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86 Mapping the Field

Table 3.5 Corporate reputation research methods

Number of Ease of
Methodology Techniques Data collection respondents analysis Costs
Qualitative Unstructured Oral interview: each 10–40 Moderate/ Moderate
interview respondent is asked to low
reflect upon his/her
views of an organization
and explain why (with or
without use of visual
aids)
Focus group Group discussion: in a 5–10 (each High Moderate
group, respondents group)
discuss their views of the
organization and explain
why (with or without
use of visual aids)
Repertory grid Oral interview: each 10–40 Moderate Low
respondent is asked to
pick two out of three
statements which match
the organization best or
worst and explain why
Laddering Oral interview: each 10–25 Low High
respondent is asked to
reflect upon beliefs
about the organization
aimed at discovering
means–ends relations
Quantitative Attitude Questionnaire: 50 or more Moderate/ Moderate
scales/attribute respondent ratings of high
rating attributes on Likert scales
Q-sort Oral interview: each 30–50 Low Moderate
respondent is asked to
rate and rank statements
about the organization
written on cards

and conduct reputation research of its own using applied research techniques and its
own stakeholder groups. In doing so, a company will be able to account for the
diversity of opinions of its stakeholder groups, and will have a clearer view of the
attributes that these different groups actually find important and on which they
specifically rate the organization.Table 3.5 displays the two broad classes of research
techniques, qualitative and quantitative, that may be used either separately or in
combination for reputation research. 52
Qualitative research such as in-depth interviews with individual stakeholders or
focus group sessions with selected groups of stakeholders are one option.These qual-
itative techniques are more open in nature, allowing selected stakeholders to delve