ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the properties of CEO reputation, it identifies the CEO reputational characteristics: CEOs whose reputation is based on competence, stemming from their expertise, managerial excellence and remarkable achievements and those who earned a good name for ethical and socially responsible practices. The chapter investigates how consumers make inferences about corporate reputation from CEOs reputational attributes and whether the perceived distinct characteristics of CEOs have a divergent effect on consumers evaluation of and attitudes toward the firm. Furthermore, in order to explore the historical effect of CEO reputation and the firm, this research adopts a longitudinal format, where participants are exposed to different pieces of reputational information over three consecutive weeks. The current research examines whether the perceived distinct characteristics of a CEO have a divergent effect on the growth pattern of consumers evaluation of and attitudes towards the firm over time. The ethical dimension of CEO reputation involves conformity to social norms, moral values and commitment to integrity.
