gmat1393
The management of a shoe manufacturing company wants to lower the cost of production by reducing wastage in its manufacturing process. The management believes that the wastage can be reduced substantially through change in quality control program. However, according to a middle level manager, since the waste level per employee has increased significantly after certain changes were made to the program three years ago, making further changes will not bring any benefit.
Which of the following is an assumption on which the manager’s argument depends?
A. The number of employees assigned to the manufacturing department was not significantly higher three years ago than it is at present.
B. The quantity of wastage has not decreased in last 3 years.
C. The company profitability has not declined in the last three years.
D. The change in quality control program may adversely affect the volume of waste per employee.
E. The quality of shoes manufactured by the company has remained the same as it was 3 years ago.
Let me try to explain my thinking process here - I chose A.
The conclusion here is that changing the quality control program will not bring any benefit since it increased the waste level per employee after certain changes were made to the program three years ago.
A. The number of employees assigned to the manufacturing department was not significantly higher three years ago than it is at present.
- CORRECT - try to negate; if the number of employees was significantly higher three years ago, then of course the waste level per employee has increased since there are fewer employees to distribute the waste on. The manager assumes that the number of employees is still the same and therefore, there was no benefit in changing the quality control programB. The quantity of wastage has not decreased in last 3 years.
- this doesn't impact the argument. even it has decreased, maybe the management wants to lower it anywayC. The company profitability has not declined in the last three years.
- out of scope; profitability doesn't help us hereD. The change in quality control program may adversely affect the volume of waste per employee.
- the manager actually states that changing the quality control program would not provide any benefit at allE. The quality of shoes manufactured by the company has remained the same as it was 3 years ago.
- out of scopeHope that helps