Decentralization enables divisions of a large

Answer choices

1. A

   Correct47% picked this

   In large institutions whose divisions do not function autonomously, planning is

   Why this is right

   This is strong in the sense that it's a conditional about all large institutions that do not have autonomously functioning divisions. But what it's saying about them is weak "planning is not maximally realistic". It could be anywhere from 0-99% realistic, but not 100% realistic. Do we know anything about maximal realistic planning / not having autonomously functioning divisions? Well that language comes from the first two claims. We were told that decentralization can allow divisions to function autonomously, and that this always allows for more realistic planning. So according to that rule, if you haven't yet made your divisions function autonomously, then there's no way you could be at 100% realistic planning. There is always room for more realistic planning when you enable divisions to function autonomously.

   Skill tested: Most Supported · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

   47%
2. B

   Unsupported: not encouraged16% picked this

   Innovation is not always encouraged in large

   This is very attractively weak language, but we have no support for any instances in which innovation is not encouraged. We were told about something that "strongly encourages innovation", but that's a relative sense (strongly encourages vs. mildly encourages). There isn't any language that's absolute (does / doesn't encourage). And there may be many different things that strongly encourage innovation. Even if a large institution didn't decentralize, we couldn't say that they therefore don't encourage innovation.

   16%
3. C

   Unknown Comparison7% picked this

   For large institutions the advantages of decentralization outweigh

   We were only told about decentralization's advantages, so we would be speculating that they outweigh the disadvantages. We're not sure what those disadvantages are.

   7%
4. D

   Too Strong: usually / most22% picked this

   The central administrations of large institutions are usually partially responsible for most of the details

   We can't get this quantitatively specific and say that central admin's, more than 50% of the time, are partially responsible for more than 50% of the details of daily operations. Just because central admin has the potential to be overwhelmed by the details of daily operations doesn't mean they're responsible for more than 50% of them. Picture the central administration of the Pentagon. Maybe it's a crew of like 10 people. There's no way they're responsible for more than 50% of the details of the 1000 people working at the Pentagon.

   22%
5. E

   Too Strong: always8% picked this

   The people directly involved in implementing policies are always able to make innovative and

   The passage was saying that when the people who are responsible for decision making are also the people directly involved in implementing the policies they design, then you get more realistic planning and encouraged innovation. But this answer is talking purely about people who are involved in implementing policies (they may or may not also be responsible for decision making). We can't say that they always are able to make innovative and realistic decisions.

   8%