The CBR scale is a validated measure of corporate reputation from the consumer perspective, developed specifically for service firm contexts. Walsh and Beatty (2007) argued that existing corporate reputation instruments (particularly Fombrun's Reputation Quotient) were developed from a general stakeholder perspective and did not adequately capture the dimensions of reputation most salient to service firm customers, whose primary experience of the firm is through service encounters rather than products or corporate communications. The CBR operationalises five reputation dimensions most relevant to customer perceptions: Customer Orientation captures the degree to which the firm is perceived as caring about, understanding, and serving its customers well — the most distinctive dimension for service reputation. Good Employer captures perceptions of how the firm treats its employees, which customers use as a signal of service quality and values. Reliable and Financially Strong Company captures perceptions of stability, trustworthiness, and financial soundness. Product and Service Quality captures perceived quality of the firm's core service and product offerings. Social and Environmental Responsibility captures perceptions of the firm's civic engagement, environmental practices, and ethical conduct toward society. Walsh and Beatty (2007) validated the CBR across multiple service sectors including banking, retail services, and telecommunications in German and US samples, demonstrating that CBR dimensions predict customer satisfaction, loyalty, trust, and word-of-mouth independently of service quality and price perceptions.
5-point Likert (1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree); five subscales scored separately; subscales averaged; rated from the customer perspective for a specific service firm
Customer Orientation — CO (8 items): perceptions that the service firm genuinely cares about, understands, and prioritises its customers. 5-point Likert (1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree). Items averaged.
Good Employer — GE (6 items): perceptions that the service firm treats its employees well and is a desirable workplace. 5-point Likert. Items averaged.
Reliable and Financially Strong Company — RF (4 items): perceptions of the firm's stability, dependability, and financial soundness. 5-point Likert. Items averaged.
Product and Service Quality — PSQ (5 items): perceptions of the quality of the firm's core service offerings and products. 5-point Likert. Items averaged.
Social and Environmental Responsibility — SER (5 items): perceptions of the firm's environmental practices, civic engagement, and ethical conduct toward society. 5-point Likert. Items averaged.
Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.
The CBR is designed for service firm contexts — it is rated by customers (not investors, employees, or the general public) for a specific service firm they have patronised. All five subscales should be reported separately; they predict different customer outcome variables. Customer Orientation is the strongest predictor of customer satisfaction and loyalty in service contexts; Social and Environmental Responsibility is the strongest predictor of willingness to pay price premiums and advocacy among socially conscious consumers. The CBR should be administered to consumers with prior experience of the focal service firm. For goods-producing companies or when broader stakeholder perceptions are needed, use Fombrun et al. (2000) Reputation Quotient or the RepTrak instrument instead.
Walsh, G., & Beatty, S.E. (2007). Customer-based corporate reputation of a service firm: Scale development and validation. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 35(1), 127–143.
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