THE CONCEPT OF CORPORATE REPUTATION IN MARKETING AND POLISH LAW — THE SEARCH FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY COMMUNICATION
THE CONCEPT OF CORPORATE REPUTATION IN MARKETING AND POLISH LAW — THE SEARCH FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY COMMUNICATION

Summary/Abstract: The paper aims to compare how the concept of corporate reputation is understood in the fields of law and marketing. This comparative investigation determines whether interdisciplinary communication between these two domains, and consequently interdisciplinary research on corporate reputation, is possible. Due to the lack of a legal definition (i.e. definition in a legal act) of corporate reputation, the meaning of this concept is reconstructed on the basis of Polish legislation and case law. Then the legal concept of corporate reputation is compared with numerous definitions proposed by marketing scholars. As a result of this investigation, two approaches to corporate reputation are distinguished: reputation as a process and reputation as a result. Legal scholars focus on the latter, whereas marketing researchers consider both approaches. This difference results from diverse objectives of marketing and legal research on corporate reputation. The former aims at developing a good reputation (process) and evaluating it (reputation as a result), while the latter focuses on protecting corporate reputation (reputation as a result). Despite the differences in approaches towards the concept, interdisciplinary research is not only possible (especially, when both domains investigate reputation as a result), but also needed, as both lawyers and marketing experts operate in the same market and have the same client, i.e. an entrepreneur. The comparative analysis explained in this paper is the first step to bringing legal and marketing knowledge together.

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