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CONSTRUCTING SYMBOLIC VALUE THROUGH CATEGORIZATION TOOLS THE ROLE OF RANKINGS IN BUILDING BUSINESS SCHOOLS REPUTATION

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20 Pages : 354-377

http://dx.doi.org/10.31703/gssr.2018(III-III).20      10.31703/gssr.2018(III-III).20      Published : Sep 2018

Constructing Symbolic Value Through Categorization Tools: The Role of Rankings in Building Business School's Reputation

Abstract

    Investigating rankings in the field of business education, we aim to examine field structuration process to understand how categories build symbolic value in an institutional field. We selected twenty reputed business schools from Pakistan and the United Kingdom (UK) through purposive sampling method. Adopting the concept of data triangulation, we gathered empirical evidences through interviews with business school marketing managers, academic experts in the field of marketing and reputation, and with industry experts. This data was further supplemented by variety of secondary sources such as internal student surveys, annual reports, newsletters and industry reports to perform a thematic analysis adopted in this study. Thematic analysis helped us to develop a model of institutional work and field level change by emphasizing on the key role categorization systems (rankings) in shaping perceptions of symbolic value (reputation). Our findings suggest, categorization tools create a contest at different levels. Consequently, it redefines the perception about value in the field. The current study may be useful for academia and Higher Education policy-makers by providing them with a theoretical understanding of categorization systems such as university rankings and the changing perception of value in the field.

    Rankings, Reputation, Categorization, Institutional Work,Symbolic Value, Business Schools

    (1) Syed Haider Khalil
    Assistant Professor, Institute of Business and Leadership Studies, Abdul Wali Khan UniversityMardan, KP, Pakistan.
    (2) Fahad Sultan
    Deputy Director, Institute of Business and Leadership Studies, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, KP, Pakistan.
    (3) Muhammad Tufail
    Assistant Professor, Institute of Business and Leadership Studies, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, KP, Pakistan.
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Cite this article

APA

    APA : Khalil, S. H., Sultan, F., & Tufail, M. (2018). Constructing Symbolic Value Through Categorization Tools: The Role of Rankings in Building Business School's Reputation. Global Social Sciences Review, III(III), 354-377. https://doi.org/10.31703/gssr.2018(III-III).20

CHICAGO

    CHICAGO : Khalil, Syed Haider, Fahad Sultan, and Muhammad Tufail. 2018. "Constructing Symbolic Value Through Categorization Tools: The Role of Rankings in Building Business School's Reputation." Global Social Sciences Review, III (III): 354-377 doi: 10.31703/gssr.2018(III-III).20

HARVARD

    HARVARD : KHALIL, S. H., SULTAN, F. & TUFAIL, M. 2018. Constructing Symbolic Value Through Categorization Tools: The Role of Rankings in Building Business School's Reputation. Global Social Sciences Review, III, 354-377.

MHRA

    MHRA : Khalil, Syed Haider, Fahad Sultan, and Muhammad Tufail. 2018. "Constructing Symbolic Value Through Categorization Tools: The Role of Rankings in Building Business School's Reputation." Global Social Sciences Review, III: 354-377

MLA

    MLA : Khalil, Syed Haider, Fahad Sultan, and Muhammad Tufail. "Constructing Symbolic Value Through Categorization Tools: The Role of Rankings in Building Business School's Reputation." Global Social Sciences Review, III.III (2018): 354-377 Print.

OXFORD

    OXFORD : Khalil, Syed Haider, Sultan, Fahad, and Tufail, Muhammad (2018), "Constructing Symbolic Value Through Categorization Tools: The Role of Rankings in Building Business School's Reputation", Global Social Sciences Review, III (III), 354-377

TURABIAN

    TURABIAN : Khalil, Syed Haider, Fahad Sultan, and Muhammad Tufail. "Constructing Symbolic Value Through Categorization Tools: The Role of Rankings in Building Business School's Reputation." Global Social Sciences Review III, no. III (2018): 354-377. https://doi.org/10.31703/gssr.2018(III-III).20