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Higher education in the United States is facing increasing demands for colleges and universities to demonstrate what students learn and that they are providing a high-quality education experience during the undergraduate years (Pascarealla et al. in "Chang Mag High Learn" 42(1):16-22, 2010). Despite evidence of the elevation of grades in higher education dating back to the 1970s, attempts to rein in this phenomenon have been largely unsuccessful (Nikolakakos et al. in "Coll Univ" 87(3):2-14 2012). It is our contention that attempts to reform grading have not succeeded because their focus is too narrow. After providing background information on the extent and causes of grade inflation, we will propose a synergistic approach to dealing with the problem of grade inflation.

To examine the antecedents of perceptions of grading fairness, approximately 600 college students were surveyed about the prevalence and desirability of 1) teaching practices that assisted students to prepare for examinations, and 2) common test scoring manipulations used to transform poor scores into acceptable ones (e.g., curving low scores upward). Students also described the fairness of the grading they had experienced. Regression analysis revealed that grading fairness was predicted best by exposure to the teaching practices rather than the scoring practices. Results are discussed in terms of the possible effects of these teaching and grading practices on grade inflation. (Contains 2 tables and 1 footnote.)

Throughout classrooms in the United States there appears to have been a general watering down of academic standards. The percentages of "A" and "B" grades have risen, and at some schools, the percentage of grades of "C" or lower has plummeted. Numerous scholarly articles about grade inflation discuss the extent, causes, and implications of this situation in American schools, and op-ed pieces frequently lament or deride current grading practices. One of many undesirable consequences of the grade inflation is the draining of information from student transcripts, thereby making them less useful. Numerous colleges and universities have struggled, with varying degrees of success, to mitigate the problem. In an attempt to help reverse this process, the authors explain why they believe it would be a good idea to include normative data such as median course grades on undergraduate transcripts. (Contains 5 footnotes.)

Despite a recognized need for a global mindset, opportunities for US business school students to gain hands-on diversity training regarding intercultural issues remain rare. The reasons for this neglect include a lack of agreement on how to teach intercultural awareness and a paucity of faculty qualified to do so. In order to introduce intercultural education into a core business course, students were offered the opportunity to participate in an extra-credit project that required the development of a proposal for an international joint venture and afforded them the chance to learn about each other while pursuing a superordinate goal of value to each. Thirty-nine cross-cultural teams were created, each of which had a partner from the US and a partner from a different country. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed that the value of the project was closely related to the amount of learning that reportedly took place in both the business and cultural realms. Importantly, 73% of the students reported a strong interest in meeting people from different cultures as a result of participation in the project. (Contains 3 tables and 2 notes.)

Includes "Introduction" (Gordon); "Employee Ownership: Opportunities for Unions" (Blasi, Kruse); "Participation, Control, and Performance" (Rosen); Beyond the Contract: Taking on Ownership" (Mackin); "Worker Participation on Boards of Directors" (Hammer); and "Case Study of Employee Ownership and Governance in the Shipbuilding and Maritime Industry" (Beauchamp). (SK)

Data from the Social Science Citation Index were used to rank publication records of 788 scholars in 12 industrial relations and related journals from 1983-88. Such analysis could be used as one objective measure of research excellence in promotion and tenure decisions. (SK)

Reviews methodological and conceptual basis of dual allegiance (DA), both of which are found wanting. Claims legal and ethical issues concerned with applications of DA research are not addressed appropriately by current investigators. Recommends ideas for ameliorating problems. Proposes research on DA that offers plan for dealing with fundamental questions about scientific standing of the concept. (Author/ABL)

While American universities garner top honors for research, teaching appears to be in a terrible state. There is widespread agreement among business leaders that graduates of American universities are not prepared to assume jobs in their companies. American education has many critics, and studies indicate that the quality of postsecondary education in the United States has declined relative to that in a number of European and Asian countries. The trade-off between teaching and research is documented in the annual reports of the "National Survey of Student Engagement." The greater an institution's focus on research, the less often its students report having to work harder than they expected to meet instructors' standards. Ironically, undergraduate students at elite PhD-granting research universities devoted fewer hours to study and other academic pursuits than students attending colleges that grant only bachelor's degrees. For a variety of reasons, including fear of poor student evaluations of their teaching and unwillingness to budget time for instruction at the expense of research, many faculty members have relaxed their standards with respect to both course substance and the evaluation of student work. Although they apparently continue to expect students to work hard, their course requirements have allowed students to dedicate little time to meaningful interaction with course content. Whereas faculty members believe first-year students should devote an estimated twenty-four to thirty hours preparing for all their classes each week, students report spending an average of only fourteen hours on course preparation. Faculty estimates of the time students devote to class preparation are very similar to students' reports of the time they actually study. These numbers suggest that although professors recognize that student participation in consequential educational activities is substantially less than they believe to be appropriate, they are unwilling to increase the demands of their courses. The authors contend that it is time to embrace a more rigorous pedagogy that increases learning by requiring students to think more thoroughly and critically. This prescription for improving learning reflects the findings of substantial research available in the public domain, studies that reveal the beneficial effects of strict grading and classroom policies.

New members of a union (N=305) were surveyed twice over a 1-year period to assess the effects of institutional and individual socialization practices on union commitment and participation. Whereas individual socialization practices were found to impact on both affective and behavioral involvement in the union, institutional socialization practices were shown to be ineffective at best and counterproductive at worst. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Previous research has suggested a link between the socialization experiences of union members and commitment to the union. This article builds on that work by examining the socialization of 'new' union members and the relationship of that experience to union commitment. Two aspects of the socialization process for new members are identified and examined -- formal and informal socialization. Using data gathered through a survey of individuals who had held membership in the National Association of Letter Carriers for an average of three months, the article suggests several strategies that unions might employ to help build commitment among their membership., The viability of the labor movement as a significant institution in American society is, at the most fundamental level, dependent on unions generating commitment among members and potential members. The [...]

For the past 40 years during which dual allegiance (DA) has been studied, precious little has been discovered that expands on the insights of early writers about the topic. This paper previews the methodological and conceptual basis of DA, both of which are found wanting. Legal and ethical issues concerned with applications of DA research are not addressed appropriately by current investigators. Ideas for ameliorating some of these problems are recommended. A framework for additional research on DA is proposed that offers a plan for dealing with a number of fundamental questions about the scientific standing of the concept. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Examined self-reports of grievants (N=324) concerning characteristics of grievance-filing and perceived outcomes. Results showed the level at which a grievance was settled played an unimportant role; resolution of different types of grievances affected relations with union and management. Nature of settlement and grievance type were perceived as significantly affecting outcome and attitudes. (Author/ABL)

Experimental studies were conducted in two unions to examine the effects of perceptual variables--reactance and intentionality attributions--on the intent to seek redress from management action. Based on participants' responses to a series of vignettes, both studies demonstrated that greater threat and dispositional attributions provoked stronger intent to file a grievance. (TE)

The results indicated that the trainees were more independent financially, more active in trade-related organizations, more active politically, more involved in community and church affairs, and less alienated than their counterparts in the comparison group. (Author)

To better define levels of accomplishment for publishing journal articles in strategic management, a bibliometric study was performed on the publication records of 96 doctorates in the field whose first post-degree job was in academics. By examining 20 journals that are outlets for research in strategic management, publication records were developed for each individual for the first 5-10 years following receipt of the doctoral degree. Two factors influenced the publication records of these new faculty. Having publications prior to receiving the doctorate and getting a first job at an institution with a graduate program in management were associated with more frequent publishing after an academic career began. As expected, the number of papers published was related to the likelihood of receiving tenure. However, despite the fact that they had produced more papers during the first 5 years than male faculty members and had higher citation rates, female faculty members were less likely to receive tenure. The findings are discussed in terms of institutional policy for hiring and evaluating new faculty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]