José Carlos Thomaz

Reputação corporativa: construtos formativos e implicações para a gestão

Corporate reputation is frequently associated with organizational performance. However, the literature suggests that corporate communication and the stakeholders identification with the organization are both relevant when it comes to explaining differences in corporate reputation evaluation. Considering these inputs, this study tests the relationship between corporate reputation, identification, corporate communication and organizational performance. The research occurred in two phases because it was necessary to develop or adapt the measurement scale for each one of the four constructs. All measures were perceptual in nature. The second phase of the research consisted of data gathering and analyses; and for that, the scales tested in the phase one were used. Data from 12 organizations were collected, resulting in a sample of 2,139 respondents or 1,025 employees and 1,114 customers. Structural equation modeling was used for analyzing the data. The results show strong effects of communication on organizational identification and reputation, as well as of identification on corporate reputation. The impact of reputation on organizational performance was also relevant. The study leads to the conclusion that communication and identification are critical factors in explaining the variability of reputation of organizations and, consequently, performance.

Identification, Reputation, and Performance: Communication Mediation

ABSTRACT This study focuses on a possible mediation by communication in the identification-organizational performance and identification-corporate reputation relationships. The review of the literature indicates that (a) companies with good reputations have better performances, (b) the stronger employee identification is, the better the reputation and performance, and (c) communication plays an important role in emphasizing the mode in which the organization presents itself to its stockholders. This study reveals that communication is a partial mediator in the relationships studied, suggesting that managers early on establish the form of communication, emphasize to a greater degree managerial communication, and not concentrate all their attention on marketing communication. The study involved 1,025 employees in various organizations and applied modeling of structural equations and the method proposed by Baron and Kenny (1986) to evaluate the mediation between the variables.

Concentração geográfica das atividades de serviço no Brasil

The aim of this article was to identify and understand the degree of geographic concentration of service activities in Brazil, more specifically the activities that present higher degree of concentration, based on the three categories of services adopted (pure, of transformation, and of trade and circulation). The main contribution of this paper is to identify the geographic concentration of service activities in a broad perspective, encompassing also those located within the industry and agricultural sectors, and systematic, from the articulation of these activities. The results highlight the large urban centers such as Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro among the municipalities that have a higher concentration, mainly for knowledge-intensive activities and for financial services activities.