A Spreadsheet Template for Forced Grading System

Forced Grading Systems are popular and accepted for evaluating students, particularly in business schools. Under such systems students' numerical test scores are converted to letter grades (A, B, etc.) and awarded in mandated percentages. In common practice, schools mandate that 10% to 15% of students in a class receive As, 25% to 35% Bs, and 40% to 50% Cs. However, instructors must identify what numerical cutoffs satisfy mandated grade distributions, and that tedious effort might entail several solutions. This study introduces an Excel-based template with which instructors can establish numerical cutoffs that distribute students' grades in accord with mandated standards. Results indicate that the spreadsheet template is an efficient tool to evaluate students following the Forced Grading System

Vendor selection strategy for IT outsourcing: the weighted-criteria evaluation technique

Purpose – Most firms select their information technology outsourcing (ITO) vendors based on the two methods of the weighted-criteria evaluation technique – the “qualification score plus the lowest bid price for the highest price score (QS-LBHPS)” and the “qualification score plus the average bid price for the middle price score (QS-ABMPS).” This paper aims to understand whether these two methods provide the same or different results of vendor selection and how the proportional weights of a vendor's qualification and bid price affect the vendor selection results under the two methods. Design/methodology/approach –In total, 1,000 experimental tests were carried out using the developed spreadsheet template to examine vendor selection results of the two methods (QS-LBHPS and QS-ABMPS) and compare the vendor selection results under three conditions of vendors’ qualification and price weights. A correspondence analysis was also used to determine the proximal relationships among the selection results of the weighted criteria technique under the comparable methods. Findings – The results indicate that, when using the two methods of the weighted criteria technique for a vendor selection, the selection results are significantly correspondent. In addition, the proportions of qualification and price weights affect the selection results under the two methods. The different proportions of qualification and price weights under the two methods yield the same selection results rather than different results. Originality/value – This study fills the gap in ITO literatures concerning the vendor selection strategy. No empirical studies have been undertaken to compare the results of vendor selection under the two methods of the weighted-criteria evaluation technique. The findings enable a firm's selection team to apply the weighted-criteria evaluation technique effectively and realize that vendor selection results are altered based on the predefined proportions of qualification and price weights.