The Rankings Game: A Relational Approach to Country Performance Indicators

Abstract As the number of international rankings has risen dramatically since 1990s, a large body scholarship emerged to examine and understand them. The aim this article is provide an overview work chart out fruitful directions for future research. In short, prior been surprisingly quiet on relations among multiple actors their economic dimensions at core country performance indicator (CPI) activities. To foreground crucial socioeconomic relations, we develop relational heuristic based upon sports analogy: involved in creation maintenance CPIs can fruitfully be approached as complex players, referees, coaches, audiences. Such account helps us better how emerge are sustained, even when they rely dodgy data effects perverse. We use nation brand rankings—overlooked research—as empirical illustration.