To Örebro University

Reputation is derived from “being known for something” (Lange, Lee, & Dai, 2010, p. 157). Accordingly, reputation and branding literatures emphasize that reputation is built from “common starting points” (van Riel, 1995, p. 35), “an innermost substance” (Kapferer, 2008, p. 95), or “irrefutable essence” (Keller, 1999, p. 45), indicating what organizations stand for, and which “each company will be able to identify” (van Riel, 1995, p. 19). The definition of these characteristics typically results from strategy processes, and may include various symbolic expressions such as core values, visions, missions, brand propositions, and taglines. Positive associations are assumed to be stimulated in the minds of observers when all external communication is derived from such platforms in a consistent manner (van Riel & Fombrun, 2007).

This chapter examines the contents of reputation platforms used by Scandinavian higher education institutions. More specifically, we focus on core value statements as they are presented on these institutions’ web sites. Core value statements are prominent aspects of reputation platforms not only because they define what organizations stand for and want to be known for (Sataøen, 2015), but also because they guide any work intended to influence reputation. Whereas a number of studies have revealed higher education institutions’ interest in a favorable reputation (Aula & Tienari, 2011; Bowman & Bastedo, 2009; Christensen & Gornitzka, 2017; Wæraas & Solbakk, 2009), no research has, to our knowledge, examined the platforms defined by universities and colleges as the starting point for their reputation management efforts and distinguished between the different types of desired reputations associated with these platforms. For example, it is not known whether higher education institutions fill their reputation platforms with core values implicating a performative or a moral reputation (see chapter 1). Accordingly, we ask, which types of values do Scandinavian higher education institutions seek to be known for, and which type of reputation do they implicate?