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How the rating works
The PIR is based on an assessment done by students who evaluate their own school.
The collection of data is organized through student associations, who distribute a survey within their own school. They take responsibility for assessing the positive impact of their school and get access to the data collected through an online dashboard.
The overall PIR score of the business school is used to position it on one of five levels. The characterizations of the different levels refer to the developmental stage of the business school.
NEW Add-ons
2023 Edition
AACSB compatible questions: Add four questions designed to help provide additional evidence for your efforts in creating positive societal impact as outlined in AACSB's Standard 9: Engagement and Societal Impact.
School-specific questions: Add any four questions specific to your institution to uncover student opinions and ratings of key strategic areas and activities at your school.
Students assess schools in
3 areas and 7 Dimensions
Energizing
DIMENSIONS
Governance (2 Qs)
Culture (4 Qs)
Educating
DIMENSIONS
Programs (4 Qs)
Learning Methods (3 Qs)
Student Support (3 Qs)
Engaging
DIMENSIONS
Institution as role model (2 Qs)
Public Engagement (2 Qs)
The PIR assessment model includes three areas and seven dimensions. In each of the dimensions, there are questions that assess how students perceive their school’s current state to create a positive impact.
A further three open-ended questions ask students what their schools should start, stop, and continue doing in support of its commitment to providing management education that results in a positive impact for the world.
Positive Impact Rating Levels
Schools are rated according to five levels, with 5 being the top level and 1 the lowest.
1
Beginning
Schools that are either getting started or are considering to get started or have difficulties getting off the ground despite a stated commitment or vision
2
Emerging
Schools starting to translate a stated commitment to positive action in one or more domains
3
Progressing
Schools demonstrating evidence of results across some impact dimensions
4
Transforming
Schools with a positive impact culture, embedded in governance and systems, with visible results and progress in many impact dimensions
5
Pioneering
Schools with unique, sustaining global leadership progress in all impact dimensions
Students assess schools in
3 areas and 7 Dimensions
Energizing
DIMENSIONS
Governance (2 Qs)
Culture (4 Qs)
Educating
DIMENSIONS
Programs (4 Qs)
Learning Methods (3 Qs)
Student Support (3 Qs)
Engaging
DIMENSIONS
Institution as role model (2 Qs)
Public Engagement (2 Qs)
The PIR assessment model includes three areas and seven dimensions. In each of the dimensions, there are questions that assess how students perceive their school’s current state to create a positive impact.
A further three open-ended questions ask students what their schools should start, stop, and continue doing in support of its commitment to providing management education that results in a positive impact for the world.
Check out the article A Positive Impact Rating for Business Schools: Case Study and learn how this new “by students and for students” rating reaches out to students to assess their own business schools on how they perceive them in creating a positive impact on and for the world.
Thomas Dyllick & Katrin Muff: A Positive Impact Rating for Business Schools: Case Study, in: Sustainability, 2020, Vol. 12, Issue 22, 9551
PIR values and principles
NORMATIVE STARTING BASE
The starting base of the rating is that management education can act as a custodian of society, based on the 50+20 vision.
STUDENT ASSESSMENT
PIR is a rating “by students and for students”. Bachelor and Master’s students assess their own schools in 3 areas and 7 dimensions.
RATING NOT RANKING
Business schools are not positioned by specific ranks, but they are rated to belong to a certain level of achievement, preventing the danger of misplaced concreteness. The rating is an effort in social transparency.
HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE
Rather than looking only at a specific program, the Positive Impact Rating looks at the whole school in all of its key areas and dimensions.
INTERNAL & EXTERNAL USE
The rating can be used for internal purposes (school development) or it can be used for external benchmarking and communication.
FLEXIBLE SOLUTIONS
The rating does not prescribe specific ways to live up to the mission, but it leaves room for the schools to define their own ways to fulfil it.
PERCEPTION BASED
The rating is based on subjective perceptions because perceptions define “reality” and hence influence action. This makes the rating different from existing rankings, that rely on “objective” data.
FULL ASSESSMENT
6 different stakeholder groups in 4 areas and 9 dimensions will be launched in an expanded 2nd phase, to obtain more comprehensive results.
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
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