The proliferation of social media tools allowing for communication wit

Question

The proliferation of social media tools allowing for communication within corporations has recently been the subject of two studies. Meyers and Tassleman find that such tools tend to exert a positive effect but that such effect tends to diminish the larger the organization. The two speculate that one of the reasons is that the kind of communication in social media presumes a level of comfort that is not consistent with that typically found in larger companies. Consequently, many employees are reluctant to use social media tools because they feel constrained by a workplace culture that is not consistent with the social values these tools promote. Such a result undermines the very relaxed spirit that upper level management hopes to foster by using such tools.

Gershin focuses on the extent to which social media tools have displaced other forms of office communication, notably email and in-person interactions. Additionally, he uses data collected from surveys, from both middle management and upper management, to assess the effect, if any, that such displacement has had. His findings are twofold: social media is in many cases deemed extraneous since it adds a layer of redundancy to communication. In other words, employees have adequately communicated something via traditional channels, but simply echo such communication on social network channels. However, Gershin found that social media tools fostered company culture because these tools provided employees a means of planning social events, something they might not have done using traditional forms of communication.   1 
 1/ According to Meyers and Tassleman, social media tools tend to be less effective the larger the company because

A communication is often lost between different levels of an organization
B the values of larger companies tend not to be closely aligned with those of social media
C the cultural values of upper management and middle management are not consistent with those of other employees
D there is a greater amount of redundancy as the number of employees using office based social media increases
E small companies are better able to communicate the limitations that using social media in the workplace presents

2 
 2/ The primary purpose of the passage is to

A discuss how the implications of two schools of thought are likely to lead to divergent conclusions
B discuss two findings regarding an issue
C promote the benefits of a practice common in the workplace
D assess the validity of two findings
E criticize the methodology used in two different studies

3 
 3/ Which of the following, if true, best calls into question the validity of Gershin’s findings regarding the effect of social media tools in the workplace?

A Some of those who plan social events use only traditional forms of communication to do so.
B Of those surveyed more mentioned the negative effects of social media in the workplace than the positive effects
C Redundancy can serve as a way of reinforcing and emphasizing communication pertaining to social events.
D The thoughts of middle and upper level managers do not accurately reflect the thoughts of those most likely to use social media in the workplace.
E Redundant communication is found both in traditional forms of office communication and on social media.

Kurtosis · Accepted Answer

Two studies on the usage of social media tools in the workplace.
1st study: +ve effect, but if the organization is larger then -ve effect
2nd study: social media tools are redundant. +ve for planning social events.

1. According to Meyers and Tassleman, social media tools tend to be less effective the larger the company because

A. communication is often lost between different levels of an organization - Out of context.
B. the values of larger companies tend not to be closely aligned with those of social media - Correct. 
C. the cultural values of upper management and middle management are not consistent with those of other employees - Out of context.
D. there is a greater amount of redundancy as the number of employees using office based social media increases - Not discussed by Meyers and Tassleman
E. small companies are better able to communicate the limitations that using social media in the workplace presents - Again, question is not asking about small companies. Out of context.

Answer: B

2. The primary purpose of the passage is to

A discuss how the implications of two schools of thought are likely to lead to divergent conclusions - Divergent conclusions? Not correct.
B discuss two findings regarding an issue - Correct.
C promote the benefits of a practice common in the workplace - Passage doesn't promote the benefits of social media tools
D assess the validity of two findings - The two studies are not assessed.
E criticize the methodology used in two different studies - Methodology is not criticized.

Answer: B

3. Which of the following, if true, best calls into question the validity of Gershin’s findings regarding the effect of social media tools in the workplace?

A Some of those who plan social events use only traditional forms of communication to do so. - Irrelevant.
B Of those surveyed more mentioned the negative effects of social media in the workplace than the positive effects - Irrelevant
C Redundancy can serve as a way of reinforcing and emphasizing communication pertaining to social events. - Strengthens Greshin's findings
D The thoughts of middle and upper level managers do not accurately reflect the thoughts of those most likely to use social media in the workplace. - Correct
E Redundant communication is found both in traditional forms of office communication and on social media. - Too generic. Irrelevant.

Answer: D

TaN1213 · Answer

Is this passage easy or is it just me?
6min, all corrcet. Can anyone please share their experience with the passage?

PoojanB · Answer

can anyone explain why in the 3rd que answer is not E?

JS1290 · Answer

Could anyone please explain the last question? Why the answer is D and not C?

aragonn · Answer

Official Explanation for Q3

Relevant text: “Additionally, he uses data collected from surveys, from both middle management and upper management, to assess the effect, if any, that such displacement has had.”

The fact that only middle and upper management were surveyed and not the company as a whole limits the scope of the findings. Therefore, if (D) is true, then the validity of Gershin’s findings is challenged: we don’t actually know what those who actually use social media feel. Answer: (D).

(A) Gershin finds that social media tools can help in the planning of social events. That some people don’t use social media to plan social events doesn’t fundamentally challenge the validity of Gershin’s findings: many people do use social media to plan social events and, according to the study, they find it helpful in doing so.

(B)Gershin’s findings describe both the positive and negative effects of social media. Even if more did mention the negative effects, that is still consistent with what Gershin describes regarding redundancy. That is, a few could mention the positive effects of social events, while the majority focus on redundancy.

(C) is a close answer. However, Gershin’s focus on redundancy pertains to traditional communication. In (C), redundancy pertains to the planning of social events.

(D) See above.

(E) The fact that social media tends to be redundant with traditional forms of communication, one of Gershin’s findings, isn’t incompatible with (E). Gershin describes how social media serves as a redundant layer of communication. That redundancy also happens in other forms of communication doesn’t weaken Gershin’s claim that redundant communication happens when people use social media.

aragonn · Answer

Official Explanation for Q1

Relevant text: “The two speculate that one of the reasons is that the kind of communication in social media presumes a level of comfort that is not consistent with that typically found in larger companies.” This points to (B).

(A) is tempting because it describes something that is true in reality. However, information becoming lost is never mentioned in the passage.

(B) See above.

(C) is tricky because it is an ever so slight variance from what the passage actually says. Remember the relevant text above: social media’s level of comfort (its value) don’t match those of larger corporations. The differentiation isn’t between the values of management and those of the rest of the company.

(D) seems commonsensical: the more people communicating the more likely there will be redundancy. But the passage never mentions this.

(E) companies communicating the limitations of social media is never mentioned in the passage.

aragonn · Answer

Official Explanation for Q2

The passage is concerned with describing two theories regarding social media tools in the workplace. At no point does the passage actually compare the two studies. This points to (B).

(A) There is no contrasting going on in the passage. Two theories pertaining to a subject are described but at no point does the author compare or contrast the two theories.

(B) See above.

(C) The author never takes a position on his/her views regarding the use of social media tools in the workplace. Therefore it is a stretch to say that the passage "promotes the benefits..."

(D) Again, the author simply describes the findings of the two studies. He/she does not take a position on the findings.

(E) There is no criticism of either of the two studies. He/she is simply relating the findings.

GittinGud · Answer

I chose D for Q2 but I know why that's wrong. The author is not evaluating anything. I didn't pick B because the subject of the passage is not an 'issue'. The author just describes 2 studies on a particular subject. Can someone please help me with this. Thanks!

auradediligodo · Answer

Hi everyone,
Took me 7.5 minutes and got 2/3 correct. Took me 3 minutes to read, write down paragraphs summaries and main point.

P1:M and T's study
P2:G's study

MP: To preset M&T's study and G's study

1/  According to Meyers and Tassleman, social media tools tend to be less effective the larger the company because

Pre-thinking
 Refer to P1 to answer this question. Their reasoning is that larger companies don't reflect the values that media tools are made for, making large companies infertile environment for media tools

A communication is often lost between different levels of an organization
 Never mentioned. Hence incorrect

B the values of larger companies tend not to be closely aligned with those of social media
 In line with our pre-thinking. Hence correct

C the cultural values of upper management and middle management are not consistent with those of other employees
 Out of context since U/M management are discussed in P2. Hence incorrect

D there is a greater amount of redundancy as the number of employees using office based social media increases
 Redundancy is discussed in P2, relating to G's study. Hence incorrect

E small companies are better able to communicate the limitations that using social media in the workplace presents
 Small companies are the ideal place for using media tools. Hence incorrect

2/  The primary purpose of the passage is to

Pre-thinking
 Refer to our main point formulation

A discuss how the implications of two schools of thought are likely to lead to divergent conclusions
 The passage does not talk about divergent conclusions. The 2 studies are just different one from the other.

B discuss two findings regarding an issue
 In line with pre-thinking even if worded a little different. Hence correct

C promote the benefits of a practice common in the workplace
 Nothing is promoted. Hence incorrect

D assess the validity of two findings
 no assessment made. Hence incorrect

E criticize the methodology used in two different studies
 No criticism made. Hence incorrect

3/  Which of the following, if true, best calls into question the validity of Gershin’s findings regarding the effect of social media tools in the workplace?

Pre-thinking
 This question requires a little bit of analysis of P2.
Let's break down the paragraph:
#1 In the first part of the paragraph we can see G's goal: to study how media tools have replaced traditional means of communications in offices
Note that he wants to investigate on a general base: he wants to know how MT affected communication in ALL the company.
#2 The data collected comes from M/U management divisions. In this case G thinks that this 2 divisions are representative of the  all  company
#3 Findings: redundancy and planning
Now a way to weaken this argument is to say that the divines analysed are not representative of the whole company. Therefore the findings are no more valid and the all study falls into pieces. 
Another way could imply weakening the finding themselves.

A Some of those who plan social events use only traditional forms of communication to do so.
 Some might mean 1 or 5 or 100 or all. So since this choice does not clearly affect the argument it is incorrect

B Of those surveyed more mentioned the negative effects of social media in the workplace than the positive effects
 This would mean that the majority has negative feelings towards social media tools but this does not affect the argument at all. Hence incorrect

C Redundancy can serve as a way of reinforcing and emphasizing communication pertaining to social events.
 This is a case in which an apparently negative side gives a positive side effect. But still even if so the findings are not any less accurate than before. Hence incorrect

D The thoughts of middle and upper level managers do not accurately reflect the thoughts of those most likely to use social media in the workplace.
 In line with pre-thinking. Hence correct

E Redundant communication is found both in traditional forms of office communication and on social media.
 This adds up to the redundancy part but does not undermine the validity of the findings whatsoever. Hence incorrect

queenoforient800 · Answer

Please can anyone help me find the second fold of the two fold findings alluded to in the second paragraph?

The proliferation of social media tools allowing for communication wit

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The proliferation of social media tools allowing for communication wit

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