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How employers can stanch the hemorrhaging of collegiate GPA credibility

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  • Pearce, John A.

Abstract

Grade inflation is rampant across universities, colleges, academic majors, and certainly in American business schools. Extensive evidence shows that the distribution of college GPAs is skewed sharply toward high grades. Consequently, GPAs often poorly convey students’ relative academic achievement, sending a muddled message to prospective employers. This article explores the causes and consequences of grade inflation. It concludes with six recommendations for employers who want to encourage college administrators to control collegiate grade inflation, thereby strengthening the accuracy and value of a GPA in the processes of applicant evaluation and job placement.

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  • Pearce, John A., 2017. "How employers can stanch the hemorrhaging of collegiate GPA credibility," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 60(1), pages 35-43.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:bushor:v:60:y:2017:i:1:p:35-43
    DOI: 10.1016/j.bushor.2016.08.010
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Samuel A Swift & Don A Moore & Zachariah S Sharek & Francesca Gino, 2013. "Inflated Applicants: Attribution Errors in Performance Evaluation by Professionals," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(7), pages 1-15, July.
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    9. R. Todd Jewell & Michael A. McPherson & Margie A. Tieslau, 2013. "Whose fault is it? Assigning blame for grade inflation in higher education," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(9), pages 1185-1200, March.
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