Réputation

Réputation is the overall estimation of a person, organization, or product as perceived by others, based on past actions, statements, and experiences. It functions as a social asset that influences trust, expectations, and economic behavior. Reputation emerges from ongoing communication and observable performance as audiences—from colleagues to the broader public—interpret signals over time.

Reputation is multidimensional. Core elements include trust, credibility, competence, integrity, and benevolence, while reliability, consistency between claims and actions, transparency, and responsiveness also matter. The relative importance of these signals varies with context, such as personal, corporate, or product reputation.

Information flows through word of mouth, media coverage, professional networks, and digital platforms. Public sentiment, customer experience, regulation, and visible ethics shape how a reputation is formed and revised. Because information is noisy and rapid, reputation is probabilistic and continually updated.

Measuring reputation is challenging; proxies include surveys, brand equity studies, sentiment analysis, media monitoring, and customer feedback. A strong reputation can affect access to capital, partnerships, customers, and talent.

Management and ethics: reputations can be damaged by scandals or inconsistent behavior, sometimes rapidly and lastingly. Recovery requires accountability, transparent communication, corrective action, and sustained performance. Ethical considerations include avoiding manipulation, misinformation, and privacy concerns.