Cues used in the formation of corporate reputation: an empirical study of department stores

Abstract

The present study seeks to highlight elements of information that impact the perception of corporate reputation of department stores. For the purposes of this study, 174 undergraduate and graduate students of a business school in a medium-sized Canadian university were randomly selected to respond to a questionnaire. The data analyzed shows four significant elements that contribute to corporate reputation: (1) quality of service, (2) capacity of innovation, (3) policy of staff management, and social and environmental responsibility, and (4) physical environment. The results emphasized the capacity of department stores to adapt to the changing needs of their environments through innovation and enhancement of services, and improve their corporative reputation within target groups.