Reputational Change Among Managers - Texas A&M University (TAMU) Scholar

[Interest in the effect that individuals' reputations have on their careers has increased in the literature and popular news media. In these examinations, questions arise regarding the difficulties in changing an individual's reputation. If an individual presents a negative "first impression," are they saddled with a harmful reputation for her tenure at an organization and beyond? Are individuals able to intentionally alter (i.e., improve) their reputations; if so, can they make these changes in a timely manner by simply changing their behaviors? The study attempts to answer these questions by examining the reputation of 498 focal-managers attending a leadership development program that partially focused on changing behaviors in the workplace. Several months after returning to their respective organizations, multiple direct reports are surveyed to examine potential changes in the reputation of their focal-manager. Findings suggest that the focal-managers are able to improve their reputations in the areas of approachability, integrity, and mentoring. Implications of these findings suggest that changes in specific behavior may lead to changes in reputation in less time than previously theorized.]

Reputational Change Among Managers Academic Article