Logical Reasoning

PT124 · S2 · Q15 Midlevel managers at large corporations

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Midlevel managers at large corporations are unlikely to suggest reductions in staff in their own departments even when these departments are obviously overstaffed.

Claim

Even when a department is obviously overstaffed, midlevel managers at large corporations are unlikely to suggest a reduction in staff in their department.

Goal

This is just one claim, not an argument, so there's nothing to evaluate. So we can just head to the answers and look for four answers that help support the idea that midlevel managers don't usually suggest staff reductions, even when their department is obviously overstaffed.

15.

Each of the following, if true, supports the claim above EXCEPT:

  1. The compensation paid to midlevel

    Supports

    This helps explain why midlevel managers don't want to reduce their bloated staffs: they get paid more when they supervise more workers.

    1% picked this

  2. Midlevel managers have less work

    Supports

    This helps explain why midlevel managers don't want to reduce their overstuffed staffs: they don't have to work as hard when their departments are overstaffed.

    2% picked this

  3. Staff morale and productivity often

    Supports

    This helps explain why midlevel managers don't want to reduce their overstuffed staffs: they know that if they lay off some of their staff, the remaining workers will suffer a decrease in morale and productivity.

    1% picked this

  4. Departmental workloads at most large

    Supports

    This helps explain why midlevel managers don't want to reduce their overstuffed staffs: they know that the workload of the department is sometimes pretty low (so it feels like their are more workers than necessary) and other times the workload is very high (you're glad to have all hands on deck). So even though the staff feels bloated, the managers worry that they would lay off some excess workers, and then suddenly the workload of the department would skyrocket and they'd be screwed by not having enough workers.

    10% picked this

  5. Correct

    Many large corporations allow managers

    Why this is right

    This doesn't give any reason why midlevel managers would be averse to trimming down their overstaffed department. It actually seems to offer them an easy way to trim away workers: you can offer the older ones an early retirement.

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

    87% picked this

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