Early predictors of successful military careers among West Point cadets
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Authors
Spain, Everett
Lin, Eric
Young, Lissa V.
Issue Date
2020-11-16
Type
journal-article
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
The importance of leadership to organizational performance puts a premium on identifying future leaders. Early prediction of high-potential talent enables organizations to marshal scarce developmental resources and opportunities to those who are best positioned to show distinction in elevated roles. Much of the existing literature indicates that general mental ability remains the strongest predictor of future professional performance. Using data from 13 classes of West Point graduates who stayed in the Army to be considered for at least early promotion to the rank of major (N = 5,505), regression analyses indicate that cadet military grade point average surpasses both cognitive ability and academic performance by a considerable margin in the ability to predict future professional outcomes such as selection for early promotion or battalion command. Moreover, these differences in predicting managerial career outcomes endure over 16 years. Both practical and theoretical implications are discussed.
Description
Citation
Everett S. Spain, Eric Lin & Lissa V. Young (2020) Early predictors of successful military careers among West Point cadets, Military Psychology, 32:6, 389-407, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08995605.2020.1801285
Publisher
Military Psychology
License
Journal
Volume
Issue
PubMed ID
ISSN
0899-5605
1532-7876
1532-7876