sales, providing better access to
material, financial, informational and
human resources.
But image is not only built through
distinctive logos and other eloquently
designed communication aids; it is
shaped by the actual perception and
attitude of the others towards the
visible behavior and overall activities
of the company.
Corporate image is the overall
impression left in the customers’
mind as a result of accumulated
feelings, ideas, attitudes and
experiences with the organization,
stored in memory, transformed into a
positive/negative meaning; retrieved
to reconstruct image and recalled
when the name of the organization
is heard or brought to ones’ mind
(Hatch et al. 2003 & Abd-El-Salam,
2013).
Image has been described as
subjective knowledge, as an attitude
and as a combination of product
characteristics that are different
from the physical product but are
nevertheless identified with the
product. Examples include tradition,
ideology, company name, reputation,
price levels, and the quality
communicated by each person
interacting with the service firm.
For this reason, Zimmer and Golden
(1988) describe corporate image as
the overall impression left on the
minds of customers, as a gestalt.
Image is based on incomplete
information and it may differ for the
various publics of an institution.
Since organizations have several
different publics, this suggests that
a company does not have one image
but multiple images. Therefore
service quality is described in terms
of physical quality, interactive quality
and corporate quality. This suggests
that corporate quality can refer to
the image attributed to a service
provider by its current and potential
36 MAL 13/16 ISSUE
‘‘ Many firms focus
little attention on
their corporate
image until it has
been severely
damaged. Often, this
recognition comes
too late to remedy the
situation. Building
a positive corporate
image requires skillful
long-term planning.
Management cannot
limit its focus to the
next few weeks or
months. ”
customers and that, compared with
the other two quality dimensions,
corporate quality tends to be more
stable over time.
Functional and technical quality of
a service influences perception of
service quality, but these influences
are strongly moderated by image of
the service provider. Corporate image
consist of two components; the first
is functional such as the tangible
characteristics that can be measured
and evaluated easily. The second
is emotional including feelings,
attitudes and beliefs that one has
towards the organization.
Reputation management and
evolution are continuous processes
that contribute to all the stages of
the company development, while
addressing two main issues who we
are and who we want to be. Thus,
stable positive image is a result of a
wise balance of internal ambitions
and external interests.
A corporate image is the overall
image of a corporation or firm or
business in the minds of diverse
publics, such as customers and
investors and employees. It is a
primary task of the corporate
communications department to
maintain and build this identity
to accord with and facilitate the
attainment of business objectives. It
is usually visibly manifested by way of
branding and the use of trademarks.
Corporate reputation management
comes into being when there
is a common ownership of an
organizational philosophy that is
manifest in a distinct corporate
culture. At its most profound, the
public feel that they have ownership
of the philosophy.
Corporate image helps organizations
to answer questions like who are we?”
and “where are we going?” Corporate
image also allows consumers to
denote their sense of belonging
with particular human aggregates or
groups.
In general, this amounts to a
corporate title, logo (logotype and/
or logogram) and supporting devices
commonly assembled within a
set of guidelines. These guidelines
govern how the identity is applied
and confirm approved color palettes,
typefaces, page layouts and other
such.
No matter what the perspective is,
the significance of image cannot be
underestimated. Image is a potent
tool and has the ability to influence
customer perception on goods and
services offered and thus, have an
impact on customers buying behavior.
Furthermore, image is a crucial factor
and maintains a relatively high rating
among loyal customers as well as
influences customer enthusiasm and
satisfaction.
Corporate reputation leads to
Corporate branding which is defined
as the sending of cues to create a