The long-term financial stability of big multinational

2. The long-term financial stability of big multinational companies is in clear danger. As competition in the market intensifies, directors tend to put more emphasis on immediate rather than far-off benefits and judge the rest of the personnel on the same quick-advantage principle. As a result, seeking immediate improvement, managers often make populist decisions which can prove detrimental to the well-being of the company in the long run.

Which of the following best reflects the roles of the highlighted portions of the argument?
A: the first is a course of action that brought about a problem; the second is the argument’s main conclusion
B: the first is a piece of data necessary for the conclusion to be properly drawn; the second is an example that illustrates the author’s main point
C: the first explains reasons for a type of behavior; the second is an example that shows why this behavior is self-destructive
D: the first mentions a phenomenon that led to the situation which is described in the second to support the author’s main point
E: the first is a piece of evidence used to support the argument’s main conclusion set out in the second