valuable asset that takes a lot to gain but very little to lose (Buffett, 2014)
states, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about it,
you’ll do things differently”. Universities like all organisations have reputations. Their
reputations are measured by a number of official bodies and organisations. The Times
newspaper, The National Student Survey and What Uni guide are some of the publishers
who help shape the reputations of universities in the UK.
The research for this study was carried out using questionnaires that delivered qualitative
and quantitative results. The results were then used to compare the data already available
in the public domain.
From the findings, it is clear that students value the reputation of institutions. From the
moment they think about attending university, reputation is one of the main points of parity
and it remains so up past the point of graduation. The fact that information on reputation is
published annually in some of the country’s most respected broadsheet papers also means
there is every chance that students will be influenced by reputation. As Larkin (2003) states,
reputational scores are often seen to provide a good sense of which organisations are
admired by opinion formers, experts, management and peer groups. Knowing that experts
have constructed the ranking scores means students will trust them.
From research, it is also clear that institutions value their own reputation. For this reason,
many work hard to be positively portrayed in the university ranking tables.

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CHAPTER II. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
2.01 INTRODUCTION
In any business or organisation, having a good reputation is very important. There are many
reasons for this but the most obvious one would assume is the fact that if you have a good
reputation and retain that reputation, you begin to have customers who trust and rely on your
product or service. In a nutshell this means reputation affects a customer’s choice. This also
applies to students making the decision of what university they will attend (Davies & Chun,
2009).
The aim of this study is to assess the importance and value of reputation in higher education
institutions. Thomond (2012) states “Reputation is more important than teaching quality or
price of course”. This study will focus on Birmingham City University. Establishing what
reputation, the university currently holds; how it gained it and how and how it works to retain
it.
The researcher was interested in finding out how reputation is built and retained as well as
how it affects students when they are making their plans to go to university. Newspapers
such as the Guardian and the Times annually publish university ranking scores. The
researcher wanted to find out whether students considered these ranking scores in making
their decisions of what university they would attend. If they did, the intention is also to find
out if such publication affect the reputation of an institution.

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2.02 OBJECTIVES
 Identify and evaluate what reputation Birmingham City University holds and how it
displays this to its audiences?
 What influence, if any does the university’s reputation have on students?
 How does Birmingham City University form its reputation in the minds of its students?

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CHAPTER III. CRITICAL LITERATURE REVIEW
3.01 DEFINING REPUTATION
The topic of corporate reputation is one which has been greatly debated for decades.
(Chapleo, 2006). Academics world over have their own perception of what corporate
reputation is and with their justification, they all seem convincing. There is however a general
consensus amongst researchers and practitioners which is, corporate reputation is an
intangible asset formed by perception of an individual, based on a variety of factors such as
financial performance, brand performance, product and service quality (Schwaiger, 2004).
According to (Bringham & Linssen, 2010), 75% of a corporation’s value is intangible. “A
businesses’ most valuable asset is its good name, its brand and reputation”. A customer’s
purchasing decisions are influenced by a number of things such as price and quality, but the
reputation of the service or product provider is important too (Brown & Turner, 2008).
(Smallwood & Seemann, 2004) state “A solid reputation leads to a positive cycle of events:
Reputation engenders trust; trust leads to greater opportunity; greater opportunity creates
value.” Once an organisation is aware of what great effect their reputation has on its
customer’s decisions. It is important for them to constantly sustain the quality of their
reputation.
Charles Fombrun offers another definition
for reputation (Fombrun, 1996). He defines
reputation as the perception of a company’s
ability to meet all of the stakeholders’
expectations. According to Fombrun,
stakeholders have a set of expectations for
any organisation from which they receive a service or good. They then constantly refer to
Reputation
financial
image
Recruitment
ImageProduct
Image
social image
Figure 1The relationship between image and reputation

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these expectations to analyse the quality of their good or service and ultimately its reputation.
This definition can be linked to the matrix formed by (Fombrun, 1996). Comprising of the
social image, financial image, product image and recruitment image. All these components
combined help to build the reputation of an organisation, positive or negative. Other
academics John Dooley and Fred Garcia (2007) also agree with this definition and add to it
stating, “reputation is a sum of three critical components; performance, behaviour and
communication”. It is common to define and compare an organisation’s reputation to that of
an individual. Using the common statement parents use, “remember who you are and what
you stand for”, (Smallwood & Seemann, 2004) state the statement can be applied to
corporations and their leaders. If management and staff of an organisation work to build a
positive reputation, it will lead them to greater success. (Smallwood & Seemann, 2004) refer
to this as a positive cycle of events.
3.02 WHY BUILD A REPUTATION?
Fombrun (1996) states “Ultimately, a good reputation matters because it is a key source of
distinctiveness that produces support for the company and differentiates it from its rivals”.
This implies reputation affects a customer’s choice. Above all these, there is a general
consensus amongst researchers and practitioners which is “the way the public perceives a
company is crucial in determining its success”.
Building a good reputation is one thing, but it is important to remember organisations have a
great potential to lose their reputations. And once it is lost, it can be very difficult to regain it.
According to (Riel & Fombrun, 2007), “a good reputation can act like a magnet”. Drawing in
customers. A bad reputation will then do the opposite. Pushing away customers and forcing
them to find an alternative (Bringham & Linssen, 2010).

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For universities, building a reputation is important and can bring great returns to the
university. In a study on universities and reputation, (Joseph & Greehey, 2012) found a good
reputation brings a number of opportunities to an institution. For example, it attracts more
academically able students. These students were also found to be from wealthy
backgrounds, meaning the students will be able to make full payments on their fees. In the
study, they also found the institutions with better reputations gained more financial donations
and better strategic partners (Sevier, 2007). Such factors show the importance of reputation
and encourage universities to build their reputations.
3.03 KEY DRIVERS OF REPUTATION
Every organisation has a number of stakeholders. Each of these stakeholders has a specific
set of reputation drivers that they will use when measuring the reputation of a business (de
Marcellis - Warin & Teodoresco, 2012). Some may base it on the quality of a product or
service, financial soundness, corporate social responsibility or credibility. These are the few
drivers that will be explored for the purpose of this study.
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is one driver that organisations focus on an and invest
in so they can build and protect their reputation (Pharoah, 2003). As CSR is based on the
belief that companies should be responsible for the use of resources, natural, human
community or anything at all (Larkin, 2003). Investing in CSR shows the stakeholders that
the company is committed to integrate economic and social consideration into competitive
advantage.
CREDIBILITY
When it comes to reputation, credibility is more than just trust. It is the quality or power of
inspiring belief and builds a perception of trustworthiness (Edelman Trust, 2015). According

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to (de Marcellis - Warin & Teodoresco, 2012), credibility for any organisation is the form of
three factors:
1. Subject matter expertise: a
corporation’s representative or the
corporation itself must be
recognised as expert
2. Trust: there must be a proven
track record of integrity and
delivering of promises over a long
period of time
3. Effective communication: the corporation or experts must be able to communicates
and connect emotionally with the stakeholders
3.04 IDENTITY, IMAGE AND REPUTATION
In definition, identity and image have been said to be interrelated to reputation (Walker,
2010). When building a reputation, communicators summarise the combination of names,
images and all symbols a company makes visible as nomenclature (Riel & Fombrun, 2007).
Olins (1999) argues these visual elements are essential for customers to build short term
attachments to a company. He further states that is essential to examine “how the visual
style of a company influences its place in the market and how the company’s goals are made
visible in its design and behaviour.” If communicated correctly, nomenclature also work as a
virtual guarantee that the company is trustworthy and will deliver consistent quality standards
Olins (1990).
According to van Riel, corporate brands base their communication around a core reputation
platform, of which nomenclature is a part and in turn creates a starting point for better detail
Figure 2 Credibility

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on a company’ strategic position. A reputation platform describes the root positioning that a
company adopts when it represents itself to internal and external observers. It is designed
to create specific organisational associations in the minds of those who observe them, i.e.
the stakeholders (Riel & Fombrun, 2007) . The result of reputational platforms according to
van Riel (2007) is sustainable corporate story telling which when combined with constant
positive symbolism results in a stronger corporate reputation.
Reputational platforms are very important for an organisation. They are what everyone
recognises. Hatch (2003) uses the analogy of a song, stating the reputation platform is “the
hook in a song or the major chords in a song, it consists of the melodic riff around which a
score is built”. Improvisations and interpretations of the melody are then made by managers
throughout the organisation, fitting the needs of local audiences.
3.05 REPUTATIONAL VALUE
When people think highly of a company, it is able to pursues more opportunities and be more
efficient and effective in its current operations. A poor reputation, will then equally do the
opposite (Dowling, 2001). If people feel they cannot trust what a company says about itself
and its market offerings, they are very likely to disassociate themselves with the company
therefore resulting the company losing business. Dowling (2001) further argued a good
reputation pays off in financial and operational ways.
Operational value is said to add psychological value to products (Lickerman, 2010). When
stakeholders trust a company, they make it their company of choice whenever they need the
product or service it provides. UK supermarkets are a prime example of this. One customer’s
preferences and opinion of a supermarket will determine where they will do their grocery shop
or not (Paiva, 2012). Having a good operational value is also said to benefit a company by
providing them access to better quality employees when recruiting (Dowling, 2001). Most

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people would rather work for a highly respected company. Similar to universities, most
students would rather attend a highly respected university (Joseph & Greehey, 2012). This
refers back to Formbrum’s reputational mix (Fombrun, 1996)
Organisations ought to be cautious of their operational reputation and ensure it is not bad. A
poor operational value tends to work as an open door for journalists to criticise a company.
This can be detrimental for a firm because it is what will remain with its stakeholders for a
long time (Dowling, 2001).
3.06 REPUTATIONAL CAPITAL
Just as people develop social capital that helps them build relationships and careers,
corporations and other organisations develop reputational capital that helps them build
relationships and grow their organisations (Garcia, 2011). Reputational capital is closely
connected to “goodwill” and is worth a lot (Garcia, 2011). Organisations which are seen to
be doing good deeds in their environment benefit greatly from this. For example, a university
with a good reputation will benefit by attracting talented students and valuable donors.
A good reputation, once established has both tangible and intangible benefits. Tangible befits
consist of increased sales and profits while intangible benefits count as good press and
features in the media, sometimes for free. John Dooley and Fred Garcia (2007) state it is
important for all stakeholders to feel good about an organisation. And when they face
hardships, it is important for organisations to sustain a good reputation. (Garcia, 2011)
devised a formula for reputation. Reputation = Perfomance+Behaviour+Communication
(R=P+B+C). The formula makes it clear behaviour and communication are critical
components of reputation. In 2011 for example, Stephen Hester, CEO of Royal Bank of
Scotland (RBS) was awarded a large bonus of £963,000. Three years after the British public
had bailed out the business from financial downturns and the public now owns 83% of the

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business. Once this information was exposed to the public, the firm’s behaviour was watched
very closely and unfortunately they did not behave “appropriately”. Defending the bonus, the
firm further upset the public and tainted their reputation.
A good reputation is not just to the benefit of the stakeholders. Organisations which have a
good reputation can capitalise on their reputation. According to John Dooley and Fred Garcia
(2007) reputation adds value to a company’s worth. Organisations with a good reputation
attract better candidates for employment, pay less for supplies and are likely to get free press.
Institutions such as Oxford and Cambridge University spring to mind with this concept. The
reputation that these two organisations have built over the years means they can reap the
benefits stated above as well as many others which can contribute to their profits and success
as the oldest and most established universities they have held the status of a university for a
long time. Newer universities such as Birmingham City University are also known as Post 92
universities. These universities tend to face more difficulties with their reputation, (Dowling,
2001). Having gained their status of university slightly later, these establishments are still
working to build their reputation. Studies do suggest that although post 92 universities have
not gained great levels of reputation, they do offer modern facilities and modern methods of
teaching. These can give them a competitive advantage and make them more attractive to
some students (Scott, 2012).
The same could be said for university reputations. Researchers such as (Joseph & Greehey,
2012) found the reputation of an institution affects student choices. Factors such as what
respectable alumni come from a university or what new technology it offers is very influential.
Universities as a result are now working on new methods of communicating the ways in which
Reputation= Performance + Behaviour + Communication

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they are better than the next one. Websites have become the main venues for reputation
and a presence for the university. They act as a virtual medium for promoting the university’s
core competencies. (Cheney, 1991). (Maric, et al., 2010) found when students look to go
to university, they not greatly familiar with institutions. They may have heard little about them
but they cannot base their decision on this information. So to cater for that gap, universities
offer them an opportunity to “experience the university”. This is done via open days. Open
days are designed to give prospective students an insight of what to expect when they enrol
into a university. On average, students will attend three open days before making a firm
decision on what university they will attend (Moogan & Baron, 2003). At each of these, the
student will be comparing the universities based on the key drivers of reputation that the
university exhibits. Morgan & Baron (2003) found there are core features that universities
must exhibit. Namely, they must show the students they offer a quality service in terms of
teaching while exhibiting financial soundness through the aesthetics they exhibit.

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CHAPTER IV. REPUTATION MEASURES
The measurement of reputation and the publications of results has become highly prominent
and valued in many markets. The Financial Times’ publication of America’s Most Admired
Companies 1983 caused many organisations to envy and value reputation (Fombrun, 1998).
According to Fombrun (1998), there are three sources of corporate reputational data which
are
 Sponsored research published in various business media.
 Research highlighting special interests.
 Research conducted and disseminated by social monitors.
The first of these sources, the media publications are the most popular and best distributed
publication. Measures of reputation of universities is dominated by the media (Davies &
Chun, 2009). League tables are produced annually and rank universities, placing them into
league tables separated into a number of subject areas. This makes it easier for students to
distinguish and rank universities.
The aim of these studies is to assist students in their process of selecting what university they
attend as well as setting general benchmarks for the universities. The data collected in the
study is published in the UK in broadsheet newspapers such as The Times and The Guardian
as well as specialist websites such as www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk. The results
from this are based on information gathered from a number of sources. Namely, HESA,
HEFCE, The 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, The National Student Survey and many
other sources. On a wider scale, The Times Higher annually publishes The World University
Rankings, which features the top universities internationally.

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4.01 FORTUNES MOST ADMIRED COMPANIES
The fortunes Most Admired companies list measures reputation by surveying CEOs and
financial analysts about their opinions of listed companies on subjects such as innovation,
financial soundness, use of corporate assets and social responsibility (Hillenbrand & Money,
2007). Developed by Fortune’s editorial panel and various business leaders, the list aimed
to identify characteristics that executives and financial analysts expect from companies.
Research following on from this data suggested it has an underlying dimension, which is
financial (Fryxell & Wang, 1994).
4.02 REPUTATION QUOTIENT
Reputation quotient is a multi-stakeholder of corporate reputation (Fombrun & Gardberg,
2013). These are the general public, customers, employees, suppliers and investors. This
model measures the perceptions of an organisation based on social expectations of
dimensions like products and services, vision and leadership, workspace environment and
social responsibility (Hillenbrand & Money, 2007). The reputation quotient scale was
developed through literature review of existing reputation measures. With the assistance of
focus groups in ten different countries, participants were asked questions like “what corporate
reputation is and what makes it up?” The analysis of this model reviled it has an emotional
appeal (Fombrun & Van Riel, 2004).
4.03 CORPORATE PERSONALITY SCALE
The corporate personality scale takes a very humanistic approach to reputation (Sequeira, et
al., 2013). The scale surveys customers and employees in terms of their perceptions of
organisations’ personality, focusing on dimensions such as agreeableness, machismo,
competence and enterprise. It was developed using the 5 dimensions of brand personality,
(Aaker, 1997). Constructed analysing corporate websites for descriptions of corporate
character, employees and customers were asked to describe organisation characteristics “as

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if they had come to life” and searching for terms used to describe personality. A factor
analysis was used to confirm and refine the components of this scale (Davies, 2003).
4.04 COCLUSION
After studying the current literature on corporate reputation, it is clear to see that although
intangible, it is a very valuable asset. Organisations in all sectors of businesses have a
reputation and it is what sustains them. Customers want to invest in organisations which they
know they can trust. Supported by (de Marcellis - Warin & Teodoresco, 2012), this is the
concept of credibility.
For universities, reputation can be slightly more difficult to build. As they provide a service,
customers have no way of knowing the true quality before they make a full purchase. Unlike
tangible products, providers are not able to give a trial. This would suggest for university
students the reputation of an institution is something they cannot have a true judgement over
until they have been through the degree process. However, the availability of reputational
scores and rankings would counter this as they suggest students can form perceptions about
university institutions before they enrol to a university.
This study will hopefully establish the point at which students make the decision of what
reputation an institution holds.
CHAPTER V. CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
5.01 RESEARCH STRATEGY AND METHOD
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to establish what role reputation plays in higher education. Seeking
the opinion of current and future students, the research expresses how students form the

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reputation of a higher education institution and how their perception of it influences their
decision whether or not to attend it.
5.02 METHODOLOGY
PURPOSE OF RESEARCH
The purpose of this study was to establish the importance and value of reputation in higher
education institutions. For the exploratory study, research was carried out in the form of
surveys, completed by A level students from local colleges two colleges, (Luton Sixth Form
College and Queen Mary London College) current undergraduate students at Birmingham
City University as well as the university’s alumni. Members of staff from Birmingham City
University and Luton Sixth Form college also contributed by participating in interviews.
Concerned with reputation in higher education, this study aims to find out what UK students
think of Birmingham City University’s reputation. The intention is also to find out what
reputational cues the university sends out and how the students respond to these. Bearing
in mind this is an exploratory study, there is room for flexibility. For this reason, the final
results may reflect something that was not initially seen as necessary.

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By definition, methodology is “the theory of how research should be undertaken, including
the theoretical and philosophical assumptions upon which research is based and the
implications of these for the method or methods adopted.” (Saunders, et al., 2009).
Methodology is about looking at data and how it is then analysed. (Collis & Hussey, 2003).
(Saunders, et al., 2009) offer a guide for researchers. Using the research onion, researchers
get guidance on the decisions they need to make so to successfully carry out their research.
This will be used in this study.
APPROACH TO RESEARCH AND RESEARCH STRATEGY
In the collection of data there are a number of ways of approaching research. Finding a
suitable research strategy is essential as it will allow the collection of sufficient data which in
turn should answer the research question (Saunders, et al., 2009). There are two main
approaches which can be takin in the collection of data. The first is the positivism approach.
Based on a very scientific method, it is highly structured (Robson, 1993). Working in
sequential stages it does not allow very much room for modification or adaptation. This
Figure 3 Research onion

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approach would not be suitable for this study. This is because it aims to examine the specific
outcome of a hypothesis and provides a weak understanding of social processes.
A more suitable approach is the phenomenological approach. Focusing on the way people
experience social phenomena in the world they live in this philosophy is concerned with
generating meaning and gaining insight (Saunders, et al., 2009). The aim of this study is to
gain an understanding of how students are making their decision of what university they will
attend and why they are making that decision. The study will also look to find out the opinion
of current and previous students. Again gaining an understanding of how they made their
decision and what influenced their decisions. The phenomenological approach allows this, it
also allows the understanding of how and why, which is important in gaining an understanding
the importance of reputation in higher education institutions.
5.03 RESEARCH STRATEGY
Traditionally, there are three research methods (Robson, 1993). These are experiments,
surveys and case studies. All are valued and produce sufficient data if applied correctly. For
the purpose of this study, a survey is preferred. Popular in business and management
studies, the method will allow the collection of a large amount of data from a sizeable
population in a highly economical way (Saunders, et al., 2009). Using a questionnaire means
the data will be standardised and will allow easy comparison and will be easy to comprehend.
For this study, semi structured interviews will also be conducted. These will be used to
explore the theme suggested in the objectives. Semi structured interviews will allow the
researcher to approach the study in an exploratory manor. This is important as the researcher
should not have any conclusion about the study before research is carried out (Saunders, et
al., 2009).

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Secondary data for this study was collected by carrying out searches of common words taken
from the objectives. The searches were conducted on the electronic database Summon as
well as academic literature. All journals and books are listed in the bibliography.

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SAMPLE
In any research project, it is
important to have a sample. It is not
always possible to survey an entire
population. For the purpose of this
study, it is also highly
impractical to survey the whole
population of students with all the
variations available. So in order to get a
reflection of the population, it is important to have a sample.
The time restrictions for this project also increase the need to have a sample. It would simply
be impossible to collect, analyse and report data from students from all the universities and
colleges in England. (Moser & Kalton, 1986) argued sampling enables higher overall
accuracy than a whole population.
According to (Saunders, et al., 2009), there are two sampling techniques available. These
are probability sampling and non-probability. In probability samples, the chance of each case
being selected from the population is known and usually equal for all cases. The opposite
applies for non-probability samples. In these, the chances of each case being selected is not
known and cannot be predicted. For these reasons, probability sampling is more likely to be
associated with surveys and questionnaires. The process of predictability sampling can be
divided into four steps. These are stated and applied below:
1. Identifying a suitable sample frame based on your research question or objectives.
Figure 4 Sampling (Saunders, et al., 2009)

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The sample frame is the complete list of all the cases in the population from which the
sample will be drawn. In the case of this study, the sampling frame is all the students
in the UK studying A level and Undergraduate courses.
2. Decide on a suitable sample size
Due to time restrictions and for practical reasons the sample size for this size study
will not be very large. The most important thing to be gained from the sample is that
it is representative of the population. To achieve this, 100 current undergraduate
students and 100 college students will be surveyed. These should be representative
of the population.
3. Select the most appropriate sampling technique and select the sample
The most appropriate sampling technique for this study is quota sampling. A totally
non-random method, it is based on the premise that the sample will be representative
of the whole population. According to (Barnett, 1991), to quota sample, you
i. Divide the population into specific groups, pin the case of this study they are
divided by the level of education they are at.
ii. Calculate a quota for each group based on relevant and available data
iii. Give each interviewer an assignment stating the number of cases form each
quota they must collect data from. This will not be necessary as this is an
individual study.
iv. Combine data to provide the full sample.
4. Check that the sample is representative of the population.

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The sample for this study are students looking to go to university and students currently
studying at Birmingham City University. Those looking to attend university are from local
colleges and actively applying to a higher education institution.
Current students for this study will be from Birmingham City University. Due to the lack of
financial funds, this sample is one that is most accessible and will incur the least costs.

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CHAPTER VI. CHAPTER 4 ANALYSIS OF DATA AND FINDINGS
6.01 INTRODUCTION
This chapter will look at the findings from the research carried out and analyse the results.
As an exploratory study, the project is looking to find out if students in the UK value the
reputation of universities. Opinions of students at different levels of education, (Sixth form,
Undergraduate and alumni) will be compared to establish if the value of reputation varies.
Past literature suggests reputation is valued by students when they are making their decision
of what university they will attend. (Thomond, 2012) suggested students are inclined to pick
older universities over new universities, (those established after 1992) simply because of the
reputations they hold.
Other researchers however argue there are other factors valued by students. These include
 Location of a university (Moogan & Baron, 2003).
 Visit to a university (Diamond, et al., 2012)
 Courses on offer (Moogan & Baron, 2003)
These factors and others were explored in this study. A total of 200 questionnaire responses
are used to establish the importance of reputation in comparison to the other factors students
consider in their decision process.

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6.02 FINDINGS
Reliability and Credibility
In the construction of any research project, it is important for the research finding to be
credible. Raimond (1993: 55) subjects finding to the “how do I know?” test. This looks at the
findings and conclusions and questions, if they were to be put under close scrutiny will the
results still stand. This study has been conducted in a very meticulous manner and should
stand to the credibility test.
Reliability in research refers to the extent to which data collection techniques will yield the
same results time after time. Esterby- Smith et al., (1991:41) suggested that to ensure data
is reliable, three questions must be answered. Below are the questions answered in relation
to the study?
1. Will the measures yield the same results on another occasion?
In the collection of this data, simple surveys were used. These were then published online
and sent to Birmingham city university students. This is a very simple study to replicate. If it
was to be replicated, the results are likely to be the same because the sample selected
(students) will always go through the same process when applying to go to university.
2. Will similar observations be reached by other observers?
Due to the regimented processes that students go through, similar observations are very
likely to be reached by other observers.
3. Is there transparency in how sense was made of the raw data?
The findings have been illustrated in graphs. These have been labelled clearly and show all
the relevant information. This makes the raw data very transparent.

26
Robson (1993) however suggests there are threats to reliability. Again these have been
eliminated.
Validity
Threat Solution
History In relation to this study, no relevant events have taken
place. Therefore, no history can affect the validity of the
study
Testing A disclaimer was presented to the Respondents before
they completed the questionnaire. This would have
reassured them that anything they say would not affect
them.
Instrumentation The study was carried out in a fairly short space of time.
His eliminated the likelihood of change while the study
was active.
Mortality For this study, all participants were led to a website to
complete the questionnaire. The websites offer the
researcher a facility that provided information of
completion rates. These results show that no participants
dropped out of the survey.
Maturity While the survey was active, the national student Survey
was also active and students were being encouraged to
complete it. When requested to complete the survey, a
few participants related the two studies even though they
have no connection. This relation did not affect the study
as the questions and purposes were completely un
related.
Ambiguity about casual
direction
The continuity and consistency that students follow when
applying to university creates the link between their
opinions and the reputation of an institution.
Generalisationability This study was carried out for exploratory purposes and
based on a deductive approach. It was never intended to
build theory. Due to this fact, the results from this study
are highly generalisable and applicable to other research
settings.
In the process of forming the survey, it was important to cover all areas and understand
exactly how students made their decision of what university they would attend. As three

27
samples were surveyed, it was anticipated there may be some variance in their responses.
The following findings depict their current views of reputation.
Prospective Students
Of all the samples, this group is the one that is most likely to be influenced by reputation.
Populated by a number of individuals who are having to make a decision that most feel is life
changing, they feel a heavy weight on their shoulders to “make the right decision”. As
colleges were targeted for this study, the responses were aged between 16 and 18, the
average age of first time university applicants.
Data for his study was collected from colleges that offer a majority of non-vocational courses.
This is because statistically, students who study non vocational courses are more likely to
continue on to higher education (Oxford University, 2013).
Responses from the questionnaire found that the most popular cues used by prospective
students in making their decisions were league tables, word of mouth and open days. For
this sample, it is highly justifiable for them to use these as the main influences of their choices.

28
(I) LEAGUE TABLES
As figure 5 shows, League tables were the most popular source of information. The reason
for this could be, when students are in the process of deciding what university to attend, they
are advised by college teaching staff to “have a look at the top rated university for the courses
they wish to study”. A lecturer at Luton Sixth Form College said, “We encourage students to
do their own research into what university they wish to attend. University league tables are
a good reflection of the best universities”. The accessibility and availability of league tables
also makes them very attractive to students. Updated annually and available at any time of
year, it is very simple for students to compare a number of higher education institutions on a
number of attributes. Be it the subject course on offer or the region in which they are located,
all information is available. This therefore means league tables have very high levels of
influence to prospective students.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
What Sources of information are you using to
make your decesion to attend university? (Tick all
that apply)
Figure 5 Sources of Information

29
(II) INTERNET
Another source of information popular with the students was the university website (figure 5).
38% of respondents said they relied on the university website to make their decision. This is
a cue that the university can have complete control over. For BCU, this could be an
opportunity to build their reputation and encourage students to attend BCU. Quote from Katie
to say why the university invests so much time and effort into building and developing the
website. The concept of students using the website in the decision making and reputation
building is supported by Arslan & Seker (2014). They carried out a study into the internet
and reputation. From their study, they constructed the normalised web index. Consisting of
16 different web indicators, the model demonstrates the value of the website to the
university’s reputation. Their research also found that a university’s website is a vital medium
for promoting its core competencies. By visiting a website, the students are then able to form
a perception of a university’s reputation.

30
(III) IMPORTANCE OF REPUTATION
All participants of the survey were asked whether or not they believed reputation was
important to them. In response, 95% of them said it was very important and 3% said it was
important. Only 2% thought it was not at all important (figure 5). This result coincides with
the responses from the previous question where students were asked what sources of
information they had used in making their decisions. As most stated they had used university
league tables, it echoes the fact that they value an institution’s reputation. (Lange, et al.,
2011) and (Pfeifer, et al., 2012).
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Very Important
Important
Not sure
Not Important
Not at all important
In your opinion, how important is the
reputation of a university?
Figure 6 Importance of reputation

31
This result also shows that league tables and other reputational measures are influential cues
for prospective students. In their responses it would also appear the students were thinking
of their futures post-graduation. 65% of the respondents said they believed employers
consider the university a graduate is coming from when they are recruiting.
This means students are likely to pick a university that holds a good reputation with the hope
that they will have better prospects of employment after graduation. Valuing this may be the
reason why 60% of the respondents from this sample have applied to Birmingham City
University. With a just below average score on graduate prospects the university would be
very attractive to prospective students.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Yes No
In your opinion, do you believe the
reputation a university holds affects
your employment prospects?
Figure 7 Reputation and employability

32
CURRENT STUDENTS
The university’s current students had interesting opinions to share for this study. As
undergraduate students, the majority were aged between 18 and 24. (Average age for
undergraduate study (Higher Education Statistcs Agency, 2013). As it was important to have
a –sample that was representative of all undergraduates, students studying in their first,
second and final year were surveyed.
(IV) ACADEMIC REPUTATION
The students were asked to rank based on importance, what influenced them to select
Birmingham City University as their university of choice. In their opinions, academic
reputation was the most important influencer in their application process (figure 7). As the
students are essentially purchasing a services by enrolling into university, the teaching
reputation is understandably an important feature. Birmingham City University in all its
communications emphasises the fact that it is a “practice based university”. This
differentiates it from other universities for example the red brick universities that offer a
research based method of learning. This difference in may make BCU more attractive to
students looking for a different learning experience.
8.2
6.93
7.63
4.59
5.28
4.64
7.6
4.79
5.27
2.57
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Academic reputation
Teaching reputation
Guidance from teaching staff
Research reputation
Entry requirements
Guidance from parents
First university to offer you a guaranteed…
Courses on offer
Distance from home
Friends attending the same university
IN YOUR DECISION MAKING PROCESS TO
ATTEND UNIVERSITY, HOW IMPORTANT WERE
THE FOLLOWING? (10 VERY IMPORTANT 1 NOT
AT ALL IMPORTANT)
Figure 8 Important cues

33
Although it may be anticipated that students pick the red brick universities as the best in terms
of academic reputation, studies have shown that the “newer universities” compete very well.
This is because they offer innovative methods of teaching which are constantly evolving and
stay relative to current economic and employment trends (Scott, 2012).
IMPORTANCE OF REPUTATION
In the survey, all participants were
asked “How important is the
reputation of a university?” In
response 41% said they thought it was
very important, 50% said it was
important. Only 9% thought it held no
resonance.
The figures showing that a majority of students think reputation shows that the publication of
university ranking scores is effective. It shows that students do refer to them in their decision
making process. Candidates ranking the importance of reputation could lead us to compare
the selection process of a university to that of a holiday or energy service. More consumers
today do not make a purchase without finding out what others say about it (Gutmann, et al.,
2014). Deciding to enrol to a university is a huge commitment, therefore, it is understandable
that students think reputation is so important.
41%
50%
4%
5%
0%
In your opinion, how important is
the reputation of a university?
Very Important
Important
Not sure
Not Important
Figure 9 Importance of reputation

34
BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY’S REPUTATION
The researcher was also interested to find out what the students thought of the university’s
current reputation. In response to the question “Does Birmingham City University have a
good reputation?” 64% of the current students said they thought it did not. Although the
students did not state why they felt this way some conclusions can be made to explain why.
One could be the location of the university. As the majority of participants were student based
at the university’s City North campus. Conclusions can be made that they are not most
satisfied about the university’s current location. Studies into reputation and location have
been carried out and researchers such as Wong (2008) found the location of an organisation
is important to the consumers (Wong, 2008). This relates back to the building of reputation
where as consumers, we use different cues to build a reputation. In comparison to other
universities in Birmingham, BCU’s City North campus is not aesthetically pleasing, this could
the lead students to say it has a bad reputation.
Another point of comparison could be the specialities, Birmingham City University does not
appear to have any well-known specialities. For example, the University of Birmingham is
praised for its specialities in research and medicine while Aston University is renowned for
its business school. These are all cues that help students build a reputation of an institution.
31%
64%
5%
In your mind, do you believe
Birmingham City University has a
good reputation?
Yes No I don’t know
Figure 10 Birmingham City University's reputation

35
ALUMNI
Alumni were selected as a sample for this study because they were anticipated to have a
different opinion. A total of 60 alumni responded, of these the majority, 75% graduated
between 2013 and 2014. 65% of these respondents said they are in full time employment
which is relative to Birmingham City University’s figures of employment after graduation.
(V) SOURCES OF INFORMATION
In the study, participants were asked about the sources of information they used to make
their decision on what university they would attend. Like the previous two groups, they
said they had used university ranking scores but along with these, they had used word of
mouth 45% of the respondents said they had relied on word of mouth. The reassurance
of this word of mouth could have come from friends and family but another source of this
could have been a university open day.
As figures show, a majority of students attend a number of university open days before they
enrol (Higher Education Statistcs Agency, 2013). Birmingham City University’s open days
are led by student ambassadors. As current students, they pose as the perfect sources of
information for prospective students. Their opinion or word of mouth about the university may
well influence choice.
(VI) COURCES ON OFFER
Another cue alumnus said they had used was the courses a university offered. 25% of the
respondents said they had considered this. In many cases, the courses universities offer are
very similar. This is because they all have to follow specifications to a certain extent
(University of Kent, 2015). There may be variance in the way that they are delivered but they
have the same content.

36
This would the suggest that what students select is not the course but the manner in which it
is presented. If the courses were products, the course a student selects is one that is
packaged best. Universities today “package” their course in different ways. It begins with
prospectuses. With students receiving numerous prospectuses through their application
process, it is essential that universities market their products effectively. A typical prospectus
for an undergraduate course includes the core information about courses, but it also includes
the university’s success stories. These tend to be successful alumni. This is another cue
that consumers use when making a decision. As (Fombrun, 1998) states, the opinion of
others is essential in when building a reputation.
All participants were asked what sources of information they used to make their decision.
After questioning all three samples, league tables came up top as the most used sources of
information for students when making the decision to attend university.
The university website is the second most important factor in the opinion of UK students.
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
University league tables
The Times or Guardian university guide
Word of mouth
University prospectus
careers fair
Open day visit or Applicant visit day
Careers advisors
University website
courses on offer
What sources of information did you use to make
your decision to attend university?
Prospective students Current students Alumni

37
VALUE OF REPUTATION
As one of the objectives for this study was to establish the importance of reputation to
students, all candidates were asked “how important is the reputation of a university?” In
response, the majority of students said reputation was important.
Results from the study certainly reflect that participants were not thinking of just the present
when it comes to reputation. All participants were asked what they thought gave a university
a “good reputation”. As expected, there were a variety of responses. However, the
responses all echoed a similar tune. Most respondents said a university with a good
reputation is one that has a good level of graduate employment. This means from the time
they are starting to look at university up until they graduate, students are looking for a job,
therefore, the reputation of an institution is important.
In response to the same question about a good reputation, students also said word of mouth
reflected a good reputation. For most applicants, word of mouth recommendations are most
likely to come from an open day or applicant visit day. 70% of the respondents from this
survey had used open days or applicant visit days as part of the decision making process.
This would imply that the word of mouth they refer to could be coming from these.
In assessing the value of reputation, candidates were also asked if they thought employers
valued the reputation of a university when recruiting new graduates. 60% of the survey
respondents said they thought employers valued the reputation of a university. This
information is reflective of what is currently published by Uni guides for example. In all the
university guides graduate prospects are highlighted. Universities also publish their own
graduate prospects on their websites. This would then suggest that employers do value the
reputation of universities and when doing well in their graduate employment, universities want
to publish this information.

38
CHAPTER VII. CONCLUSIONS AND SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
Across all three samples of the study, it is clear that all students value and appreciate the
reputation of a university. They all use the reputation of an institution at some point or
another. For some, it begins when they initially think about pursuing further education and
for most of them the value of reputation continues to have resonance after the graduate.
It is also from the study that students respond to a number of cues. Although some have
more value placed on them, all the cues universities send out are received. It is also clear
that universities value their own reputations and the cues they can control they constantly
work on and improve. The university’s website for example is a cue that is widely used and
is under the control of the university. As a member of the university’s marketing team said,
“The marketing team aim to frequently update images and articles on the website in order to
keep it current and fresh, this is vital when recruiting students as the website may be the only
form of contact they have to the university so we have to ensure there is an adequate stream
of new additions in order to keep these applicants interested”. The control they have means
they can communicate their best attributes unlike on a ranking web page where content is
generic and not targeted.
A slightly worrying piece of information coming from the study was the fact that current
students and alumni thought Birmingham City University did not have a good reputation. On
first instance, this may appear an odd result, however, it is important to bear in mind the fact
that the opinions of consumers can change. This is possibly what has happened to the
university’s students, otherwise the university has a good reputation. This is supported by
the students’ responses in the questionnaire. One question all respondents had to answer
was “What gives a university a “good” reputation?” all had an idea of what they thought was
a good reputation. Further analysis was done on the data collected regarding the reputation

39
Birmingham city university hold and what students thought makes up for a good reputation.
By cross tabulating the information, it became evident in most cases the university does fit
the bill of having a good reputation. Here are some examples:
A UNIVERSITY WITH A GOOD REPUTATION IS ONE THAT HAS A NUMBER
OF LEARNING AND SELF-DEVELOPMENT FACILITIES
Birmingham City University has a number of facilities available to the students’ disposal. With
a number of campuses around the city, all open for use by all students from any faculty. This
means regardless of a student’s location; they can use university resources without having
to go to their own campus.
The university also has a number of learning resource centres. Well stocked with information
and managed by knowledgeable staff. This also applies to the university’s IT labs and
libraries. These facilities being available would suggest the university has a good reputation
as it is offering what students are suggesting.
A UNIVERSITY WITH A GOOD REPUTATION HAS RELEVANT INDUSTRY
LINKS
As the majority of teaching staff form the university have been in previous employment, they
tend to have very stable industry links. The business and marketing department of the
university for example has links with organisations such as The Chartered Institute of
Marketing and B-Hive. These are relevant links as they encourage the development and
growth of students in the sector.
Other faculties of the university for example the criminology departments have very public
industry links. David Wilson is a nationally acclaimed criminologist who with his constant
practice in the field can bring a wealth of knowledge to the students. Such factors again
would suggest the university has a good reputation.

40
A GOOD UNIVERSITY HAS GOOD GRADUATE PROSPECTS
Throughout the survey, respondents exhibited a clear sign that they are concerned about
their employment prospects. This is understandable as there are more graduates, it is
becoming increasingly challenging to gain employment post-graduation. According to the
ranking scores published in 2014, the national average for graduate employability after the
first year of graduation is 64.7%. For Birmingham City University, an average of 61.8% of
students are in employment within a year of graduation. These figures compete very well with
the other universities and would suggest the university has a good reputation. All the above
information provides an answer to the first objective set for this project “ what reputation
does Birmingham City University hold?”
The next objective was to establish the influence a university’s reputation has. The data
collected suggests that the reputation a university holds influences the decision a student will
make. Students value the reputation of a university and depending on the reputation they
will then make a decision of whether or not they will attend the university.
Secondary research for this study also identified that it is not just students who are influenced
by reputational cues. Parents also play a great role in the decision making of what university
to attend. Therefore, it I important for the reputation of a university to be built in the mind of
both the parent and students. This study has revealed Birmingham City University makes
every effort to build a positive reputation in the mind of its customers. The university does
this using all methods they can control. Namely, they use their website, prospectuses and
open days. Being in their control completely, these sources of information become cues that
customers pick up and build their reputations of the university.

41
CHAPTER VIII. RECOMMENDATIONS
For Birmingham City University to successfully grow and improve its reputation, the most
important factor is communication. As the study has shown, students at the university believe
it does not have a good reputation. However further analysis and cross coloration of the data
showed that the university has all the relevant cues and attribute of a good reputation. This
would suggest then that the reason why students think the university has a bad reputation is
the lack of communication and publication of the university’s successes and strong points.
The university website is one form of communication that could be most beneficial. Allowing
the university to have full control of content, it provides an opportunity to showcase the
organisation’s reputation.

42
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Wong, F., 2008. Location and Reputation in A mexican Intevillage Network. Human
Organisation, 23(1), pp. 36-41.
Zack, M., 2009. Knowledge and Strategy. s.l.:Routledge.

46
9.01 TABLE OF FIGURES
Figure 1The relationship between image and reputation ........................................................................................
Figure 2 Credibility....................................................................................................................................................
Figure 3 Research onion ...........................................................................................................................................
Figure 4 Sampling (Saunders, et al., 2009) .......................................................................................................
Figure 5 Sources of Information...........................................................................................................................
Figure 6 Importance of reputation ...........................................................................................................................
Figure 7 Reputation and employability.....................................................................................................................
Figure 8 Important cues............................................................................................................................................
Figure 9 Importance of reputation ...........................................................................................................................
Figure 10 Birmingham City University's reputation..................................................................................................
Figure 11 The relationship between image and reputation .....................................................................................
Figure 12Interaction between corporate identity, formation, reputation, improvement and organisational performance.
..................................................................................................................................................................................
Figure 13...................................................................................................................................................................

47
CHAPTER X. APPENDICES
10.01 PROJECT PROPOSAL
10.02 CONTENTS
Introduction ................................................................................................................................49
AN ANALYSIS OF THE
IMPORTANCE OF
CORPORATE REPUTATION IN
HIGHER EDUCATION
INSTITUTIONS
AN ANALYSIS OF THE
IMPORTANCE OF
CORPORATE REPUTATION IN
HIGHER EDUCATION
INSTITUTIONS
Maz Nyatsambo
[Email address]

48
Objectives ..................................................................................................................................49
Preliminary literature review ........................................................................................................50
Research Strategy and Method...................................................................................................16
Schedule.........................................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
References......................................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.

49
10.03 INTRODUCTION
In any business or organisation, having a good reputation is very important. There are many
reasons for this but the most obvious one would assume is the fact that if you have a good
reputation and retain that reputation, you begin to have customers who trust and rely on your
product or service. In a nutshell this means reputation affects a customer’s choice. This also
applies to students making the decision of what university they will attend.
The aim of this study is to assess the importance and value of reputation in higher education
institutions. Focusing on Birmingham City Business School. Establishing wh0.0.t reputation
the school currently holds and how it gained it and how and how it works to retain it.
Following on from this, the aim will be to find out what a good reputation does for an
organisation. Finding out who benefits from a university that holds a good reputation, and
how they do so.
I am interested and want to find out how the reputation is built and retained then how it affects
students when they are making their plans to go to university. Newspapers such as the
Guardian and the Times annually publish university ranking scores. I hope to find out if
current students considered these in making their decisions of what university they would
attend. I also in tend to find out if such publication affects the reputation of an institution.
To do this, I need to know and understand the methodology that is used to collect the data.
Most institutions value the National Student Survey. I intend to find out what students know
about the study, whether they understand its affects in their university.
10.04 OBJECTIVES
 Identify and evaluate what kind of reputation Birmingham City Business School holds
and how it retains the reputation

50
 Identifying and evaluating what reputation other universities in England hold and
comparing these to that of Birmingham City Business School
 Evaluating the importance of reputation to students and how it affects their decisions
in selecting a university.
10.05 PRELIMINARY LITERATURE REVIEW
10.06 WHAT IS REPUTATION?
The topic of corporate reputation is one which has been greatly debated for decades.
Academics all over have their own perception of what corporate reputation is and with their
justification, they all seem convincing. There is however a general consensus amongst
researchers and practitioners. Which is the way the public perceives a company is crucial in
determining its success.

51
Charles Fombrun (Fombrun, 1996) for example defines reputation as the perception of a
company’s ability to meet all of the stakeholders’ expectations. This definition can be linked
to the matrix he formed. Comprising of the social image, financial image, product image and
recruitment image. All these components combined help to build the reputation of an
organisation. Other academics John Dooley and Fred Garcia (2007) also agree with this
definition and add to it stating reputation is a sum of three critical components; performance,
behaviour and communication.
The University of Aberdeen for example in September 2014 failed to provide sufficient
accommodation for its students. (BBC Watchdog, 2014) Having oversubscribed the students
enrolled, the university had no space for the students to live and failed to deliver a key
promise of providing a suitable place for the students to live. In response to their mistake,
the university suggested student live in substandard accommodation for a higher price than
initially offered. This is an example of an organisation performing negatively and failing to
communicate appropriately.
REPUTATIONAL CAPITAL
Figure 11 The relationship between image and reputation
Reputation
financial image
Recruitment
ImageProduct Imagesocial image

52
Just as people develop social capital that helps them build relationships and careers,
corporations and other organisations develop reputational capital that helps them build
relationships and grow their organisations.
A good reputation, one established has both tangible and intangible goods. John Dooley and
Fred Garcia (2007) state it is important for all stakeholders to feel good about an organisation.
And when they face hardships, it is important for them to sustain a good reputation.
A good reputation is not just to the benefit of the stakeholders. Organisations which have a
good reputation can capitalise on their reputation. According to John Dooley and Fred Garcia
(2007) reputation adds value to a company’s worth. Organisations with a good reputation
attract better candidates for employment, pay less for supplies and are likely to get free press.
Organisations such as Oxford and Cambridge University spring to mind with this concept.
The reputation that these two organisations have built over the years means they can reap
the benefits stated above as well as many others which can contribute to their profits and
success.
CORPORATE IDENTITY
Historically, corporate identity was given very little credit for its worth and value and seen
simply as a tool of increasing an organisation’s visibility (Olins, 1978). Over time, it has
developed to have a significant role in communicating corporate strategy.
For reputation scholars such as (Fombrun, 1996), identity is every organisation’s reason for
existence, and like individuals, organisations have multiple identities. Researcher George
Cheney Rhetoric in an Organizational Society: Managing Multiple Identities (Cheney, 1991)
states that an organisation having multiple identities is not to cause conflicts. This is just as
long as all identities are clear and dominant. A university for example, exists to provide an

53
education while at the same time make a profit and attract viable donors. The dominant
identity held by a university is that to provide an education, very rarely is the idea of profit
making endorsed.
Some organisations however fail to sustain their identity. The Catholic Church for example
fell onto the wrong side of the law. Scandals of sexual abuse of you children came to light in
2002. Evidence of the church hiding evidence of the abuse painted a very negative image.
CORPORATE IDENTITY MANAGEMENT (CIM)
According to Balmer 1995; van Riel 1995, the objective of corporate reputation management
(CIM) is “to establish a favourable reputation with an organisation’s stakeholders which is
hoped will be translated by such stakeholders into a propensity to buy that organisation’s
products and services, to work for or to invest in the organisation”.
Research has shown that a positive corporate reputation gives an organisation competitive
advantage. Coca cola vs cola is an example of this evidence.
The literature on corporate identity sees CIM as a combination of an organisation’s historical
roots (Ramanatsoa, 1989), its personality (Balmer 1995; Birkight and Stadler, 1980; Olins,
1978) its corporate strategy (Wiedmann, 1988) and the three parts of corporate identity mix
(behaviour of organisation’s members, communication and symbolism). Figure 2 illustrates
the process of all the above components. If all these are taken into account, a favourable
reputation will be formed (Fombrun, 1996) and the organisation’s performance will also
improve.

54
Developments in the external environment also influence reputation and performance.
Changes in
competitor
behaviour or
stakeholder
behaviour can
affect performance
and reputation.
Although all this research and evidence of reputation is available, many organisations do not
have sufficient methods of reputation management. According to (Garcia, 2011) this is
because organisations see reputation as a “soft asset”. One that has intangible value. For
this reason, they invest less into it. This is the wrong approach. Instead, organisations should
have a reputation management plan. The plan has to measure, monitor and establish a plan
for managing both the reputation assets and vulnerabilities.
COMPREHENSIVE REPUTATION MANAGEMENT
Comprehensive reputation management figure 3 provides management a formal framework
to reputation management. Tried and tested by a number of CEOs and academics, this is a
method of managing reputation problems, vulnerabilities and opportunities.
Comprehensive reputation management is a long term strategy for measuring, auditing and
managing an organisation’s reputation as an asset. The method can be applied to any part
of the organisation.
Figure 12Interaction between corporate identity, formation, reputation, improvement and
organisational performance.

55
10.07 RESEARCH STRATEGY AND METHOD
As stated in the introduction, my research will be focused on Birmingham City University.
The university’s most prominent customers are undergraduate students who Forming the
majority of the population. These then will be my target audience for my research.
(Garcia, 2011)
Figure 13

56
Cornelissen, J., n.d. Corporate communications: theory and practice. s.l.:s.n.
Kotler, P., Wong, V., Saunders, J. & Armstrong, G., 2005. Principles of Marketing, Harlow:
s.n.
Nguyen, N., 2001. Image and reputation of higher education institutions in students'
retention decisions. The Interbational Journal of Education Managemnet, p. 303.
Nha Nguyen and Gaston LeBlanc, 2001. Image and reputation of higher education
nstitutions in students' retention decisions. The International Journal of Educational
Managemnt, pp. 303-311.
Sarah Vizard, 2013. Marketing Week News. [Online]
Available at: http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/news/brands-starting-to-shout-about-
sustainability/4008675.article
Available at: http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/news/pg-places-value-on-innovation-as-
focus-shifts-away-from-promos/4008142.article
Available at: http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/sectors/consumer-goods/pg-marketing-to-
showcase-sustainability-efforts/4008614.article
(Fombrun, 1996)
(Olins, 1978)
Cornelissen, J., n.d. Corporate communications: theory and practice. s.l.:s.n.

57
Kotler, P., Wong, V., Saunders, J. & Armstrong, G., 2005. Principles of Marketing, Harlow:
s.n.
Nguyen, N., 2001. Image and reputation of higher education institutions in students'
retention decisions. The Interbational Journal of Education Managemnet, p. 303.
Nha Nguyen and Gaston LeBlanc, 2001. Image and reputation of higher education
nstitutions in students' retention decisions. The International Journal of Educational
Managemnt, pp. 303-311.
Available at: http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/news/brands-starting-to-shout-about-
sustainability/4008675.article
Available at: http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/news/pg-places-value-on-innovation-as-
focus-shifts-away-from-promos/4008142.article
Available at: http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/sectors/consumer-goods/pg-marketing-to-
showcase-sustainability-efforts/4008614.article
10.08 PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS SURVEY RESULTS

58
What is your age?
18-24 25-34 35-44 over 44
What is your gender?
Male Female
0
5
10
15
20
25
First Second Final
What stage are you at in your university studies?

59
0 5 10 15 20 25
Word of mouth
careers fair
Careers advisors
University website
courses on offer
your decision to attend university? (Tick all that
Apply)
In your mind, do you believe Birmingham City
University has a good reputation?

60
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Very
Important
Important Not sure Not Important Not at all
important
In your opinion, how important is the reputation
of a university?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
In your decision making process to attend
university, how important were the following?
(10 very important 1 not at all important)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Yes No
Do you believe employers consider the
reputation of a university when recruiting new
graduates?

61
10.09 CURRENT STUDENTS SURVEY RESULTS
What is your age?
18-24 25-34 35-44 over 44
63%
37%
Male
Female
20
17
23
FIRST SECOND FINAL
What stage are you at in your
university studies?

62
22
10
18
8
6
16
6
13
9
0 5 10 15 20 25
Word of mouth
careers fair
Careers advisors
University website
courses on offer
Whatsources of informationdid you use to
make your decisionto attenduniversity?
(Tickall thatApply)
8.2
6.93
7.63
4.59
5.28
4.64
7.6
4.79
5.27
2.57
0 2 4 6 8 10
Academic reputation
Teaching reputation
Guidance from teaching staff
Research reputation
Entry requirements
Guidance from parents
First university to offer you a guaranteed…
Courses on offer
Distance from home
Friends attending the same university
IN YOUR DECISION MAKING PROCESS TO ATTEND
UNIVERSITY, HOW IMPORTANT WERE THE
FOLLOWING? (10 VERY IMPORTANT 1 NOT AT ALL
IMPORTANT)

63
41%
50%
4%
5%
0%
In your opinion, how important is the reputation
of a university?
Very Important
Important
Not sure
Not Important
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Yes No
Do you believe employers consider the
reputation of a university when recruiting new
graduates?
31%
64%
5%
In your mind, do you believe
good reputation?

64
10.10 ALUMNI SURVEY RESULTS
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
18-24
25-34
35-44
Over 44
What is your age?
Male Female
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
2014 2013 2012 2011 2010
When did you graduate?

65
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
your decision to attend university? (Tick all that
Apply)
38%
62%
0%
In your opinion, do you believe
good reputation?
Yes
No
I don’t know
85%
15%
DO YOU BELIEVE EMPLOYERS CONSIDER THE
REPUTATION OF A UNIVERSITY WHEN
RECRUITING NEW GRADUATES?
Yes No

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