Image of a Company. Image of a Leader

Image of a company has no concrete monetary value, but it is worth much. People who are planning to create an organization (they are usually called promoters or incorporators) take measures to create a positive image of it even before its foundation. They give the organization a deserving name which as they think will help get a profitable position in a row of similar organizations and a positive reply in general public consciousness. Moreover, an apt name disciplines the employees, an unsound name makes the employees lose interest to their job. Knowledge of psychological mechanism of perception of the names can solve this from the first sight insignificant but in reality a very important problem. When you choose a company's name it is useful to answer the following questions: How will people percept this company among another companies? What social groups will deal with this organization? What kinds of associations will people have on hearing the name of the organization?

The image of the company depends on the image of its leader. Familiarization with the type of the character of the leader of the company provides better understanding of the image of the organization. Let's scrutinize the types of leaders, who have balanced and steady character. They are: Specialist, Integrator and Player.

If the leader of the organization is Specialist, we can say he is task-targeted. He believes in success, knows how to reason his position, he makes the employees act within the frame of approved standards. The image of such organization is positive if to be viewed from aside. General public values such company for its stability, thoroughness and high ethic standards. In such company there is exact division of duties, strict control over the fulfillment of the plans and obligations. Though workers often feel psychological discomfort and think of leaving the company. An observer from aside can say that in this organization managers are tough-minded and aggressive.

Integrator follows people-targeted strategy, he likes good human relations, respects the employees' desire to be involved in running the company, when he makes decisions he takes his employees' opinion into consideration. Long practice of such leader makes him do what he is expected to do, he has an image of "a soft democrat".

If the leader of an organization is Player, he is project-targeted, his main purpose is power. He is not afraid of competition, and his employees always follow his orders. The company's image depends on the quality of the products or services this company provides. Companies do all their best to meet the requirements of the customers, they produce the goods which are in demand in the market, improve the quality of the goods. Management of every company develops Continuous process improvement (CPI) concepts and Total quality management (TQM) programs, makes business process designing and reengineering.

The company's image also depends on its location, or what district it is located in, how many buildings it occupies, if the offices are equipped and how they are equipped. All these factors form positive or negative impression and people can make conclusions if the organization is reliable, what its position in the market is, if it is possible to deal with this organization. If the premises, offices have architectural variety, positive attitude to the organization increases, a good porch, an entrance and a staircase improve the image of organization too. The internal interior must be diverse, harmonious and psychologically comfortable.

Every organization acts in the social environment. Success of the organization depends a lot on the quality of its image. The purpose of PR is to form positive opinion about the organization. Special press-releases, publications in local and central newspapers and magazines, excursions, advertising campaigns are organized by PR specialists. Corporate advertising can be of two types: direct action advertising and double-action advertising, directed to consciousness and subconsciousness of people. The structure of double-action advertising is the modified formula of behaviorists: "background - symbol - action" which includes technique "attention - interest - desire - craving - reaction to immediate action".

Questions:

1. Do incorporators take measures to create a positive image of a company before or after its foundation?

2. Does image of a company depend on the image of its leader?

3. What are the types of leaders who have balanced and steady character?

4. Why do workers sometimes feel psychological discomfort?

5. What does the image of the company depends?

6. Does success of organization depend on the quality of its image?

7. What is the purpose of PR?

8. What is corporate advertising?

9. What is direct action advertising directed to?

10. What is double-action advertising directed to?