Paradox creation: how MBA program rankings influence Canadian business school deans’ strategic actions

University rankings have been institutionalised within higher education institutions over the last few decades since the initial U.S. News and World Report publication. Following on these initial rankings, other media outlets have ranked specific professional programs, such as law and MBA programs. This study explores how the institutionalisation of MBA program rankings has influenced Canadian deans' perceptions of this phenomenon since the rankings' inception. Employing frameworks of sensemaking and sensegiving, this study examines the responses of business school deans to media-driven rankings. It uncovers that the sensemaking and sensegiving by Canadian business school deans are selectively targeted towards certain stakeholder groups, thereby exposing a series of paradoxes.