Challenges for Corporate Reputation—Online Reputation Management in Times of Global Pandemic

Abstract

The issue of corporate reputation management in the time of accelerated digitization has been a subject of research by academics and practitioners for more than a decade. The aim of this study was to provide an insight into the issue of reputation management in the Internet environment in the time of global pandemic. As for the structure of the research, the study mapped two horizons of events, the first one being the onset of the pandemic in the first half of 2020, and the second one the period of cancellation of antipandemic measures after 24 months. The research was localized in the market of Central Europe, specifically in the online market of the Slovak Republic. This market synthesized two important factors, namely the highly developmental nature and at the same time the increased degree of restraint it experienced during the two years of the pandemic. A sophisticated online reputation analysis (sentiment analysis, analysis of reputation determinants, and data synthesis through the TOR indicator) was performed on a significant sample of e-commerce representatives, the results of which provided relevant findings on reputational challenges and reputational threats. Based on the findings, it can be stated that the market has adapted relatively quickly to the changed conditions. The pandemic represented a market opportunity rather than an existential threat for the subjects examined. It also played the role of an imaginary accelerator in the evolutionary transition from offline to online.

Online Reputation for Food Sector Exporters in the B2B Context: The Importance of Sustainability

“…A standardized methodology was implemented for the general measurement of online reputation, which was carried out as an extension of the Sentiment Analysis, as explained below. The calculation of the Total value of the Online Reputation (TOR), for each of the food exporting companies participating in this phase of the research, was carried using the methodology of previous studies, in particular, the following formula [71][72][73]:…”

Perception of Corporate Reputation in the Era of Digitization: Case Study of Online Shopping Behavior on Young Consumers

“…In the case of the slightest threat detection, the necessary procedures must be applied immediately in order to prevent the website's reputation being damaged [1]. The most significant opinion and reputation former in the e-commerce sector in Central Europe is Heureka [2]. Customers can rate their experiences of online purchases on a scale, which creates an overall rating of the e-shops from the recommendations made by customers for further online purchases.…”

“…Gender [20] SD2 Age [20] SD3 Income amount [21,22] V1 I was concerned about misuse of my personal data while shopping online [22][23][24] V2 I was concerned about misuse of my payment data while shopping online [22][23][24] V3 I started to trust online shopping and e-shops more [2,20] V4 I agreed with the use of cookies customization when searching for products [25] V5 For online purchases, I used e-shops that provided the fastest possible method and delivery date [26] V6 For online purchases, I used e-shops that was offered to me through the advertisement on social media [20] V7 For online purchases, I used e-shops that had lower prices compared to other e-shops [27] V8 For online purchases, I used e-shops that had a better overall functionality of the e-shop [25,28,29] V9 I bought online goods that I didn't plan or didn't need [30] V10 For online purchases, I used e-shops that offered special offers (discounts) [27] V11 For online purchases, I used e-shops that offered free shipping [22] V12 I shopped online through the e-shop which promoted an eco/bio products [31] V13 For online purchases, I used e-shops that were advertised on media [20] V14 I shopped online through the e-shops recommended by my relatives and friends [21,32] V15 I started shopping more often through Slovak e-shops [21] V15 For online purchases, I used e-shops that provided wide range of payment methods [21,22] V16 I used a private browser while shopping online [23,25] V17 For shopping, I used e-shops that offered the option of cash on delivery [21] V18 For online purchases, I used e-shops that promoted a wide range of domestic products [31] V19 For online purchases, I used e-shops that ...…”

“…The perception of a company's reputation is one of the main factors when choosing an e-shop. In the area of this issue, studies have already been carried out regarding the analysis of the reputation of e-shops based on secondary data [1,2], but we see the scientific potential and originality of this case study precisely in the analysis of the perceived reputation of customers, on the basis of primary data. Today's young consumers represents the first generation of complete digital natives, for whom the covid pandemic has further strengthened the appetite for the digitization of their normal activities, which includes shopping and socializing.…”

Impact of selected financial indicators on a company's reputation

“…It ultimately helps sustain the business while driving its economy, talent acquisition and retention, customer loyalty, and more (Cho, 2019). The question of corporate reputation management in the time of accelerated digitisation has been an essential topic in the research of academics and practitioners for more than a decade (Pollák & Markovič, 2022). Due to digital transformation, enterprises have to pay more attention to the quality of products, image and external reputation (Sun et al, 2022).…”