According to our studies, most employees in the retail clothing indust

Given,
most employees change companies and locations a few times in the course of their careers.
However, FineThreads, Inc. is known globally for its ability to keep the best
FineThreads attributes - keeping the finest employees to casual corporate structure; flat hierarchy; open-door policy and all employees accountable.

Many of FineThreads' management-level employees have previously worked at, at most, one other retail clothing company. (Already given in the passage that this is a regular practice of this industry)

A hierarchal work environment tends to thwart the cooperative exchange of ideas that retail clothing employees enjoy. Strengthener (This shows that flat hierarchy facilitates the exchange of ideas that employees enjoy.)

Some people employed in the retail clothing industry quickly tire of their positions because of the level of physical activity associated with their jobs. (out of scope)

In a nonhierarchical work environment, people do not discuss their dissatisfaction with their jobs. Weakener (This shows that although employees stay with the company but is not due to the company's stated reasons. They stay back because they can't discuss their dissatisfaction about their jobs)

The cost of living near most FineThreads retail stores is much lower than it is in areas in which competitors have their stores. (mild strengthener but not a necessary statement)

Weaken statement -

1. Many of FineThreads' management-level employees have previously worked at, at most, one other retail clothing company.

- This statement introduces an external factor, which says that it is not the company but the employees themselves, who usually stay for long in the company. Hence it weakens the companies' conclusion or statement.

Strengthen statement -

2. A hierarchal work environment tends to thwart the cooperative exchange of ideas that retail clothing employees enjoy.
This shows that the hierarchy contributes to the retainment of the employees, and in turn strengthens the companies' claims as the company said that Our hierarchy is flat

Neither weakening/strengthen-
3. Some people employed in the retail clothing industry quickly tire of their positions because of the level of physical activity associated with their jobs.
- Nothing is given in the paragraph that how much physical activity is done at the Finethreads.
4. In a nonhierarchical work environment, people do not discuss their dissatisfaction with their jobs.
The fact that the employees don't discuss their dissatisfaction can't really depict their decisions to move out of the company. Nothing is given in the passage.
5. The cost of living near most FineThreads retail stores is much lower than it is in areas in which competitors have their stores.
Is that the reason why the employees change companies? We can't really say because it is out of scope.

According to our studies, most employees in the retail clothing industry move from retailer to retailer, changing companies and locations a few times in the course of their careers. However, FineThreads, Inc. is known globally for our ability to keep the best retail associates and back-office staff. FineThreads attributes our success in keeping the finest employees to our casual corporate structure. Our hierarchy is flat; we have an open-door policy and all employees have accountability to each other.


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Fine threads' explanation of their success is that it is caused by their casual corporate structure. Therefore since this is essentially critical reasoning let's MAP out the Premises and Conclusions.
P1: Most employees in r. industry move from retailer to retailer, changing companies and locations a few times in their careers.

P2: However (change in direction), FineThreads Inc known globally for keeping the best employees and back office staff.

C: This success is due to their casual corporate structure.

P3: Their hierarchy is flat (open door policy and employees being accountable to each other)

The underlying assumption of this argument would be that FineThreads' Inc keeps their employees better than others DUE TO the casual corporate structure.

To weaken this assumption would give us the right W answer choice.
To strengthen this assumption would give us the right S answer choice.

Let's Go!
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WEAKEN: W STRENGTHEN: S

A. Many of FineThreads' management-level employees have previously worked at, at most, one other retail clothing company.

If many of their employees have worked at at most ONE company before FineThreads Inc, all this choice shows is that these employees haven't changed a lot of jobs in their careers as most retail employees do.

This cannot point to FineThreads Inc retaining the employees or that their casual corporate structure is the reason they can do it.

B. A hierarchal work environment tends to thwart the cooperative exchange of ideas that retail clothing employees enjoy. S
CORRECT
We know FineThreads Inc follows a non hierarchal work environment. IF a hierarchal work environment thwarts something that employees enjoy, then what probably keeps these employees with a company is a NON HIERARCHAL ENVIRONMENT. This answer STRENGTHENS the assumption that the non hierarchal environment is the reason FineThreads Inc retains their employees better than others.


C. Some people employed in the retail clothing industry quickly tire of their positions because of the level of physical activity associated with their jobs.

This does nothing to the conclusion of the argument, as the flat hierarchy isn't addressed. Also we do not know whether FineThreads Inc has less physical activity with their jobs in relation to other companies, so this again doesn't show us why FineThreads Inc retain employees better.

D. In a nonhierarchical work environment, people do not discuss their dissatisfaction with their jobs.

We know FineThreads Inc is nonhierarchal. So they must not discuss their dissatisfaction with their jobs. Does this stop them from leaving the company? What if the dissatisfaction is hidden? This doesn't address why they can retain their employees.

E. The cost of living near most FineThreads retail stores is much lower than it is in areas in which competitors have their stores. W
CORRECT
This option gives another reason as to why employees stay with FineThreads INC, if the rents are lower near their place of work, then clearly THAT could be the reason why employees choose Finethreads Inc over other employers.
This undermines the assumption that the casual structure of the company is the ONLY reason why FineThreads Inc retains their employees.

1. Many of FineThreads' management-level employees have previously worked at, at most, one other retail clothing company. (it neither strengthen why the company is able to retain employees nor weaken. It doesn't strengthen as the employees have been at other companies as well, and it doesn't weaken as they are currently retained at Fine thread company)

2. A hierarchal work environment tends to thwart the cooperative exchange of ideas that retail clothing employees enjoy. (since fine thread doesn't have any hierarchy, which retail company employees enjoy, the employees will be retained at the company to continue sharing their ideas) (Strengthening)

3. Some people employed in the retail clothing industry quickly tire of their positions because of the level of physical activity associated with their jobs. (positions are neither mentioned, nor is the focal point in the passage) (out of context)

4. In a non-hierarchical work environment, people do not discuss their dissatisfaction with their jobs. (since the company do not have any hierarchy the employees do not share their dissatisfaction and might end up leaving) (weakening)

5. The cost of living near most FineThreads retail stores is much lower than it is in areas in which competitors have their stores. (cost of living is not mentioned anywhere in the passage, nor it directly effects the retaining capacity of Fine thread) (out of context)

Hello everyone!

OA of this question is posted, it is:

Strengthen: A hierarchal work environment tends to thwart the cooperative exchange of ideas that retail clothing employees enjoy.
Weaken: The cost of living near most FineThreads retail stores is much lower than it is in areas in which competitors have their stores.

Only 800gal got it right, I will post the Exp.