A recent study found that employees who work flexible hours are more

Question

A recent study found that employees who work flexible hours are more productive and report higher job satisfaction than those who work traditional 9-to-5 schedules. Therefore, companies should adopt flexible working hours to improve overall productivity and employee satisfaction.

Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the argument above?

A) Employees who work flexible hours often have better work-life balance, leading to reduced stress levels.

B) Some employees prefer the structure of a traditional 9-to-5 schedule and may not perform as well with flexible hours.

C) Companies that have implemented flexible working hours have seen a decrease in employee turnover.

D) The study was conducted during a period of economic growth, when job satisfaction is generally higher.

E) Employees who work flexible hours often have more autonomy in managing their work tasks.

pranavmakam · Answer

Why isn't it Option C???
The argument concludes that companies should adopt flexible working hours because a recent study found that employees with flexible hours are more productive and more satisfied with their jobs.
To strengthen this argument, we want a statement that supports the practical effectiveness of implementing flexible schedules and shows real-world benefits for companies that have done so.
C) This directly supports the argument by showing that actual companies that implemented flexible hours experienced a benefit (lower turnover), which aligns with the claim about improved satisfaction and productivity.

Tomm01234 · Answer

This question is a bit odd. C indeed could be the correct choice, similar to A

celialem · Answer

A and C were indeed the choices i was stuck between, but i believe the answer should be C, as a decrease in employee turnover directly strengthens the conclusion in regard to employee satisfaction and productivity

celialem · Answer

can an expert please help with this question?

venkycs98 · Answer

OA makes no sense to me, please help

venkycs98 · Answer

We need to find support for why companies must implement flexible hours if they want to improve the overall productivity and employee satisfaction. 
I do not agree with the OA, it does nothing to connect the dots. What if they have better work-life balance which leads to reduced stress levels? How does it connect to improved productivity or satisfaction?

C is shaky too, but at least there is a hint that people are happy with their jobs and hence not leaving.

@Experts, help!

Thanks

Su1206 · Answer

Indeed, A and C are very close. But in my opinion, A is better than C.

A) Employees who work flexible hours often have better work-life balance, leading to reduced stress levels. -  This directly touches the premise mentioned in the argument. Better work life balance, less stress = More satisfaction.

On the other hand, C talks about less employee turnover (attrition)

C) Companies that have implemented flexible working hours have seen a decrease in employee turnover. -  What if companies who have flexible work hours also pay better wages and lower employee turnover is attributable to these wages, rather than to flexible work hours.

Also, question asks 'Which of the following would  MOST STRENGTHEN '. In my opinion, C does strengthen the argument, but A does a better job to do so.

Thus A.

I hope this helps.

utkarsh_atri · Answer

The conclusion isn't about attrition/employee turnover. It's about productivity and self satisfaction.

onenonlykarann · Answer

KarishmaB  Hey mam! why option A is more likely to be a answer and not C? could you please provide the reasoning..

mihir_rahandani · Answer

What I was thinking while working in POV.

Premise:
A recent study says employees with flexible hours are:
-More productive
-Have higher job satisfaction compared to 9-to-5 employees.

Conclusion:
- Companies should adopt flexible hours to improve productivity and satisfaction.

Shadow answer (in my POV) :
-We’re looking to strengthen the link between:

Flexible hours → ↑ Productivity + Satisfaction
AND
This being a good idea for companies to implement.

So, our shadow answer should show:

More additional proofs OR data that tells -

That flexible hours CAUSE better performance
OR that companies can benefit from switching from a strict 9-to-5 to giving flexible hours.

(A) Employees who work flexible hours often have better work-life balance, leading to reduced stress levels.
-This explains the reason why flexible workers are happier/productive → makes the CASUAL LINK STRONGER.
Strongly supports.

(C) Companies with flexible hours have seen a decrease in turnover.
- Sounds tempting! But notice:
The conclusion is about productivity + satisfaction, not retention.
This is adjacent, not direct support.
Maybe strengthen, BUT NOT the best strengthener.

Imagine a relative scenario - What if a company, say Google, has all the flexible working hours and you have high productivity + Job Satisfaction. BUT the employee still can switch to Microsoft because of better pay, and Microsoft can offer the same flexible working hours.(This is just a scenario)

Now, tell me, is the retention related to Flexible hours?  Yes! No! Maybe!  Google can say you, hey, we can match the offer of Microsoft, just stay here. Now, it's all about money.

So, the factor of "Yes! No! Maybe!" is putting me into trouble, because the A option guarantees me that, hey, working flexible hours can definitely give you a better work-life balance, leading to reduced stress levels. - Cannot be questioned!

(E) Employees with flexible hours often have more autonomy in managing tasks.
- Autonomy is good, but again, it’s correlated, not directly linked to productivity/satisfaction.
Again, taking a relative scenario - You are the Man of your house, you have all the autonomy to manage the family the way YOU want! Tell me, can it guarantee that you will not have to face the risk of burnout, leading to less satisfaction in handling a Family?

Sometimes, it can lead to higher burnout than usual. So it does not guarantee that I will be satisfied.

You can have all the autonomy in a 9-to-5, but still, it's  the work-life balance  that can reduce your stress, and it cannot be questioned (which is mentioned in A)

Only comparing A with C and E, rest options were not even close, so that's it from my POV.

KarishmaB · Answer

I would have chosen (C) here so can't say what the question maker had in mind.

kanavsahgal · Answer

For those confused between A and C, here is an easy way to eliminate C.

Think of cushy and comfortable private sector jobs as an analogy: great work life balance and more flexibility

A says that employees in such jobs report lower stress levels and have better work life balance, so it fits well with the argument as a strengthener

C simply says attrition rates are low. Lees people are leaving their jobs. Put yourself in the shoes of an analyst evaluating this situation. Are they really staying back because of better productivity? Or are they staying back because it's so damn comfortable to work in a job where you don't have a manager breathing down your neck all the time. It *could* be the latter and so, C is out.

adichat2711 · Answer

C talks about lower turnover which can have several reasons other than job satisfaction because of flexible work hours. Might be incentives, 4 day work week etc.

Blocky111345 · Answer

why is the answer a not c, please help

iamjatinagrawal · Answer

They might be satisfied because of the flexibilities and hence lower employee turnover and as provided in the option A, there is this word "Often" which is loosely defined which somewhat makes option A vague as an answer. Not arguing about why C is not correct but a little problematic to follow the OA for this question.

A recent study found that employees who work flexible hours are more

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A recent study found that employees who work flexible hours are more

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