THE CONCEPT OF CORPORATE REPUTATION IN MARKETING AND POLISH LAW — THE SEARCH FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY COMMUNICATION

Abstract

The paper aims to compare how the concept of corporate reputation is under-stood in the fields of law and marketing. This comparative investigation determines whether interdisciplinary communication between these two domains, and conse-quently interdisciplinary research on corporate reputation, is possible. Due to the lack of a legal definition (i.e. definition in a legal act) of corporate reputation, the meaning of this concept is reconstructed on the basis of Polish legis-lation and case law. Then the legal concept of corporate reputation is compared with numerous definitions proposed by marketing scholars. As a result of this investigation, two approaches to corporate reputation are distinguished: reputation as a process and reputation as a result. Legal scholars focus on the latter, whereas marketing research-ers consider both approaches. This difference results from diverse objectives of mar-article details: 190 Joanna , krzysztof, agnieszka ekonoMia . econoMics, VoL. 14, no. 2/2015 keting and legal research on corporate reputation. The former aims at developing a good reputation (process) and evaluating it (reputation as a result), while the latter focuses on protecting corporate reputation (reputation as a result). Despite the differ-ences in approaches towards the concept, interdisciplinary research is not only possi-ble (especially, when both domains investigate reputation as a result), but also needed, as both lawyers and marketing experts operate in the same market and have the same client, i.e. an entrepreneur. The comparative analysis explained in this paper is the first step to bringing legal and marketing knowledge together.