Case analyses: Discuss the ways and development techniques that makes strategic management problems more effective (by your own analyses) Academic Grades Grades are a form of feedback and are often criticism. (Recall Ethical Dilemma "Academic Standards" in Chapter 3.) Successful managers set and maintain high expectations for all their employees, and as Lou Holtz said, we need to set a higher standard. While students are doing less work than in prior years, grades continue to increase, which is called grade inflation. At one time, most colleges had a set grade point average (GPA) to determine honors. But today, most colleges use a ranking system of GPA, because of grade inflation, to limit the number of students graduating with honors. Is it ethical and socially responsible for professors to drop standards and for colleges to award degrees with higher grades today than 5, 10, or 20 years ago?