Image, Reputation and Identity Issues in the Arts and Crafts Organization
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Volume 6 Number 3
Image, Reputation and Identity Issues in the Arts and Crafts Organization Ian Fillis University of Stirling, Scotland
ABSTRACT The literature on corporate reputation, image and identity tends to focus on the larger, forprofit organization. There is much discussion on how such an enterprise can use reputation management in order to construct and promote positive images about the organization. The majority of the literature views this as part of the longer term strategic management aims of the organization. There is little, if any, discussion of image, reputation, and identity issues in the smaller firm context, however, and even less with respect to nonprofit and minimal profit arts and crafts organizations. The paper presents an overview of the literature, before focusing on how smaller firms in general, and arts and crafts organizations in particular, are able to construct positive images and use their creative reputation to grow successfully in domestic and international markets. Recommendations for using informal mechanisms to promote a positive image and reputation are made and suggestions for future research given. INTRODUCTION The focus of this paper is on the arts and creativity sector (Rentschler and Creese, 1996; Rentschler, 1997; Rentschler, 1998; Fillis, 2002) rather than the nonprofit organization in general (Broadbridge and Horne, 1995; Broadbridge and Horne, 1996; Salamon and Anheier, 1996; Salamon and Anheier, 1997; Blois, 1999; Bussell and Forbes, 2002; Hager et al., 2002). This is not to say, however, that the findings and recommendations pertaining to this sector cannot be embraced in the wider nonprofit industries. Previous work by this author
has focused on how creative ideas ultimately culminate in innovative products and services. This paper examines how arts and crafts organizations and their owners/ managers are able to construct positive images and use their creative reputation to grow successfully in domestic and international markets. The literature on corporate reputation and management issues tends to formalize the processes involved. Often, however, in the smaller firm, these processes contain many informal and intuitive aspects which must also be considered. This paper utilizes the Marketing/Entrepreneurship interface paradigm (Carson et al., 1995; Day, 1998) in order to frame the discussion and also to offer alternative explanations where intuition, creativity, opportunity recognition and other informal mechanisms form the basis for both daily and longer term strategic thinking and management. The noun ‘image’, as defined by the Concise Oxford English Dictionary (1995), is viewed as a simile, metaphor, mental representation, an idea or a conception, the character of a ‘thing’ or person as perceived by the public. As a verb, making an image is seen as portraying or mirroring something. This suggests how an organization can deliberately construct an image, however true or false this may be, and promote it to their publics. Identity is seen as individuality, relating to person
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