Living Up to Expectations: Corporate Reputation and Sustainable Competitive Advantage

16 Pages Posted: 8 Nov 2012

See all articles by Luis M. B. Cabral

Luis M. B. Cabral

New York University (NYU) - Leonard N. Stern School of Business - Department of Economics; Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

Date Written: November 2012

Abstract

I develop a theory of corporate reputation as a source of sustainable competitive advantage. I show how a relatively simple and reasonable assumption regarding the dynamics of corporate reputation leads to a self-reinforcing process whereby cross-firm differences in corporate reputation (and performance) are significant and relatively permanent. Numerical simulations suggest that persistence in cross-firm differences is largely due to endogenous investment incentives: firms with higher corporate reputation invest more in corporate reputation. I provide a series of examples consistent with the model's prediction.

Suggested Citation

Cabral, Luis M. B., Living Up to Expectations: Corporate Reputation and Sustainable Competitive Advantage (November 2012). NYU Working Paper No. 2451/31643, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2172651

Luis M. B. Cabral (Contact Author)

New York University (NYU) - Leonard N. Stern School of Business - Department of Economics ( email )

269 Mercer Street
New York, NY 10003
United States
212-998-0858 (Phone)
212-998-4218 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.stern.nyu.edu/~lcabral

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

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