Kathy L. Hill Geraldine E. Hynes Sam Houston State University. Marguerite P. Joyce Belhaven University. John S. Green Texas A&M University

Transcription

1 GMAT-AWA SCORE AS A PREDICTOR OF SUCCESS IN A MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION COURSE Kathy L. Hill Geraldine E. Hynes Sam Houston State University Marguerite P. Joyce Belhaven University John S. Green Texas A&M University Articles Because communication skills, especially writing, are such an integral part of managerial work, it may be postulated that these skills are associated with managerial success. Yet evidence of writing competency is not universally considered for admission to MBA programs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible correlation between the Analytical Writing Assessment Section (AWA) of the GMAT exam and a critical thinking writing assignment that is similar to the AWA. Results indicate that the AWA is significantly correlated with achievement, not only on the writing assignment but also with the final grade in a managerial communication course. Keywords: GMAT-AWA; managerial communication; business writing; critical thinking THE GRADUATE MANAGEMENT ADMISSION Test (GMAT) is a standardized test designed to measure verbal, mathematical, and analytical writing skills (Graduate Management Admission Council [GMAC], 2010b). The GMAT consists of a Verbal component (GMAT-V) and a Quantitative component (GMAT-Q). The Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) was instituted as a regular part of the GMAT in 1994, and it was designed by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) as a test of analytical writing ability. The AWA is a direct test of writing ability that requires applicants to produce whole discourse or complete texts about a piece of writing or short paragraphs in response to test prompts. It measures sentence- and word-level language skills as well Business Communication Quarterly, Volume 74, Number 2, June DOI: / by the Association for Business Communication 103

2 104 BUSINESS COMMUNICATION QUARTERLY / June 2011 as a test taker s ability to develop and organize ideas by requiring the composition of a complete piece of writing with a beginning, middle, and end. The AWA score is an average of the ratings given to the Analysis of an Issue and the Analysis of an Argument sections. Scores for the AWA range from 0 to 6 in half-point intervals with an AWA of 4.0 interpreted as competent analysis of the issue (GMAC, 2010a). The AWA is an academic essay; it does not test managerial writing. GMAT scores are commonly considered during the admission process in graduate business programs around the world (Talento-Miller, Siegert, & Talliaferro, 2010). As is true for standardized tests required for undergraduate admission to educational institutions, such as the SAT and the ACT, GMAT scores are routinely relied on to predict a potential business student s success at the graduate level. When writing components were added to these standardized tests, attention was drawn to the importance of writing competency in an academic environment. On the other hand, the available research on the validity of using writing samples or writing section scores for admission decisions is limited. There is some indication that the writing components of the SAT, the ACT, and the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) are only moderately related to success, with little added to the predictive value of traditional section scores and students grades (Talento-Miller et al., 2010). As for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), an article from the ETS (2007) provided evidence supporting the construct validity of the writing assessment, but did not provide correlational analyses with graduate grades. Three coauthors of this article have taught a managerial communication course that is a requirement in our universities graduate business programs. One of the coauthors is also a trained grader of the GMAT- AWA. These experiences led us to examine the AWA s relationship to our graduate business students writing performance. We asked, to what extent does the GMAT-AWA score relate to graduate business students achievement? More specifically, to what extent does the GMAT-AWA reflect managerial writing competency? Clearly, the Graduate Management Admissions Council, current sponsor of the GMAT-AWA, recognizes that writing is essential to management education and, by extension, essential to management in today s organizations. Language and communication skills play an important role in the workplace. It would be incorrect to assume that students with high scores on the AWA have achieved sufficient managerial communication ability for success in the workplace and/or

3 Hill et al. / GMAT-AWA SCORE AS A PREDICTOR OF SUCCESS 105 success in their graduate courses; nor should administrators assume that graduate business students should be exempt from a management communication course based solely on their score on a standardized test. The AWA is a highly visible endorsement of writing as a critical competency for management education, yet it is not considered as part of the admission process at our college of business administration. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the possible relationships between the GMAT-AWA score and two other variables. The first variable is students score on a critical thinking writing assignment in a graduate managerial communication course. This writing assignment closely resembles the critical thinking necessary to score well on the GMAT- AWA as well as measures sentence- and word-level language skills and the student s ability to develop and organize ideas by requiring the composition of a complete piece of writing with a beginning, middle, and end. The second variable of interest is students final grade (A, B, or C) in a graduate managerial communication course. Furthermore, a nonparametric correlation technique was used to investigate the relationship between the students grade on an analytical writing assignment and their final grade in the communication course. Finally, in an effort to predict success in the graduate managerial communication course, logistic regression was used with the GMAT-AWA score and the grade on the writing assignment as predictor variables and the course grade as the dependent measure. LITERATURE REVIEW Many studies have evaluated admission criteria, trying to determine the best predictors of students academic success in respective MBA programs. The literature provides mixed reviews on the efficacy of work experience, undergraduate discipline, undergraduate graduate point average (UGPA), selected demographic variables (e.g., age and gender), and the GMAT score. Since the primary use of the GMAT is to assist graduate schools in making admissions decisions, the validity of GMAT scores depends on the degree to which it predicts students academic performance in graduate school. Previous studies have had mixed results regarding the predictive value of GMAT scores as well as the UGPA on graduate academic performance. Early studies by Deckro and Woundenberg (1977) and Gayle and Jones (1973) reported that traditional admission criteria contain useful

4 106 BUSINESS COMMUNICATION QUARTERLY / June 2011 predictors of student academic success, and that total score on the GMAT was the best single predictor of student academic access in respective MBA programs. More recently, several studies have tried to determine if GMAT scores and MBA success, as measured by graduate GPA, are correlated. GMAT score, age, gender, marital status, race, work experience, UGPA, and undergraduate major have been among the factors tested for their ability to predict graduate student success in the MBA program. Carver and King (1994) found that GMAT score, UGPA, and work experience were strong predictor variables, while GMAT score was the best lone predictor of success. On the other hand, Ahmadi, Raiszadeh, and Helms (1997) found that although UGPA and GMAT scores did predict success, their predictive ability was low. They therefore suggested that other additional criteria may need to be used in selecting prospective students, such as writing samples, interviews, work experience, or other nonquantitative measures or assessments, and that qualitative measures are needed to more accurately predict academic success. They concluded that considering these additional factors would allow schools to admit more qualified students into their MBA programs and raise the school s overall academic standing (Ahmadi et al., 1997). Yang and Lu s (2001) study used correlation and regression techniques to determine which variables are most closely related to the academic success of the recent graduates of an MBA program. The MBA students overall GPA was used as the dependent variable. The independent variables investigated as predictors were gender, students native language, students UGPA, and GMAT total score (verbal and quantitative). They found that the UGPA was the most important predictor for students graduate academic performance, followed by GMAT-Q and GMAT-V, and that native language made little predictive contribution. However, they recommended that admission decisions be made incorporating other criteria such as writing samples, career statements, personal interviews, and references, to ensure more academic success in their MBA students. Braunstein (2002) used correlation and regression techniques to determine which variables were most closely related to the academic success of the recent graduates of an MBA program. The independent variables included GMAT total score, GMAT-Q and GMAT-V, UGPA, type of undergraduate degree, undergraduate institution, gender, and years of work experience (years between the completion of the bachelor s degree

5 Hill et al. / GMAT-AWA SCORE AS A PREDICTOR OF SUCCESS 107 and the first term of enrollment in the MBA program). The study s results were consistent with those of Yang and Lu s (2001), in that they found that UGPA and GMAT score had the strongest positive correlations with graduate GPA. Other variables of statistical significance included gender, type of undergraduate degree obtained, and years of work experience. Sulaiman and Mohezar (2006) found that demographic factors such as work experience, age, gender, and ethnicity were ineffective as predictors of academic success at the graduate level in business programs. Although UGPA was a predictor of success at the graduate level, it accounted for only about a quarter of the variation. Undergraduate disciplines also affected graduates MBA performance. They also found that students with a business or management background performed better in the MBA program than did students with limited work experience. Talento-Miller and Rudner (2008) examined the validity of GMAT scores by summarizing 273 studies conducted between 1997 and 2004 through the Validity Study Service of the test sponsor. The studies contained identical variables and statistical methods. They concluded that the GMAT total score was the best individual predictor because it is based on performance in both the Verbal and Quantitative sections. The body of literature focusing specifically on the usefulness of the writing component of the GMAT is relatively small. In the years immediately following the launch of the AWA, a series of articles by Rogers and Rymer (1995a, 1995b, 1995c, 1996a, 1996b) explored its implications for graduate-level business communication courses. They pointed out that the AWA is an academic essay and not a test of managerial writing, and they warned that misuse of the AWA might lead to the transformation of management communication... into something approaching remedial writing (Rogers & Rymer, 1996a, p. 71). Their research (Rogers & Rymer, 1996a) on the value of the AWA for diagnostic purposes was supported in part by the GMAC. Rogers and Rymer (1996a) suggested to MBA admissions administrators that AWA scores provide useful preliminary information, but that for diagnostic purposes the administrators must evaluate the AWA essays themselves. In subsequent years, Rogers and Rymer (2001) systematically evaluated the AWA as a diagnostic tool. They identified a range of applications of the AWA essays to management communication instruction and evaluation of students writing effectiveness. They

6 108 BUSINESS COMMUNICATION QUARTERLY / June 2011 concluded that the [analytical] tools actually work to help students with their MBA writing (Rogers & Rymer, 2001, p. 138). Noll and Stowers (1998) surveyed 59 member schools of GMAC to determine if the AWA was meeting the two major purposes for which it was designed. They found that 86% of the schools used the AWA in their admission decisions. A total of 73% of the respondents said they do not use the AWA as an academic assessment tool to modify existing management communication course(s), eliminate local writing assessments, or offer new courses, even though the majority of the schools (62%) either require a communication course or offer one as an elective. Perhaps the most interesting result of the study was that over 37% of respondent schools used the AWA as a diagnostic tool for identifying applicants who were deficient in standard American English, an application not intended by GMAC. A study by Sireci and Talento-Miller (2006) retrospectively compared contemporary management students performance in graduate school with their GMAT scores and the degree to which the predictive power of GMAT scores holds up over specific subgroups of gender or race/ethnicity. They looked at four predictors: GMAT-Q, GMAT-V, GMAT-AWA, and UGPA. Because 3 of the 11 schools examined in the study did not provide data on students GMAT-AWA, the researchers looked at the predictive relationship with and without GMAT-AWA. Their results suggest that, consistent with previous studies, GMAT-Q and GMAT-V scores are good predictors of first-year GPA in graduate school; however, the predictive utility of the GMAT-AWA was relatively low. The GMAT-AWA accounted for only about an additional 1% of the variation. They suggested further study of the utility of GMAT-AWA (Sireci & Talento-Miller, 2006). More recently, Talento-Miller et al. (2010) reported that the GMAT- AWA was a valuable predictor for students in certain programs, although the effect was modest. Specifically, average validity values were higher for males and non-u.s. citizens. The highest validity values were observed for executive MBA and full-time programs and programs in non-u.s. locations. Therefore, they concluded that the GMAT total score, GMAT-AWA score, and the UGPA are quite impressive as predictors for graduate academic performance in business programs. Although most previous studies focused on the predictive validity of the GMAT-AWA, Siegert and Guo (2009) investigated its reliability.

7 Hill et al. / GMAT-AWA SCORE AS A PREDICTOR OF SUCCESS 109 Reviewing previous studies, they found that reliability data were sketchy and inconclusive. Siegert and Guo applied a multidimensional design to calculate a range of reliability coefficients from multiple samples of essays. Their findings were promising, but they concluded that the reliability of the AWA may be overestimated due to factors that had not been accounted for in the previous studies designs. To summarize, previous literature has shown that GMAT scores, particularly the composite of the GMAT-Q and GMAT-V, are reliable predictors of success in MBA programs. On the other hand, results of previous studies regarding the usefulness of the GMAT-AWA score as a predictor of academic success are inconsistent. Given the centrality of communication skills, particularly writing competency, for managerial success and for achievement in graduate business programs, it seemed important to further investigate the value of the GMAT-AWA score as a predictor variable. METHODS AND PROCEDURES Subjects The subjects in this study were graduate business students at a midsized state university in the southwestern United States from 2006 to 2010 who had submitted their GMAT scores for admission to a graduate business program (MBA, MS-Fin, or MS-Acc) and been admitted. In addition, they had completed a managerial communication course as part of their degree program, finishing with a grade of A, B, or C (N = 240). The AWA score is not considered during the admission process at this university, and some student applications did not include it. Since both the score for the AWA section of the GMAT and a grade for the managerial communication course were needed for this study, 39 student subjects did not qualify to be included in this study design. Therefore, a total of 201 student subjects were used in this study. Our college of business administration is fully accredited by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). Variables For each graduate business student in this study, three variables were compared: GMAT-AWA score, final grade in the managerial communication course, and grade on a writing assignment in the course. The writing

8 110 BUSINESS COMMUNICATION QUARTERLY / June 2011 assignment is termed a memo makeover. Students select a poorly written business message memo, letter, or and revise it. In addition to the new version of the message, students compose a rationale for the changes they have made to the original document. Students are evaluated on the extent to which they have demonstrated their ability to apply the principles of good business writing, both in the revised message and the rationale. The maximum number of points a student can earn for the memo makeover assignment is 100. The total number of points possible in the course is 700. The coauthors felt that this assignment most closely resembles the critical thinking necessary to score well on the GMAT- AWA, as well as measuring sentence- and word-level language skills and the student s ability to develop and organize ideas by requiring the composition of a complete piece of writing with a beginning, middle, and end. A detailed description of the assignment and the rubric used to evaluate it are found in Appendixes A and B. DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS GMAT-AWA Score and Writing Assignment Score To analyze the data, we used the SAS system (Version 9.2, SAS, Cary, North Carolina). To determine if a relationship exists between the score on the AWA (GMATSCORE) and the grade on the memo makeover writing assignment (WRITINGSCORE), a Pearson correlation was run between the two continuous variables, GMATSCORE and WRITINGSCORE. Results indicated these two scores were significantly correlated (Pearson r =.26, p <.0002). Thus, there was a significant relationship between students performance on the writing assignment and their GMAT writing assessment score. Descriptive information on the variables is shown in Table 1. GMAT-AWA Score and Course Grade Next we used the GLM (general linear model) procedure to test for differences in the writing assessment portion of the GMAT (GMATSCORE) with regard to the final grade students received in the managerial communication course (GBAGRADE). The results suggest that those who received a grade of A in Managerial Communication had a mean GMAT-AWA score (4.73) that was significantly higher than the GMAT- AWA score of those receiving a C (4.06) as seen in Table 2.

9 Hill et al. / GMAT-AWA SCORE AS A PREDICTOR OF SUCCESS 111 Table 1. Descriptive Statistics GMATSCORE WRITINGSCORE N Mean Standard deviation Minimum Maximum Table 2. Means of GMATSCORES by Grade Categories Duncan Grouping Mean N GBAGRADE A A A B A B B B C Table 3. R 2 of General Linear Model Showing Differences in GMATSCORE With GBAGRADE R 2 Coefficient Var Root Mean Square Error GMATSCORE MEAN The mean GMATSCORE for those receiving a grade of B in Managerial Communication (4.37) was not significantly different from those receiving either an A or a C. Thus, the evidence suggests that for A-students and C-students, the difference can be partially explained by their different scores on the GMAT-AWA, as shown in Table 2. However, the R 2 of the GLM model was only.057, indicating that only 5.7% of the variability in the GMATSCORE can be explained by the grade categories, as illustrated in Table 3. Writing Assignment Score and Course Grade Next, a nonparametric measure of association, Spearman s rho, was computed to further investigate the possible relationship between the students performance on the writing assignment and their final grade in the managerial communication course. The resulting correlation (r 2 =.547, p <.005) suggests that students scores on the writing

10 112 BUSINESS COMMUNICATION QUARTERLY / June 2011 Table 4. GMAT-AWA and Writing Assignment Mean Scores by Course Grade Variable GBAGRADE = A GBAGRADE = B GBAGRADE = C Mean Standard Deviation Mean Standard Deviation Mean Standard Deviation GMATSCORE WRITINGSCORE N = 106 N = 86 N = 9 NOTE: GMAT-AWA = Graduate Management Admission Test Analytical Writing Assessment section. assignment the memo makeover are significantly correlated with the students final grade in the course (Table 3). GMAT-AWA Score, Writing Assignment Score, and Course Grade An analysis was conducted to see the pattern of relationships among GMAT-AWA scores and writing assignment scores across the various course grades. As Table 4 shows, students who earned a grade of C had a lower mean score on the GMAT-AWA (4.06) and a lower mean score on the writing assignment (77.67) than students who earned a grade of B (GMAT-AWA mean = 4.37, writing assignment mean = 84.72). The students who earned a grade of A in the course had the highest mean score on the GMAT-AWA (4.73) and the writing assignment (93.05). Clearly, there was a steady progression in both GMAT- AWA and the writing assignment score as the students grade level changed from C to A. Finally, logistic regression was used to see if the course grade could be predicted by GMAT-AWA score and the score on the writing assignment. For the purpose of this analysis, all nine subjects with a final grade of C were eliminated from the data. The results showed that the GMAT-AWA score did not attain significance in the model (Wald χ 2 = 2.08, p >.15). The score on the writing assignment, however, was significant (Wald χ 2 = 33.63, p <.0001). This result is consistent with the data from the Spearman s rho test, which showed a strong, significant relationship between the students performance on the writing assignment and their final grade in the course.

11 Hill et al. / GMAT-AWA SCORE AS A PREDICTOR OF SUCCESS 113 DISCUSSION Previous literature suggests that the GMAT provides predictive value for success in a graduate business program. However, evidence was limited regarding the GMAT-AWA s power to predict students ability to complete assignments involving critical thinking and writing. This research partially fills that gap. The data reported in the previous section show that the GMAT-AWA provides valuable information about a potential graduate business students future performance not only in writing assignments that are similar to the AWA, but also in terms of the students final grade in a managerial communication course. Typically, graduate students who score 4.0 or below on the GMAT- AWA do not perform well in graduate writing courses. It would behoove graduate admissions personnel to look at the GMAT-AWA score as well, rather than using only the GMAT total score. Other studies conclude that the GMAT-AWA and the UGPA are predictors of graduate academic performance. Based on this study, students GMAT-AWA score and their score on a writing assignment were significantly correlated. Also, a Spearman correlation suggests that students scores on a critical thinking writing assignment are significantly correlated with their final grade in a managerial communication course. As expected, the amount of variability in the data suggests that many other factors play a role in student success. But our data allow a case to be made for requiring the GMAT-AWA as an integral part of students applications to graduate business programs since it correlates with the likelihood of their achievement in at least one core course managerial communication. Furthermore, a case can be made for using applicants GMAT-AWA score as a means of identifying entering graduate business students who need to take a basic business communication or academic writing course. Given that students with a wide range of undergraduate backgrounds seek admission to graduate business programs, some students may not have acquired the foundation needed for success in graduate-level managerial communication courses as well as some of the other MBA courses that require extensive writing and critical thinking.

12 114 BUSINESS COMMUNICATION QUARTERLY / June 2011 Future research might examine the value of using the GMAT-AWA as a benchmark for purposes of assessment. If the AWA were administered on a pre- and postprogram schedule, changes in scores would provide evidence for assurance of learning, specifically for improvements in their managerial writing competency. Future research might also examine the possible relationships between the AWA score and performance in a number of the graduate core courses in the MBA program. Since the AWA is supposed to test students' critical thinking skills, it would be interesting to see if it predicts success in any of the graduate core courses. Appendix A Memo Makeover Assignment Purpose This assignment will improve your composing and editing skills regarding routine business documents. It will also sharpen your critical analysis abilities. Procedure Select an already-existing memo, letter, or that you consider poorly written. It may have been composed by anyone in a business or organizational setting. It should be between one half and two pages long. It need not be recent. Consider the document s purpose and audience. Analyze its strengths and weaknesses. Rewrite the document, applying the principles of good business writing and document design that you are learning in this course. Use a contemporary standard format for your letter or memo. Explain your rationale for making the changes. Your rationale should be just as well organized and well written as your revised memo/letter/ . In the rationale, include your observations about the document s intended audience, stated (and underlying) purpose(s), relationship between audience and writer, organizational setting, tone, level of formality, use of jargon, and any other reasons for the changes. Simply pointing out the weaknesses of the original and listing your changes is insufficient. (continued)

13 Hill et al. / GMAT-AWA SCORE AS A PREDICTOR OF SUCCESS 115 Appendix A (continued) What to Submit The original document Your revised version Your analysis and rationale The rubric for this assignment Appendix B Memo Makeover Rubric Name Date Competency Exceeds Expectations Meets Expectations Below Expectations Rationale /25 Explanation of revisions is comprehensive All relevant principles of business writing are referenced All reasons for revisions are valid All revisions are well-justified Rationale is wellorganized Design elements are used appropriately (headings, bullets) Explanation of revisions is adequate Some principles of business writing are referenced Most reasons for revisions are valid Most revisions are justified Rationale s organization is acceptable Some design elements are used, but inadequate Explanation of revisions is incomplete Insufficient references to principles of business writing Too many reasons for revisions are invalid Many revisions are unjustifiable Rationale is poorly organized No design elements are used, or design elements are wrong Letter/memo format and design /15 Font is attractive and readable Margins are balanced, spacing is correct Bullets/numbers/ headings are used effectively Appropriate and correct letter, , or memo format Font is wrong size or style Margins are mostly balanced, spacing is mostly correct Bullets/numbers/ headings are used, but incorrectly Letter/ /memo format is appropriate but elements are incorrect or incomplete Font style changes within the doc Margins are unbalanced, spacing is wrong No bullets, numbers, or headings Wrong letter/ / memo format (continued)

14 116 BUSINESS COMMUNICATION QUARTERLY / June 2011 Appendix B (continued) Competency Exceeds Expectations Meets Expectations Below Expectations Letter/memo organization /10 Letter/memo diction and tone /10 Letter/memo content /25 Writing style /15 Opening tells the purpose or the buffer or attention-getter Info in body is sequenced logically Paragraphs are short, limited to a single topic Closing includes a clear, concrete action item Closing includes sincere goodwill Language suits the audience Action verbs and concrete words are used throughout You-view is used throughout Positive tone is used throughout No clichés or trite expressions Information is complete Information is clear Only relevant info is included Lots of concrete details Information is correct Information is stated once Sentence syntax is correct Sentences are concise Purpose statement is misplaced Sequence of info in body is easy to follow Some paragraphs are too long Closing action item is generic or vague Closing includes minimal goodwill Language level varies Some action verbs and concrete words are used Some you-viewpoint is used Some negative language Some clichés or trite expressions Information is incomplete Some information is unclear Some information is irrelevant Some concrete details Some information is incorrect Some content is repeated One fragment or run-on sentence One to two wordy expressions No purpose statement Sequence of info in body is wrong More than one topic per paragraph or no topic sentence No action item in closing No goodwill in closing Word choice is too formal or casual No action verbs or concrete words No you-viewpoint; no rapport Tone is negative throughout Too many clichés or trite expressions Too much info is missing Message is unclear Too much irrelevant Information No concrete details Too much incorrect information Too much redundant content Two or more fragments or run-on sentences Sentences lack conciseness (continued)

15 Hill et al. / GMAT-AWA SCORE AS A PREDICTOR OF SUCCESS 117 Appendix B (continued) Competency Exceeds Expectations Meets Expectations Below Expectations Total Points: /100 No passive voice sentences Some passive voice Too much passive voice No spelling errors One spelling error Two or more spelling errors No mechanics errors One mechanics error Two or more mechanics errors No grammar errors One grammar error Two or more grammar errors No word-choice errors One-word choice error Two or more wordchoice errors References Ahmadi, M., Raiszadeh, F., & Helms, M. (1997). An examination of the admissions criteria for the MBA programs: A case study. Education, 117, Braunstein, A. (2002, September). Factors determining success in a graduate business program. College Student Journal, 36, Carver, R., & King, T. (1994). An empirical investigation of the MBA admission criteria for nontraditional programs. Journal of Education for Business, 20, Deckro, R. F., & Woundenberg, H. W. (1977). MBA admission criteria and academic success. Decision Sciences, 8, Educational Testing Service. (2007). A comprehensive review of published GRE validity data. Princeton, NJ: Author. Gayle, J. B., & Jones, T. H. (1973). Admission standards for graduate study in management. Decision Sciences, 4, Graduate Management Admission Council. (2010a). GMAT scores & score reports. Retrieved from Graduate Management Admission Council. (2010b). What the GMAT measures. Retrieved from Noll, C. L., & Stowers, R. H. (1998). How MBA programs are using the GMAT s analytical writing assessment. Business Communication Quarterly, 61(4), Rogers, P. S., & Rymer, J. (1995a). What is the relevance of the GMAT analytical writing assessment for management education? Management Communication Quarterly, 8, Rogers, P. S., & Rymer, J. (1995b). What is the functional value of the GMAT analytical writing for management education? Management Communication Quarterly, 8, Rogers, P. S., & Rymer, J. (1995c). The analytical writing assessment. Paper presented at the meeting of the Graduate Management Admission Council Annual Conference, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Rogers, P. S., & Rymer, J. (1996a). The GMAT analytical writing assessment: Opportunity or threat for management communication? Business Communication Quarterly, 59(2), Rogers, P. S., & Rymer, J. (1996b). The analytical writing assessment: Using the test for diagnostic purposes. Prepared for the Graduate Management Admission Council, McLean, VA. Rogers, P. S., & Rymer, J. (2001). Analytical tools to facilitate transitions into new writing contexts: A communicative perspective. Journal of Business Communication, 38,

16 118 BUSINESS COMMUNICATION QUARTERLY / June 2011 Siegert, K. O., & Guo, F. (2009, January). Assessing the reliability of GMAT analytical writing assessment (GMAC Research Rep. No. RR-09-02). Retrieved from NR/rdonlyres/09FA86D7-E571-49E0-A3E1-81F40C8FDB07/0/RR0902_AWAReliability.pdf Sireci, S. G., & Talento-Miller, E. (2006, April). Evaluating the predictive validity of graduate management admission test scores. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 66, Sulaiman, A., & Mohezar, S. (2006). Student success factors: Identifying key predictors. Journal of Education for Business, 81, Talento-Miller, E., & Rudner, L. M. (2008). The validity of Graduate Management Admission Test scores: A summary of studies conducted from 1997 to Educational and Psychological Measurement, 68, Talento-Miller, E., Siegert, K. O., & Talliaferro, H. (2010, May). Evaluating analytical writing for admission to graduate business programs. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Education Research Association, Denver, CO. Yang, B., & Lu, D. R. (2001, September). Predicting academic performance in management education: An empirical investigation of MBA success. Journal of Education for Business, 77, Kathy L. Hill is an associate professor in the College of Business Administration, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in business communication, intercultural business communication, business and professional speaking, and managerial communication. Address correspondence to Kathy L. Hill, College of Business Administration, PO Box 2056, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77341; khill@shsu.edu. Geraldine E. Hynes is a professor in the College of Business Administration, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas, where she teaches business communication and managerial communication. She is the author of Managerial Communication: Strategies & Applications (2011) and is serving as the President of the Association for Business Communication. Address correspondence to Geraldine E. Hynes, College of Business Administration, PO Box 2056, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77341; hynes@shsu.edu. Marguerite P. Joyce is dean of faculty at Belhaven University, Houston, Texas. Address correspondence to Marguerite P. Joyce, Belhaven University, Park Row, Suite 175 I, Houston, TX 77084; mjoyce@belhaven.edu. John S. Green is a full clinical professor of clinical and applied exercise physiology at the Applied Exercise Science Laboratory in the Huffines Institute for Sports Medicine at Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas. He has taught graduate courses in research design and statistics, instrumentation, and assessment. He serves as a manuscript editor for Medscape General Medicine and as a board member for the Medical Science Monitor. Address correspondence to John S. Green, Mailstop 4243, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845; jsgreen@tamu.edu.

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