Career counselor: Many large international companies have changed

Question

Career counselor: Many large international companies have changed their practices regarding international assignments. They are placing much more emphasis on helping spouses of expatriate employees to adjust to the foreign environment. This has reduced premature returns by 67 percent.

Which one of the following is an assumption upon which the career counselor’s argument depends?

(A) Spousal and marital difficulties were formerly responsible for many premature returns from foreign assignments.

(B) When an employee is placed in a foreign assignment for a year or less, his or her family sees the assignment as an adventure.

(C) Expatriate employees work long hours and travel a great deal, and their children make new friends at school, but spouses often have no friends and no work to support them while they’re abroad.

(D) The majority of international assignments today last for less than a year, but ten years ago, 70 percent of them lasted much longer than one year.

(E) Many companies now offer expatriate spouses language training, career guidance, and assistance in finding homes and schools.

This is a  CR Butler Question

Check the links to other Butler Projects:

Data Sufficiency Butler  
  Problem Solving Butler  
  Reading Comprehension Butler  
  Data Insights Butler

siddhantvarma · Answer

Premise: Companies are emphasising helping spouses of expatriate employees adjust to foreign environments. 
Conclusion/Argument: Premature returns reduced by 67 percent.

Pre-thinking: Spouses couldn't adjust to the foreign environments due to which the employees had to return

(A) Spousal and marital difficulties were formerly responsible for many premature returns from foreign assignments.
This connects spousal issues directly to premature returns, and also aligns well with our pre-thinking. Keep

(B) When an employee is placed in a foreign assignment for a year or less, his or her family sees the assignment as an adventure.
Irrelevant, if anything this goes against the premise telling us that the family adjusts well to the foreign environment. Eliminate

(C) Expatriate employees work long hours and travel a great deal, and their children make new friends at school, but spouses often have no friends and no work to support them while they're abroad.
This gives us a reason why spouses might have difficulties but can't be directly tied to premature returns. It's not a required assumption, spouses could have no friends or work and still adjust well to the foreign environment. Eliminate

(D) The majority of international assignments today last for less than a year, but ten years ago, 70 percent of them lasted much longer than one year.
Comparing assignment lengths over time doesn't tell us anything. Eliminate

(E) Many companies now offer expatriate spouses language training, career guidance, and assistance in finding homes and schools.
This restates the conclusion that companies provide spousal support but doesn't establish why this lack of support was actually causing premature returns. Eliminate

The correct answer is (A)

Dereno · Answer

He makes a clear statement that PREMATURE RETURN RATES HAS REDUCED BY 67 percent. So, the assumption must support this statement with spouse relationships in some way or the other. 
 
Going through the options. We see two close options A and C. And the rest are contradictory in nature.

(A) Spousal and marital difficulties were formerly responsible for many premature returns from foreign assignments.
 
since companies stress to a greater extent the need for helping spouses of expatriate employees, is a clear indicator that this has been a problem prior. The concluding statement premature returns rates haven reduced by 67% show cases the success rates for international companies efforts to help spouses.

(B) When an employee is placed in a foreign assignment for a year or less, his or her family sees the assignment as an adventure.
 
This says family view it as an adventure. How has it impacted premature returns ? No clear support in the direction.

(C) Expatriate employees work long hours and travel a great deal, and their children make new friends at school, but spouses often have no friends and no work to support them while they’re abroad.
 
this tricky option, show cases a few options among many possibilities. For example, the spouse too might be working or have got a great community to cherish with. May be the spouse would have liked the surrounding and new people which would have extended the stay.

or acclimating to new climate or food can also be a reason.

(D) The majority of international assignments today last for less than a year, but ten years ago, 70 percent of them lasted much longer than one year.
 
If return is less than a year, then transfer or family to a new location for a shorter span seems contradictory.

(E) Many companies now offer expatriate spouses language training, career guidance, and assistance in finding homes and schools.
 
This describes current company practices but does not address the assumption linking spousal support to reduced premature returns.

option A

Bunuel · Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION:

A. Spousal and marital difficulties were formerly responsible for many premature returns from foreign assignments.

If helping spouses has improved expatriate retention by such a huge amount, then unhappy spouses must have previously been responsible for lots of premature returns. Choice (A) looks like a good answer. If unhappy spouses contributed to employees’ leaving international assignments, helping spouses adjust would improve the situation. Choice (B) is wrong. If spouses are already thrilled with the international experience, their dissatisfaction is unlikely to contribute to employees’ leaving their overseas posts. Choice (C) would support the argument, but it’s too specific to be a necessary assumption on which the conclusion depends (there could well be other reasons why spouses are dissatisfied). Choice (D) doesn’t explain why helping spouses has improved retention. Choice (E) provides an example of what companies are doing to help spouses but isn’t the assumption that links the argument’s premises to the conclusion. Choice (A) is the best answer.

Career counselor: Many large international companies have changed

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

GMAT Critical Reasoning (CR) Questions

Career counselor: Many large international companies have changed

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards