Until recently, employees in Company X had to work 9 hours a day but

Question

Until recently, employees in Company X had to work 9 hours a day but could start their work day whenever they chose to. The CEO of Company X has recently announced that all employees should come to work at 9 AM and leave at 6 PM. However, the human resources manager, who disagrees with the CEO on this matter, predicts that this lack of flexibility will have an adverse effect on employees' morale, and, consequently, employees' productivity.

Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the human resources manager's objection to the CEO’s decision?

Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the human resources manager's objection to the CEO’s decision?

A. Even before the CEO's announcement, 75% of the employees worked from 9:00 to 18:00.

B. When all employees work the same hours, scheduling meetings is easier.

C. 65% of the company's employees are women.

D. Company X's employees consistently point the ability to start working at the hour they choose as the number one advantage of working for Company X.

E. The CEO is a high-ranking former military.

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agrasan · Answer

A. Even before the CEO's announcement, 75% of the employees worked from 9:00 to 18:00.
 No Impact , this option doesn't show how lack of flexibility will have an adverse effect on employees' productivity.

B. When all employees work the same hours, scheduling meetings is easier.
 Weakens , this option shows that lack of flexibility will led to more productivity.

C. 65% of the company's employees are women.
 No Impact , so what? We can't assume women will be vulnerable to lack of flexibility. No such info is given in the passage.

D. Company X's employees consistently point the ability to start working at the hour they choose as the number one advantage of working for Company X.
 Strengthens , this option hints that employees are happy today because of flexibility, if that is taken away then it can affect their mental stability and can lead to deterioration of productivitiy.

E. The CEO is a high-ranking former military.
 No Impact , so what? This option doesn't show how lack of flexibility will have an adverse effect on employees' productivity.

ManifestDreamMBA · Answer

Until recently, employees in Company X had to work 9 hours a day but could start their work day whenever they chose to. The CEO of Company X has recently announced that all employees should come to work at 9 AM and leave at 6 PM. However, the human resources manager, who disagrees with the CEO on this matter, predicts that this lack of flexibility will have an adverse effect on employees' morale, and, consequently, employees' productivity.

Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the human resources manager's objection to the CEO’s decision?

We need to support the content in bold above

A. Even before the CEO's announcement, 75% of the employees worked from 9:00 to 18:00.  This supports the CEO and has no/very little impact the bold statement

B. When all employees work the same hours, scheduling meetings is easier.  This supports the CEO and has no/very little impact the bold statement

C. 65% of the company's employees are women.  Irrelevant

D. Company X's employees consistently point the ability to start working at the hour they choose as the number one advantage of working for Company X.   This strengthens the HR's pov

E. The CEO is a high-ranking former military.  Irrelveant

Bunuel · Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

Until recently, employees in Company X had to work 9 hours a day but could start their work day whenever they chose to. The CEO of Company X has recently announced that all employees should come to work at 9 AM and leave at 6 PM. However, the human resources manager, who disagrees with the CEO on this matter, predicts that this lack of flexibility will have an adverse effect on employees' morale, and, consequently, employees' productivity.

Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the human resources manager's objection to the CEO’s decision?

Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the human resources manager's objection to the CEO’s decision?

A. Even before the CEO's announcement, 75% of the employees worked from 9:00 to 18:00.

Incorrect.

To solve this Conclusion Strengthening question, first break down the argument. The first two sentences are premises which provide factual data; the last sentence includes a prediction made by the HR manager, his conclusion:

Premise A: previously workers in Company X could choose when to start work
 +
Premise B: the CEO announced that everyone must show up at 9am
 =
HR Manager's Objection (Conclusion): this will affect the workers morale and hence their productivity

Strengthening Data: ?

You are required to find data that supports working flexible hours or detracts from the decision to work in fixed hours.

This answer choice weakens the HR manager's position by showing that most of the employees are already working fixed hours, making it unlikely that the CEO's announcement would affect their morale.

B. When all employees work the same hours, scheduling meetings is easier.

Incorrect.

This answer choice weakens the HR manager's position by giving an example to the benefits of working in fixed hours.

C. 65% of the company's employees are women.

Incorrect.

This answer choice neither strengthens nor weakens the HR manager's position, as the fact that 65% of the company's employees are women is irrelevant - it does not give us any information on the effects rigid hours will have on women specifically or on employees as a whole.

D. Company X's employees consistently point the ability to start working at the hour they choose as the number one advantage of working for Company X.

This answer choice strengthens the HR manager's position by showing that employees think of working flexible hours as the best thing about working for Company X; taking it away would very likely affect their morale.

E. The CEO is a high-ranking former military.

Incorrect.

To solve this Conclusion Strengthening question, first break down the argument. The first two sentences are premises which provide factual data; the last sentence includes a prediction made by the HR manager, his conclusion:

Premise A: previously workers in Company X could choose when to start work
 +
Premise B: the CEO announced that everyone must show up at 9am
 =
HR Manager's Objection (Conclusion): this will affect the workers morale and hence their productivity

Strengthening Data: ?

You are required to find data that supports working flexible hours or detracts from the decision to work in fixed hours.

This answer choice neither strengthens nor weakens the HR manager's position, as the fact that the CEO is ex-military is irrelevant - it does not give us any information on the effects rigid hours will have on the employees of Company X.

Until recently, employees in Company X had to work 9 hours a day but

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Until recently, employees in Company X had to work 9 hours a day but

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