Manager 1: In order to improve good safety practices at our factory

Question

Manager 1: In order to improve good safety practices at our factory, employees will be encouraged to report unsafe practices that they witness through a newly created anonymous reporting process. This should be more effective at improving our safety record than continuing to use the current system of safety checks performed twice a month by our supervisors.

Manager 2: It is unlikely that the employees will trust that the system is truly anonymous, and they will also be hesitant to report their co-workers. Our safety record is sure to decline with this new system.

Which of the following, if true, would best support Manager 1’s conclusion, given the objections raised by Manager 2?

(A) Many employees at the factory have expressed support for idea of keeping track of the safety practices of other employees

(B) Employees at the factory will use better safety practices under the assumption that their co-workers might report them otherwise.

(C) The supervisors who perform the current safety checks believe that doing so is not the best way to improve actual safety.

(D) Because of the high turnover rate at the factory, few deep friendships are formed among the employees.

(E) The plan recommended by Manager 1 would be implemented at the same time as a general salary raise given to all workers at the factory.

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Question 58: Anonymous Safety Reporting

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yashikaaggarwal · Answer

According to Manager 1: Reporting co-workers unsafe practices is the best way to improve safety practices over the current system of safety checks performed by supervisors.
Whereas, According to manager 2: the practice of reporting the co-workers won't really have a fruitful effect.

In order to validate Manager 1 suggestion, we need to show that the reporting practice is better at controlling the unsafe practices at the unit.

(A) Many employees at the factory have expressed support for the idea of keeping track of the safety practices of other employees(the employees support the idea, but nothing really shows they will report same under the reporting practice, which if implemented might or might not have an appropriate result) INCORRECT

(B) Employees at the factory will use better safety practices under the assumption that their co-workers might report them otherwise. (If all workers have a fear that their co-workers will report their unfair practices, they won't indulge in any unfair practice itself, in this way the reporting practice have a significant effect as stated by Manager 1) Correct

(C) The supervisors who perform the current safety checks believe that doing so is not the best way to improve actual safety. (If supervision safety check practice is not up to mark, that doesn't mean reporting practice sure is. Not really justifying the validity of manager 1 statement) INCORRECT

(D) Because of the high turnover rate at the factory, few deep friendships are formed among the employees. (If this is true, it is acting against manager 1 statement) INCORRECT

(E) The plan recommended by Manager 1 would be implemented at the same time as a general salary raise given to all workers at the factory. (Doesn't prove the validity of manager 1 stated practice) INCORRECT

Answer is B

AnirudhaS · Answer

The question says strengthen Manager 1's conclusion. B definitely is a strengthener. The beauty of how this question is framed is illustrated at the end - "given the objections raised by Manager 2".

Manager 2 thinks that the reporting would not be anonymous hence the workers would be hesitant to report their fellow colleagues. But even if they don't actually report, everyone is going to think that 'someone' will grass them up! This fear of getting reported would drive the best practices and consequently improve safety record.

We do the exact same thing at our manufacturing plant, so this is true in so many different levels! Thanks for the question - made my day!!

winterschool · Answer

Manager 1: In order to improve good safety practices at our factory, employees will be encouraged to report unsafe practices that they witness through a newly created anonymous reporting process. This should be more effective at improving our safety record than continuing to use the current system of safety checks performed twice a month by our supervisors.

Manager 2: It is unlikely that the employees will trust that the system is truly anonymous, and they will also be hesitant to report their co-workers. Our safety record is sure to decline with this new system.

Which of the following, if true, would best support Manager 1’s conclusion, given the objections raised by Manager 2?

(A) Many employees at the factory have expressed support for idea of keeping track of the safety practices of other employees  Incorrect

some accidents might be happen, cant sure it can improve safety record

(B)  Employees at the factory will use better safety practices under the assumption that their co-workers might report them otherwise.   Correct

so safety record must be improve

(C) The supervisors who perform the current safety checks believe that doing so is not the best way to improve actual safety.  Incorrect

supervisors perception is not helpful

(D) Because of the high turnover rate at the factory, few deep friendships are formed among the employees.  Irrelevant

(E) The plan recommended by Manager 1 would be implemented at the same time as a general salary raise given to all workers at the factory.  Incorrect

it cant be sure that safety records will be improve after plan implemented

EMPOWERgmatVerbal · Answer

Official Explanation:

Manager 1:  In order to improve good safety practices at our factory, employees will be encouraged to report unsafe practices that they witness through a newly created anonymous reporting process. This should be more effective at improving our safety record than continuing to use the current system of safety checks performed twice a month by our supervisors.

Manager 2:  It is unlikely that the employees will trust that the system is truly anonymous, and they will also be hesitant to report their co-workers. Our safety record is sure to decline with this new system.
 
 Which of the following, if true, would best support Manager 1’s conclusion, given the objections raised by Manager 2? 
 
 (A) Many employees at the factory have expressed support for idea of keeping track of the safety practices of other employees

(B) Employees at the factory will use better safety practices under the assumption that their co-workers might report them otherwise.

(C) The supervisors who perform the current safety checks believe that doing so is not the best way to improve actual safety.

(D) Because of the high turnover rate at the factory, few deep friendships are formed among the employees.

(E) The plan recommended by Manager 1 would be implemented at the same time as a general salary raise given to all workers at the factory.

Question Type:   Strengthen
  Boil It Down:   Manager 1 thinks an anonymous reporting system will improve safety. Manager 2 believes this is wrong because no employee will trust that the system is actually anonymous.
  Goal:    Find the option that best strengthens Manager 1’s argument OR weakens Manager 2’s argument.

Analysis:

Here, we have two separate arguments. Manager 1 thinking anonymous reporting will help; and manager 2 arguing it won’t. We are asked to support the argument of manager 1. In doing so, we need to either strengthen the argument of manager 1, or weaken the argument of manager 2, either way will work.

So, our answer choice should either show why the anonymous reporting system will work the best or disprove the argument that the workers won’t believe it’s anonymous/won’t report their co-workers.

(A) Many employees at the factory have expressed support for idea of keeping track of the safety practices of other employees
 Does this weaken manager 2’s argument, or strengthen manager 1’s argument? No. Employee’s expressing support for a certain system are not dispositive of anything. It could be that employee’s want to keep track of each other’s safety because they are all best buddies who would never report each other for anything wrong. This would lead to a decrease in safety, not an increase.

(B) Employees at the factory will use better safety practices under the assumption that their co-workers might report them otherwise.
 This would support the argument of manager 1. Manager 1 wants a safety system which involves other employee’s reporting each other. This answer choice is saying that just the fear of being reported will increase safety. This means that manager 2’s argument that no one will believe it’s anonymous and that no one will actually report their co-works is irrelevant: they don’t have to actually report anyone if this is true to increase safety.

(C) The supervisors who perform the current safety checks believe that doing so is not the best way to improve actual safety.
 We don’t care about the beliefs of other managers. Frankly, beliefs are opinions and opinions don’t matter. We care about whether or not the safety actually does in fact increase. Unless managers are infallible in their understanding, this answer choice is wrong.

(D) Because of the high turnover rate at the factory, few deep friendships are formed among the employees.
 What does the lack of friendship have to do with anything? This answer choice wants you to assume that fewer friendships means workers are more willing to report others, but we do not know if this is true. This could have the opposite effect, actually, because there are fewer friendships, workers are less likely to report strangers who they don’t know and don’t care about. Try not to assume anything for the answer choice unless it is obvious.

(E) The plan recommended by Manager 1 would be implemented at the same time as a general salary raise given to all workers at the factory.
 Again, is a salary raise relevant to either of the two manager’s arguments? I’m not sure how a salary raise would affect the reporting of safety violations at a factory. This answer choice can’t be correct unless you draw unwarranted assumptions about what impact a salary raise has on safety violation reporting.

Don’t study for the GMAT. Train for it.

EMPOWERgmatVerbal · Answer

Great work yashikaaggarwal , AnirudhaS , and winterschool ! You all cracked the code! Kudos to you!

Look out for the next question - we just posted it!

Nairspecht · Answer

Doesn't the "given the objection by manager 2" mean that we have to find a solution which in a way supports both the statements?

VerbalBot · Answer

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Manager 1: In order to improve good safety practices at our factory

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