Public relations and reputation in small organisations: Creating identity and building reputation for success

This study explores the reputation management activities of small businesses in the service industry (hotels, business services agencies, consulting companies, and private education), and examines how firms create identity and build reputation in order to survive in the competitive market. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 32 managers in small enterprises in Europe. Thematic analysis of the interview transcripts revealed seven themes related to identity creation and reputation building: lack of communication, transparency, lack of internal resources (i.e., manpower), training, consistency, credibility, and commitment. This multiple case study offers a comprehensive picture of managerial perceptions of the creation of identity and building of reputation in small organisations. The results of this research will help public relations scholars, practitioners, and educators to reflect on their own roles in organisational decision making. Implications for public relations managers and practitioners as well as for small enterprises are discussed for future studies.