Islam and the reputational landscape

This chapter presents an analysis of the prevailing debates on what constitutes ‘Islamicness’ in contemporary spaces of markets. It argues that in order to build and sustain reputation in highly politicised and symbolised global socioeconomic systems, organisations need to avoid transient identity anxieties and adopt a long-term strategic approach. It highlights: (1) Reputation is socially constructed and is evaluated based on the organisation’s expected behaviours; (2) ‘Islamicness’ is a fluid concept, constantly (re)shaped by multiple actors and ideologies in contemporary spaces of markets; (3) To build and sustain global reputation, corporations should avoid short-term engagements with market-generated fads that are often the outcome of transient identity anxieties; (4) Brand building should be based on a long-term corporate vision that considers the changing landscape of religious perceptions and orientations; and (5) Only and only if the organisation is capable of following the principles of Islam, should it make claims of Islamicness; otherwise, the organisation should ethically follow market rules without associating itself with Islam and the Islamic.