The status of a social actor is commonly defined as the hierarchical position the actor occupies within a social system. Status is important because resources and opportunities typically accrue disproportionally to the social actors in higher-status positions and because it provides a social identity that embeds actors socially and culturally in their social systems. By embedding actors in social systems, status specifies the role expectations that are used in their social system to evaluate individual behaviors and performances, thus providing the underpinnings of reputation. Specifically, reputation is a prediction of future behaviors and performances that is based on how past behaviors and performances meet the role expectations associated with a particular status position.

Status and reputation are, in other words, distinct but intertwined theoretical constructs. Meeting ...