How audiences evaluate reputation’s dimensionality

The concept of 'audiences' is at the core of reputational debates because they contribute significantly to organizations' legitimacy. The central assumption among scholars is that bureaucratic reputation is multifaceted across audiences, leaving aside the question of the extent to which multiple dimensions of reputation are perceived within audiences. This article seeks to provide empirical evidence to explain that audiences have different characteristics and concerns, and therefore do not perceive reputation in the same way. It analyzes the perceptions of two audiences regarding nine Constitutional Autonomous Agencies in Mexico. By applying an exploratory factor analysis, this paper shows how audiences reflect reputation’s dimensionality differently because of two of their characteristics: their position vis-à-vis the organizations and how they make sense of themselves through professions.