Judging by the Rules? The emergence of evaluation practices

Abstract

How does evaluation work differently, and how do evaluation practices emerge, in different contexts? Drawing on a mixed-methods study of evaluation in figure skating and classical music, I discuss the divergent evaluative cultures in these settings, especially in terms of how formal and standardized they are, to consider how and why evaluation practices change over time and why different settings use different evaluation practices. I emphasize the importance of organizational structure, including context, competition structure, degree of centralization, and governance structure. My findings suggest that highly centralized settings governed by more powerful organizations and where competitions build on each other tend to use more formal and standardized evaluation practices compared to other settings with fewer constraints. Understanding how evaluation practices develop and what they look like in different contexts is important because in addition to influencing the objects of evaluation and perceived fairness and legitimacy, these practices often affect outcomes, which have significant consequences for participants.