Reputation is not about likability: it is the aggregate
estimation in which a person or entity is held by individuals
and the public against a criterion, based on past actions and
perceptual representation of future prospects, when compared
to other persons or entities.1 Since we cannot develop a personal relationship with every
entity in the world, the regard in which a party is held is a proxy indicator of predictability
and the likelihood the party will meet expectations, a useful earmark that facilitates sense
and decision making against alternatives.