TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ......................................................................................... i ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................ ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................ iii LIST OF FIGURES .............................................................................................. xiv LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................... xvi 1. CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY ................................... 1 1.1 BACKGROUND ...................................................................................... 1 1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT ....................................................................... 2 1.3 PURPOSE STATEMENT ........................................................................ 2 1.4 PRACTICAL VALUE AND CONTRIBUTION OF THE STUDY .............. 3 1.5 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES .................................................................... 3 1.6 PROPOSITIONS ..................................................................................... 4 1.7 DELIMINATIONS .................................................................................... 5 1.8 DEFINTION OF KEY TERMS ................................................................. 5 1.9 RESEARCH PARADIGM ........................................................................ 7 1.9.1 The Three Worlds Framework ................................................................. 7 1.9.1.1 World 1: The world of everyday life and lay knowledge .......................... 7 1.9.1.2 World 2: The world of science and scientific research ............................ 8 1.9.1.3 World 3: The world of meta-science ........................................................ 8 1.10 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN .................................................... 8 1.11 DATA ANALYSIS ................................................................................... 8 1.11.1 Units of analysis ...................................................................................... 8 1.11.2 Methods .................................................................................................. 9 1.11.2.1 Qualitative analysis ................................................................................. 9 1.11.2.2 Individual interviews .............................................................................. 10 1.12 QUALITATIVE SAMPLING .................................................................. 10 1.12.1 Simple random sampling for content analysis on Facebook ................. 10 1.12.2 Available subjects for interviews ........................................................... 10 1.13 DATA COLLECTION ............................................................................ 10 1.14 RESEARCH ETHICS ............................................................................ 11 1.15 THESIS OUTLINE ................................................................................ 12 iii 2. CHAPTER 2: SOLIDARITY – AN NPO’S REPUTATION MANAGEMENT .................................................................................... 14 2.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................... 14 2.2 NON-PROFIT ORGANISATIONS DEFINED ........................................ 14 2.3 NPOs IN SOUTH AFRICA .................................................................... 15 2.3.1 Structures and governance for NPOs in South Africa ........................... 16 2.3.1.1 The Policy Governance Model .............................................................. 17 2.3.1.2 The Constituent/Representative Board Model ....................................... 19 2.3.1.3 The Entrepreneurial Board Model ......................................................... 20 2.3.1.4 The Emergent Cellular (Networking) Model .......................................... 21 2.3.2 Legislation, regulation and policy of NPOs in South Africa ................... 23 2.4 OVERVIEW OF SOLIDARITY AS NPO................................................ 24 2.4.1 Background and history of Solidarity ..................................................... 24 2.4.1.1 The militant beginnings (1902 -1929) .................................................... 24 2.4.1.2 The struggle to control the MWU (1929-1948) ...................................... 25 2.4.1.3 “The current government will take care of the workers.” The MWU in symbiosis with the National Government (1948–1963) ......................... 25 2.4.1.4 Internal struggles, rehabilitation and the “attack on the colour line,” 1963- 1977 ...................................................................................................... 26 2.4.1.5 “The National Government is no longer the same as the National Party in 1948.” The Wiehahn-report and its consequences, 1977-1987............. 26 2.4.1.6 From MWU to Solidarity. The reform of a trade union, 1987–2002 ....... 27 2.4.2 Solidarity today ...................................................................................... 27 2.5 SOLIDARITY’S REPUTATION – WHAT MAKES THIS NPO UNIQUE? .............................................................................................................. 28 2.5.1 Christian foundation .............................................................................. 29 2.5.2 Collective bargaining ............................................................................. 29 2.5.3 Committed to South Africa and the Constitution .................................... 29 2.5.4 Independent of party politics ................................................................. 29 2.5.5 Protection of minorities and democracy ................................................ 29 2.5.6 Affirmative Action .................................................................................. 30 2.5.7 Afrikaans ............................................................................................... 30 2.5.8 Free Market Economy – responsible labour relations ........................... 30 2.5.9 Self-help and sustainable development ................................................ 30 iv 2.6 SOCIAL MEDIA AS PUBLIC RELATIONS INSTRUMENT IN SOLIDARITY ........................................................................................ 31 2.7 CONCLUDING REMARKS ................................................................... 31 3. CHAPTER 3: REPUTATION AS THE “CINDERELLA ASSET” ......... 33 3.1 INTRODUCTION: REPUTATION ......................................................... 33 3.2 A CONTEXTUAL DEFINITION OF REPUTATION ............................... 34 3.3 THE AC4ID REPUTATION FRAMEWORK ........................................... 36 3.3.1 Reputation as feedback or noise ........................................................... 37 3.4 COMMUNICATION AND CORPORATE REPUTATION ...................... 38 3.4.1 Stakeholder opinions, corporate communications and public relations in reputation management ........................................................................ 39 3.4.1.1 Corporate reputation and stakeholder opinion ...................................... 39 3.4.1.2 Corporate reputation and corporate communication ............................. 40 3.4.1.3 Corporate reputation and public relations ............................................. 41 3.5 ARENA MODEL OF CORPORATE REPUTATION ............................. 42 3.6 THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON REPUTATION .......................... 45 3.6.1 Agenda-setting and agenda-building theory .......................................... 45 3.7 CONCLUDING REMARKS ................................................................... 47 4. CHAPTER 4: ONLINE REPUTATION MANAGEMENT ....................... 49 4.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................... 49 4.2 ONLINE REPUTATION AND REPUTATION MANAGEMENT: A DEFINITION .......................................................................................... 49 4.2.1 Online reputation ................................................................................... 49 4.2.2 Reputation management ....................................................................... 50 4.2.3 Online reputation management ............................................................. 50 4.3 REPUTATION MANAGEMENT AND MEASUREMENT ...................... 51 4.3.1 Monitoring and listening to stakeholders – perceptions, loyalty and relationships .......................................................................................... 52 4.3.2 Promoting the organisation brand through online actions ..................... 56 4.3.3 Reputation risk management in the reputation management model ..... 60 4.4 REPUTATION MEASUREMENT .......................................................... 63 4.5 A PROPOSED ONLINE REPUTATION MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK .............................................................................................................. 65 4.6 CONCLUDING REMARKS ................................................................... 67 v 5. CHAPTER 5: STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND ONLINE REPUTATION ....................................................................................... 69 5.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................... 69 5.2 A CONTEXTUAL DEFINITION ............................................................