Purpose

Based on impression management theory, the authors ask how marketing activities build organizational reputation and examine the mediating mechanisms of desired impressions, and the moderating impact of national culture. Specifically, and in the context of higher education (HE) institutions, the authors examine the influence of relational marketing and traditional advertising on organizational reputation through the mediation of desired impressions (e.g. quality of learning, career prospects and extracurricular activities) across countries and specify the moderation role of cultural variables.

Design/methodology/approach

This study estimates empirical models using a survey data set comprising 1,890 student responses from 10 universities in 8 countries. The authors use confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and measurement invariance models, as well as ordinary least squares with robust standard errors to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The results indicate that marketing activities affect organizational reputation through the mediation of desired impressions in line with our theoretical reasoning. Specifically, the results show that (1) relational marketing has direct and indirect effects on organizational reputation; (2) relational marketing has a higher influence on organizational reputation in countries with lower individualism and lower masculinity scores; (3) quality of learning mediates the relationship between traditional advertising and organizational reputation; (4) quality of learning also mediates the association between relational marketing and organizational reputation; (5) career prospects mediate the relationship between relational marketing and organizational reputation; (6) traditional advertising does not have a direct but only an indirect effect on organizational reputation; and (7) these findings are net of the effect of respondents', universities', and countries' characteristics.

Research limitations/implications

The findings contribute to the body of knowledge on the antecedents of organizational reputation, from an international marketing perspective. The results extend the impression management by integrating constructs that have been studied independently into a cohesive framework that links marketing activities, desired impressions and organizational reputation. With the study, impression management theory provides a framework to study the impact of marketing activities on organizational reputation not only in domestic but also in international markets.

Practical implications

By asking the target market about the importance of different marketing activities, their expectations of the organization and its reputation, HE administrators can employ the model proposed in this study to assess the relevant marketing strategies that will drive desired impressions which in turn will influence reputation.

Originality/value

While there are studies that focus on the impact of several constructs on organizational reputation in an international context, it is striking to observe that extant research is silent on how (via what mediating mechanisms) marketing activities work as an antecedent of organizational reputation. To address this gap, we examine marketing activities as antecedents of organizational reputation in an international, cross-country context, and specify the moderation role of cultural variables.

中文翻译：

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营销活动如何影响高等教育机构的组织声誉？八个国家的印象管理视角

目的

基于印象管理理论，作者探讨营销活动如何建立组织声誉，考察期望印象的中介机制，以及民族文化的调节作用。具体而言，在高等教育 (HE) 机构的背景下，作者通过调节各国的期望印象（例如学习质量、职业前景和课外活动）来检验关系营销和传统广告对组织声誉的影响，并具体说明文化变量的调节作用。

设计/方法/方法

本研究使用包含来自 8 个国家 10 所大学的 1,890 名学生回答的调查数据集来估计经验模型。作者使用验证性因子分析 (CFA) 和测量不变性模型，以及具有稳健标准误差的普通最小二乘法来检验假设。

发现

结果表明，营销活动通过调节期望印象来影响组织声誉，这符合我们的理论推理。具体来说，结果表明：（1）关系营销对组织声誉有直接和间接的影响；（2）关系营销在个人主义和男性气质得分较低的国家对组织声誉的影响更大；(3) 学习质量在传统广告与组织声誉之间起中介作用；(4) 学习质量也调节关系营销与组织声誉之间的关联；(5) 职业前景在关系营销与组织声誉之间的关系中起中介作用；(6) 传统广告对组织声誉没有直接影响，而只是间接影响；(7) 这些调查结果不包括受访者、大学和国家特征的影响。

研究限制/影响

从国际营销的角度来看，这些发现有助于建立关于组织声誉前因的知识体系。结果通过将已经独立研究的结构整合到一个将营销活动、期望印象和组织声誉联系起来的有凝聚力的框架中来扩展印象管理。通过这项研究，印象管理理论提供了一个框架来研究营销活动对组织声誉的影响，不仅在国内而且在国际市场上。

实际影响

通过向目标市场询问不同营销活动的重要性、他们对组织及其声誉的期望，高等教育管理者可以使用本研究中提出的模型来评估相关的营销策略，这些策略将推动期望的印象，进而影响声誉。

原创性/价值

虽然有研究关注在国际背景下几种结构对组织声誉的影响，但令人惊讶的是，现有的研究并未说明营销活动如何（通过何种中介机制）作为组织声誉的前因。为了解决这一差距，我们将营销活动视为国际、跨国背景下组织声誉的前因，并指定文化变量的调节作用。