Reputation Capital - Definition

Definition

For a business, reputation capital is the sum of the value of all corporate intangible assets, which include: business processes, patents, trademarks; reputations for ethics and integrity; quality, safety, sustainability, security, and resilience.

Delivering functional and social expectations of the public on the one hand and manage to build a unique identity on the other hand creates trust and this trust builds the informal framework of a company. This framework provides "return in cooperation" and produces Reputation Capital. A positive reputation will secure a company or organisation long-term competitive advantages. The higher the Reputation Capital, the less the costs for supervising and exercising control.

Reputation capital is a corporate asset that can be managed, accumulated and traded in for trust, legitimisation of a position of power and social recognition, a premium price for goods and services offered, a stronger willingness among shareholders to hold on to shares in times of crisis, or a stronger readiness to invest in the company’s stock.