Reputable companies in the construction and design sector for the first time
T-Media’s annual Reputation&Trust of the construction and design sector examined Finns’ perceptions and views of companies in the industry. Among the companies participating in the survey for the first time, there were also some with a good reputation.
T-Media has been tracking the reputation of companies in the construction and design sector since 2018. This year’s survey included a total of 23 well-known industry players, whose ratings form the basis of the survey’s overall reputation score.
The average reputation score for companies in the construction and design sector reached a reasonable level of 3.34 (on a scale of 1–5). The companies surveyed received their highest ratings for financial-related perceptions, while the lowest ratings were associated with interaction, responsibility, and the companies’ open and transparent operating practices.
“When examining the ratings companies receive in relation to Finnish consumer behavior—such as trust, willingness to purchase and recommend, and interest in seeking employment with companies in the sector—the most significant areas for reputation development are perceptions of companies’ products and services, as well as their corporate responsibility,” says Hanna-Mari Aula, Senior Expert at T-Media.
“The various components of reputation have different meanings depending on the industry and the company. At the heart of reputation management is understanding which components of reputation are most significant in your own industry and company.”
The reputation of the construction and design sector is improving, yet on average it still lags behind companies operating in Finland
Of the construction and design firms surveyed, A-Insinöörit, Sitowise, and Vahanen scored above the threshold for a "good" rating (3.50).
Of the companies surveyed, only SRV still has a poor reputation score, falling just short of a moderate rating. Over the past year, Lehto Group managed to improve its reputation from a poor level to a moderate one.
“The differences between companies aren’t particularly large, although the gap between those with the best and worst reputations remains significant. The industry’s overall reputation has remained largely unchanged for quite some time,” says Aula.
Overall, the reputation of the construction and design sector lags behind that of the Finnish business sector as a whole in every aspect of reputation: on average, companies operating in Finland have a better reputation than those in the construction and design sector. The gap is widest in perceptions related to the economy and to products and services.
“In general, the construction industry suffers from a poor reputation, which also affects perceptions of individual companies in the sector. Companies in the design sector have a stronger reputation than those in the construction sector. This has also been the case in previous years,” says Aula.
A good reputation benefits the entire industry
Karoliina Lehmusvirta, Head of Marketing and Communications at the design and consulting firm Ramboll, views reputation management as a collective effort within the industry and is pleased that the work done by design firms to strengthen their reputation is reflected positively in the industry’s reputation metrics.
“There is a strong understanding in the design industry that a good reputation benefits the entire sector. At the same time, we also recognize that a blemish on a single organization’s reputation can affect perceptions of the entire industry. That is why I am a firm believer in collaboration among different stakeholders,” says Lehmusvirta.
Lehmusvirta believes that the entire organization must be involved in reputation management: actions and behavior are what really matter. From a reputation perspective, experts are credible messengers.
“We monitor the development of our reputation within the management team, because our reputation sets the stage for our operations. Ultimately, it all comes down to our entire staff: how we put our expertise into practice and how we treat one another in our day-to-day work.”
This is how we conducted the study
The results are based on Reputation&Trust of the construction and design sector, conducted in April–May 2021, which examined the reputation of organizations in the sector operating in Finland among the Finnish public.
The companies were evaluated Reputation&Trust T-Media’s Reputation&Trust, in which a company’s reputation score is calculated as the average of eight different categories. The categories are corporate governance, finance, leadership, innovation, interaction, products & services, workplace, and responsibility. The study used a five-point rating scale (1–5).
In total, we surveyed 23 different organizations. A total of 3,103 Finns responded to the survey, providing a total of 5,040 organization ratings. The survey’s target group consisted of Finns aged 15–65 nationwide (excluding the Åland Islands). The sample was weighted to be representative of the population by gender, age, and region of residence.
For more information:
Hanna-Mari Aula, Senior Specialist, T-Media
+358 40 585 6466
hanna-mari.aula@reptrust-staging.fi-p.seravo.com
