Nina Laakso: Expectations regarding sustainability play a key role in universities’ reputations
Reputational setbacks and crises are as much a part of everyday life at educational and research institutions as they are at other organizations. The spirit of the times also dictates what is expected of universities. Since reputation is maintained through communication, and communication is above all about meeting expectations, universities would do well to examine their responsibility from an ESG perspective in light of changes in society.
There have recently been incidents at the University of Helsinki that have led the public to criticize the administration’s statements and actions. As we know, if accusations are not addressed immediately, someone else will fill the void. No university is immune to this, as the culture of debate in society has become increasingly heated.
Social media is both a blessing and a curse for public discourse. The heated debate taking place in these open forums puts pressure on an organization’s leadership and communications teams. Universities used to be largely spared from public scrutiny, but that is no longer the case. That is why they should plan their actions in advance and react quickly if something goes wrong. They should invest in reputation management, particularly with an ESG perspective in mind.
Even a single bump can affect the entire industry
Having examined trust and reputation surveys of our universities for years, I have noticed that, on average, universities enjoy a very high level of trust in society in the eyes of the general public. This is also confirmed by data from Reputation and Trust Analytics (see image below). The university sector is highly valued, and universities are expected to demonstrate a higher-than-average level of ESG performance, which encompasses economic, governance, and social responsibility as well as environmental considerations.
A single university’s reputational setback can affect the entire higher education sector. Setbacks and crises shake people’s beliefs, because reputation is not a static state.
As our research shows, trust and reputation can deteriorate or improve as a result of one’s own actions. A good example of this is the vague administrative process at the University of Lapland that led to the rejection of a dissertation. In my view, it was responsible and courageous to uphold the quality of research, even though the dissertation in question had made it so far.
A good reputation requires new good deeds
Sustainability is a trend that is here to stay—hopefully, at least in Nordic culture. We are, in fact, living in quite a paradoxical time, as the anti-responsibility sentiment sweeping in from the United States floods the news at the same time that citizens are demanding responsibility from absolutely every organization. Fortunately, we have time to prepare, as global trends often reach Finland with a delay.
ESG reputation is made up of many different areas, such as effective dialogue with stakeholders or, for example, employer brand. Each of these areas must be underpinned by a consistent track record of positive actions in order to have an impact on the development of the company’s reputation.
Universities are essential institutions for democracy. They strengthen citizens’ trust in evidence-based knowledge and high ethical standards. The reputation of universities is, in a sense, a microcosm of society. It is therefore no trivial matter when it comes to the reputation of the entire country.
The author is Nina Laakso, a Doctor of Business Administration specializing in management and a senior expert at the Nordic firm Reputation and Trust Analytics.
