Osiyevskyy, OleksiyHeggerud, Catherine Louise2024-09-172024-09-172024-09-13Heggerud, C. L. (2024). Antecedents and consequences of MBA program rankings (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.https://hdl.handle.net/1880/119748The impact of MBA program rankings on business schools has been profound and multifaceted, influencing the strategic actions of deans and shaping the perceptions of various stakeholders. This thesis investigates the antecedents and consequences of these rankings through a comprehensive analysis comprising a case study and an empirical study. The case study delves into how Canadian business school deans make sense of and respond to rankings, as the rankings have been institutionalized within the business school ecosystem, revealing the paradoxes they navigate in their strategic decision-making processes. Employing sensemaking and sensegiving frameworks, the study highlights how rankings have become entrenched, creating tensions between deans' identities as academics and administrators. The empirical study examines the drivers of full-time MBA program rankings using a corporate reputational model. By analyzing publicly available data, the study identifies factors such as in-region competition and product differentiation that are positively connected to a program’s ranking. This dual approach not only uncovers the internal and external pressures faced by business schools but also provides actionable insights for deans aiming to enhance their programs’ standings. The findings contribute to the broader understanding of how rankings affect higher education institutions and offer practical implications for strategic management in business schools. This research underscores the complexity of navigating rankings and highlights the need for continuous adaptation and balanced strategic actions to maintain and improve MBA program rankings. This research extends our understanding of rankings as a reputational construct, opens avenues for longitudinal or cross-program studies, and has the potential to shape higher education administrative practice.enUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.rankingreputationBusiness Administration--Managementdoctoral thesis