JJ.jj wrote:
The Acme Corporation plans to improve productivity by giving staff more-powerful computers with faster Internet connections. But some of the corporation's managers claim that many employees play games over the Internet at work, and conclude from this claim that the plan will be counterproductive.
Assuming that the managers' claim is correct, which of the following would, if true, most strongly support the prediction that the Acme Corporation's plan will succeed?
(A) The Acme Corporation has a written policy forbidding staff from playing computer games at work.
(B) None of the managers at Acme Corporation play games over, the Internet at work.
(C) At most corporations, there is no correlation between the amount of time employees spend playing computer games and the power of their computers or speed of their Internet connections.
(D) Few if any employees at Acme Corporation have duties that could be performed more efficiently with more-powerful computers or faster Internet connections.
(E) Managers at Acme Corporation have observed that those employees with the more-powerful computers arid fast Internet connections spend a significant amount of time playing computer games.
The question asks for an assumption that, if true, would support the prediction that Acme Corporation's plan to give staff more-powerful computers with faster Internet connections will succeed in improving productivity, despite concerns about employees playing games. Let's analyze each option:
A) The Acme Corporation has a written policy forbidding staff from playing computer games at work.- Having a policy in place does not necessarily ensure that it will be followed or enforced. This option does not directly support the success of the plan in terms of productivity.
B) None of the managers at Acme Corporation play games over the Internet at work.- The behavior of managers does not directly impact the productivity gains that could be realized from employees having more-powerful computers and faster Internet connections. This option is not relevant to supporting the plan's success.
C) At most corporations, there is no correlation between the amount of time employees spend playing computer games and the power of their computers or speed of their Internet connections.- This option suggests that upgrading to more-powerful computers and faster Internet connections will not necessarily lead to an increase in game-playing at work. If true, this could imply that the concern about increased game-playing is unfounded, thereby supporting the idea that the plan could succeed in improving productivity.
D) Few if any employees at Acme Corporation have duties that could be performed more efficiently with more-powerful computers or faster Internet connections.- This option, rather than supporting the prediction of success, suggests that the plan may not lead to productivity improvements, as the upgrades might not be relevant to the employees' duties.
E) Managers at Acme Corporation have observed that those employees with the more-powerful computers and fast Internet connections spend a significant amount of time playing computer games.- This option would actually argue against the plan's success, indicating that upgrades might exacerbate the problem of game-playing at work.
Given the analysis, C) At most corporations, there is no correlation between the amount of time employees spend playing computer games and the power of their computers or speed of their Internet connections is the option that, if true, most strongly supports the prediction that Acme Corporation's plan will succeed.
It addresses the core concern about increased game-playing and suggests that the upgrades won't necessarily lead to less productivity due to gaming, thereby bolstering the case for the plan's potential success in improving productivity.