Proper

Abstract

Integrating firm reputation literate with exploration and exploitation literature, this study hypothesized that exploration positively mediates the relationship between innovation actions and firm reputation while exploitation negatively mediates this relationship. This study suggests a symbolic outcome of exploration and exploitation to show their distinctive effects. In addition, the mechanism through which innovation actions influence firm reputation was suggested. The results confirmed a positive association of exploration and a negative association of exploitation with firm reputation. Innovation actions were positively associated with reputation. However, the effect of innovation actions on fire reputation was negative when innovation actions resulted in exploitation, whereas this effect was positive when innovation actions result in exploration.