Investing in resources such as employees and technology is often more

Correct Answer: (C)
In the given sentence, a comparison is made using the construction “more . . . than,” and comparisons need to be between things of the same type expressed in the same grammatical form. This sentence is comparing “[i]nvesting” with “to try.” “Investing” is a gerund (the -ing form of a verb used as a noun), while “to try” is an infinitive (the to form of a verb, in this case also being used as a noun). These terms are not in the same form, so this error needs to be fixed. Eliminate choice (A).
One way to analyze the remaining answer choices is to look at the verbs at the beginning. Though subtler than in some questions, a 3-2 split exists between a singular and plural verb. The subject of the verb is “Investing.” (Recall that the subject of a sentence never resides in a prepositional phrase, which is what “in resources such as employees and technology” is.) “Investing” is singular, so answer choice (B), with “are,” and choice (E), with “result,” are incorrect. Choice (E) also contains an illogical comparison and alters the meaning of the sentence, as its construction indicates that “profits” are larger than “cutbacks.” Eliminate (B) and (E).
Choices (C) and (D) both use a singular verb at the outset and have no errors until after the word “than.” Here, choice (D) uses the wrong idiom. The correct phrase is “try[ing] to [do],” not “try[ing] and [doing].” Answer choice (C) is correct.