Organizational Identity, Image, and Reputation: A Multi-Level Analysis of the Effect in Various Congruity Settings

This research examines the effect of organizational identity, image, and reputation by data collected from 623 students in 26 universities in Taiwan. At individual level the research result shows the more positive a member’s perceived organizational identity or construed external image is, the better the member’s outcome. The individual outcomes is the best for members being favorably congruent, second best for being incongruent, and worst for being unfavorably congruent, in identity and image comparison. Also, members with more positive construed external image in Chinese society where other orientation is emphasized show better outcome than members with more positive perceived organizational identity. At organizational level the result shows the more positive the organizational identity, image, or reputation is, the better the organization’s outcome. Certain organizational outcomes achieve the best for organizations being favorably congruent, second best for being incongruent, and worst for being unfavorably congruent, in identity-image, identity-reputation, and image-reputation comparisons. Moreover, Chinese organizations in which other orientation is emphasized show better outcome with more positive organizational image than organizations with more positive identity.