Firms’ Presentation of Self Through the Use of Anthropomorphizing Language

• In Event: 305 - Section on Sociology of Law Invited Session. Organizations as Legal Persons (co-sponsored with Section on Organizations, Occupations, and Work)

Abstract

This study expands the concepts of the firm as a social actor through analyzing firms’ usage of anthropomorphizing language, or phrases that make them seem more “humanlike.” The paper analyzes a sample of 6,234 press releases from a random sample of forty-one Fortune 500 firms over a three-year period, from 2011-2013. The authors design and employ a novel dictionary of anthropomorphizing phrases to explore the factors that affect firms’ use of anthropomorphizing language in their press releases – including characteristics of firms, types of communications, and whether or not a firm is facing a reputational threat. The results of the statistical analyses show that firms that are customer-facing and those that receive greater media attention are more likely to employ anthropomorphizing language in their press releases. Additionally, firms do not use anthropomorphizing language equally across press releases, but rather some types of press releases are more and less likely to contain anthropomorphizing language. In conclusion, firms heighten the use of anthropomorphizing language in their press releases when they are faced with a reputational threat, controlling for all firm characteristics and press release types.

Authors

• Grace Augustine, Northwestern University

• Brayden G. King, Northwestern University