CEO Kaynaklı Krizlerin Kurumsal İtibara Etkisi: Üst Düzey Yöneticilerin Kişisel Hatalarının Marka İmajı Üzerindeki Rolü Üzerine Analiz

Abstract

Bu çalışma, üst düzey yöneticilerin kişisel davranışlarının ve kararlarının kurumsal marka imajı üzerindeki etkisini incelemektedir. Günümüzde CEO’lar ve yöneticiler, sadece şirket politikalarının değil, aynı zamanda kurumun kamuoyundaki algısının da başlıca taşıyıcıları hâline gelmiştir. Bu nedenle bireysel hataların ya da tartışmalı söylemlerin şirketlerin itibarını ciddi şekilde etkileyebildiği bir dönemdeyiz. Çalışmanın amacı, yöneticilerin neden olduğu kriz durumlarında kurumların nasıl bir halkla ilişkiler (PR) stratejisi izlediğini analiz ederek, bu stratejilerin etkili olup olmadığını değerlendirmektir. Bu kapsamda çalışma, farklı sektörlerden seçilen örnek vakalar üzerinden yürütülmüştür. Araştırmada nitel yöntem kullanılmış; medya haberleri, sosyal medya paylaşımları ve kurumların resmi açıklamaları gibi ikincil veriler doğrultusunda vaka analizi yöntemi benimsenmiştir. Bulgular, krizlerin doğrudan şirketin kurumsal imajına zarar verebildiğini, özellikle zamanında ve şeffaf bir iletişim stratejisi yürütülmeyen durumlarda halkla ilişkiler çabalarının yetersiz kaldığını ortaya koymaktadır. Ayrıca, bazı durumlarda CEO'nun imajının marka kimliğiyle fazla özdeşleşmesinin, krizi daha da derinleştirdiği gözlemlenmiştir.

Keywords

• CEO Krizi
• Halkla Ilişkiler
• Kurumsal Itibar
• Kriz Iletişimi
• Vaka Analizi

The Impact of CEO-Induced Crises on Corporate Reputation: An Analysis of the Role of Executive Misconduct in Shaping Brand Image

Abstract

This study examines the impact of senior executives’ personal behaviors and decisions on corporate brand image. Today, CEOs and executives are not only responsible for company policies but also serve as the primary representatives of their organizations in the public eye. As such, we are in an era where individual mistakes or controversial statements can significantly affect corporate reputation. The aim of this study is to analyze the public relations (PR) strategies adopted by organizations in crisis situations caused by executives, and to evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies. In this context, the study is conducted through selected case studies from different sectors. A qualitative method was employed in the research, and case study analysis was carried out based on secondary data such as media reports, social media posts, and official corporate statements. The findings reveal that such crises can directly damage the corporate image, and that public relations efforts often fall short, especially when timely and transparent communication strategies are not implemented. Furthermore, it was observed that in some cases, the over-identification of the CEO’s image with the brand identity exacerbated the crisis

Keywords

• CEO Crisis
• Public Relations
• Corporate Reputation
• Crisis Communication
• Case Analysis

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