In this conceptual paper, we seek to answer the question: what happens when a firm is positively perceived for something it does not want or did not intend to be known? Extant research primarily focuses on reputation as an asset, and while some scholars have examined the liabilities that can accompany existing reputations, implicit in the literature is the assumption that these reputations are intentionally cultivated and desired by the firm. We seek to add nuance to the reputation literature by introducing and defining two new types of reputation: unwanted and unintended. We theorize that these two reputations interplay to create perceived assets or liabilities for the firm. We begin with an examination of unwanted and unintended reputations and how they diverge from the existing reputation literature. We then explore the causes of unwanted and unintended reputations: (1) changing stakeholder concerns, (2) changing infomediary attention, and (3) changing market conditions. We then draw from the literature on substantive and symbolic actions to propose five courses of action that firms may utilize to navigate unwanted and unintended reputations.
