IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/reggov/v16y2022i4p1042-1057.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Regulatory agencies, reputational threats, and communicative responses

Author

Listed:
  • Tobias Bach
  • Marlene Jugl
  • Dustin Köhler
  • Kai Wegrich

Abstract

A key claim in bureaucratic reputation literature is that reputation has several dimensions. This presents agencies with a difficult choice concerning which dimension(s) they should emphasize in the management of their reputation. This paper analyzes how regulatory agencies manage their reputation through communicative responses to public judgments, based on a single‐case study of the German financial regulator BaFin. Our theoretical argument underscores the importance of different reputational dimensions for regulatory agencies that simultaneously considers their distinct reputation reserves. Our main finding was that BaFin prioritizes responses to public judgments targeting reputational dimensions that are central to its mission and for which the agency has a weak reputation, as opposed to judgments targeting dimensions that are central to its mission and for which it has a strong reputation, or judgments targeting peripheral dimensions. The paper demonstrates the importance of agency missions for reputation management and suggests directions for further research.

Suggested Citation

  • Tobias Bach & Marlene Jugl & Dustin Köhler & Kai Wegrich, 2022. "Regulatory agencies, reputational threats, and communicative responses," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(4), pages 1042-1057, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:reggov:v:16:y:2022:i:4:p:1042-1057
    DOI: 10.1111/rego.12421
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/rego.12421
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/rego.12421?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ben Jann, 2014. "A new command for plotting regression coefficients and other estimates," German Stata Users' Group Meetings 2014 09, Stata Users Group.
    2. Levy, Brian & Spiller, Pablo T, 1994. "The Institutional Foundations of Regulatory Commitment: A Comparative Analysis of Telecommunications Regulation," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 10(2), pages 201-246, October.
    3. Tereza Capelos & Colin Provost & Maria Parouti & Julie Barnett & Jonathan Chenoweth & Chris Fife‐Schaw & Tanika Kelay, 2016. "Ingredients of institutional reputations and citizen engagement with regulators," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 10(4), pages 350-367, December.
    4. Majone, Giandomenico, 1997. "From the Positive to the Regulatory State: Causes and Consequences of Changes in the Mode of Governance," Journal of Public Policy, Cambridge University Press, vol. 17(2), pages 139-167, May.
    5. Ben Jann, 2014. "Plotting regression coefficients and other estimates," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 14(4), pages 708-737, December.
    6. Stephan Grimmelikhuijsen & Feie Herkes & Ian Leistikow & Jos Verkroost & Femke de Vries & Wilte G. Zijlstra, 2021. "Can decision transparency increase citizen trust in regulatory agencies? Evidence from a representative survey experiment," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 15(1), pages 17-31, January.
    7. Busuioc, E. M. & Lodge, Martin, 2017. "Reputation and accountability relationships: managing accountability expectations through reputation," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 67152, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    8. Jan Boon & Heidi H. Salomonsen & Koen Verhoest, 2021. "A reputation for what, to whom, and in which task environment: A commentary," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 15(2), pages 428-441, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Nicholas Bautista‐Beauchesne, 2022. "Building anti‐corruption agency collaboration and reputation: Hanging together or separately hanged," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(4), pages 1399-1419, October.
    2. Koen Verhoest & Jan Boon & Stefan Boye & Heidi H. Salomonsen, 2023. "How does organizational task matter for the reputation of public agencies?," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(1), pages 158-176, January.
    3. Zsuzsa Lábiscsák-Erdélyi & Ilona Veres-Balajti & Annamária Somhegyi & Karolina Kósa, 2022. "Self-Esteem Is Independent Factor and Moderator of School-Related Psychosocial Determinants of Life Satisfaction in Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-14, May.
    4. Adongo, Jonathan O., 2017. "Legal jurisdiction, director liability law, and venture capitalists’ equity stakes in Africa," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 78-93.
    5. Cunha, Bruno Queiroz & Pereira, Ana Karine & Gomide, Alexandre de Ávila, 2017. "State capacity and utilities regulation in Brazil: Exploring bureaucracy," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 116-126.
    6. Graml, Regine & Hagen, Tobias & Ziegler, Yvonne & Khachatryan, Kristine & Herman, Ricky Astrida, 2020. "Lesbische Frauen in der Arbeitswelt: The L-Word in Business," Working Paper Series 15, Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Business and Law.
    7. David Roodman, 2022. "Schooling and Labor Market Consequences of School Construction in Indonesia: Comment," Papers 2207.09036, arXiv.org, revised Mar 2024.
    8. József Tóth & Giuseppina Rizzo, 2020. "Search Strategies in Innovation Networks: The Case of the Hungarian Food Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-18, February.
    9. Frenzel Baudisch, Coletta & Dresselhaus, Carolin, 2019. "Impact of the German Real Estate Transfer Tax on the Commercial Real Estate Market," VfS Annual Conference 2019 (Leipzig): 30 Years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall - Democracy and Market Economy 203494, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    10. Rambotti, Simone, 2020. "Is there a relationship between welfare-state policies and suicide rates? Evidence from the U.S. states, 2000–2015," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 246(C).
    11. Andrea Goldstein & José Claudio Linhares Pires, 2006. "Brazilian Regulatory Agencies: Early Appraisal and Looming Challenges," Chapters, in: Edmund Amann (ed.), Regulating Development, chapter 6, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    12. Jakob, Martina & Combet, Benita, 2020. "Educational aspirations and decision-making in a context of poverty. A test of rational choice models in El Salvador," SocArXiv w9bkq, Center for Open Science.
    13. Zhao, Yuejun, 2023. "Job displacement and the mental health of households: Burden sharing counteracts spillover," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    14. Frenzel Baudisch, Coletta & Dresselhaus, Carolin, 2018. "Impact of the German real estate transfer: Tax on the commercial real estate market," Finanzwissenschaftliche Arbeitspapiere 100, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Fachbereich Wirtschaftswissenschaften.
    15. Latikka, Rita & Koivula, Aki & Oksa, Reetta & Savela, Nina & Oksanen, Atte, 2022. "Loneliness and psychological distress before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: Relationships with social media identity bubbles," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 293(C).
    16. Lars Müller & Daniel Klein, 2023. "Social Inequality in Dropout from Higher Education in Germany. Towards Combining the Student Integration Model and Rational Choice Theory," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 64(2), pages 300-330, March.
    17. Diriwaechter, Patric & Shvartsman, Elena, 2018. "The anticipation and adaptation effects of intra- and interpersonal wage changes on job satisfaction," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 116-140.
    18. Pascarn R. Dickinson & Philip S. Morrison, 2022. "Aversion to Local Wellbeing Inequality is Moderated by Social Engagement and Sense of Community," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 159(3), pages 907-926, February.
    19. Li, Jianghong & Bünning, Mareike & Kaiser, Till & Hipp, Lena, 2022. "Who suffered most? Parental stress and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany [Wer leidet am stärksten? Erziehungsstress und psychische Belastungen bei Eltern während der COVID-19 Pa," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 34(1), pages 281-309.
    20. Jalini Kaushalya Galabada, 2022. "Towards the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger: What Role Do Institutions Play?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-25, April.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:reggov:v:16:y:2022:i:4:p:1042-1057. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://doi.org/10.1111/(ISSN)1748-5991 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.