Before reading any further, let’s take a poll:
[poll id=2] [poll id= 3]
How do our results compare to the findings of a more comprehensive annual survey of the reputations of US corporations?
"America’s Most Least Reputable Companies"
Reputation Institute just released its annual survey that determines the nation’s most respected companies. (The survey is summarized on Forbes.com.) Of the 153 companies in the survey, the bottom two — the two least respected and least liked companies — are Halliburton and AIG.
Authentic & Bad: Halliburton
Halliburton is an organization that is pretty authentic– it is who it claims to be, its actions reflect who it claims to be. And I really dislike Halliburton (even accounting for my dislike of former Halliburton CEO Dick Cheney) because I disagree with so much of what Halliburton stands for and the products and services Halliburton sells.
Bad for Being InAuthentic: AIG
AIG is a different kind of bad. AIG has a bad reputation now because it was not what it claimed to be…Instead of being a trustworthy, solid-as-a-rock international insurance company and financial adviser, AIG turned out to be speculative and reckless with its (and our) investments.
Confounding our comparisons of Halliburton and AIG are, of course, our level of familiarity with these firms. Many of us have long known of (and perhaps disliked) Halliburton due to its history as a war profiteer and a despoiler of nature. But how many people knew who AIG was, until about 8 months ago?
The Data Speak:
If we take the results of the Reputation Institute survey, being inauthentic is bad, but being authentically bad is worst. AIG is the second most disliked corporation. Halliburton is the most disliked corporation.
How does that compare with our own assessments? Which is worse: being authentic but bad, or being inauthentic? Let’s see….
I am an organizational identity and reputation scholar with a PhD in leadership & organizations. I research, write, teach and consult with organizations about the relationships between organizational identity, actions, and purpose. See the 
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
One seems treatable; the other seems terminal.
Good survey. That is a great distinction. It is tough, but at least authenitic and bad you know where they stand. The inauthentic ones sneak up on society and economy and then explode.
WMDs of institutional trust.
Wow. Two comments by two scholars, generating two great phrases to follow up on!