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Enhancing the Positive Impact Rating: A New Business School Rating in Support of a Sustainable Future

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Listed:
  • Kathleen Rodenburg

    (Gordon S. Lang Business School of Business and Economics, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada)

  • Taimoor Rizwan

    (Gordon S. Lang Business School of Business and Economics, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada)

  • Ruifeng Liu

    (Gordon S. Lang Business School of Business and Economics, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada)

  • Julia Christensen Hughes

    (Gordon S. Lang Business School of Business and Economics, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada)

Abstract

Business school rankings are “big business”, influencing donors and potential students alike, holding much sway over decanal and faculty priorities, particularly with respect to the curriculum as well as the focus and destination of research publications (i.e., in so-called “top” journals). Over the past several years, the perverse effects of these priorities have begun to be acknowledged, and new ratings and ranking systems have emerged. One promising newcomer is the Positive Impact Rating (PIR), which uniquely and exclusively focuses on student perceptions of their business school’s priorities and the learning experience. In addition, it organizes schools by tier, in an effort to foster collaboration and continuous improvement, as opposed to ranked competition. If this new approach is to achieve its stated objective and help shift the focus of business schools to developing future business leaders and research output in alignment with a more sustainable world (and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals), it is essential that the metrics used be and be perceived as both valid and reliable. The current research aims to make a contribution in this regard, analyzing the results at one business school in detail and making recommendations for strengthening these aims. Results show that the parametric properties of the survey are highly interrelated, suggesting that the predictive utility of the separate elements within the scale could be improved. Additionally, biases in scores may exist depending on where the responses are collected and who solicited them, as well as the students’ perception of their overall academic experience and on socio-cultural factors.

Suggested Citation

  • Kathleen Rodenburg & Taimoor Rizwan & Ruifeng Liu & Julia Christensen Hughes, 2021. "Enhancing the Positive Impact Rating: A New Business School Rating in Support of a Sustainable Future," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-26, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:12:p:6519-:d:570786
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. David Steingard & Kathleen Rodenburg, 2023. "Societal Impacts of Higher Education Research: From ‘Publish or Perish’ to ‘Publish and Prosper’ in Business School Scholarship," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-15, July.
    2. Kathleen Rodenburg & Michael Rowan & Andrew Nixon & Julia Christensen Hughes, 2022. "The Misalignment of the FT50 with the Achievement of the UN’s SDGs: A Call for Responsible Research Assessment by Business Schools," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-33, August.

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