Critical Reasoning

An advertising agency must leave its office building. To save overhead costs, it is considering setting up a
"virtual office" instead of moving to an adjacent office building. Employees will do their work on computers, as
they do now, but will do so at home, sharing their work with colleagues by communicating text and designs to
colleagues' computers through telephone lines, receiving typed comments, and then revising the work until it is
satisfactory. Which of the following, if true, indicates a disadvantage of the virtual office plan?
A. The agency can move its computers and associated equipment into employees' homes without purchasing any
new equipment or requiring employees to purchase such equipment.
B. To reach the current office building and return home, employees spend an average of one and a half hours per
day commuting, usually in heavy traffic.
C. The employees of the advertising agency are accustomed to autonomy in monitoring their own progress and
productivity.
D. Employees would be able to adapt quickly to using computers in a virtual office setting, since employees'
current use of computers to produce designs requires a high level of skill.
E. Expressions and gestures in face-to-face exchanges are an important aid to employees in gauging the viability
of new ideas they have proposed.

I'd go with E here. this choice tells us that face to face communication is an important aspect in gauging the viability of new ideas and therefore the virtual office idea won't fly.


what's the OA and source?

I would go with A.

IMO - While E offers a strong disadvantage, the argument mentions that the company is trying to save overhead costs. It does not talk about the effectiveness of working from the "virtual office".

IMO E.
ADv agency must leave office building and take the work to employees home. we arae required to find a reason why office set-up is better than each individual working from their respective homes.

Only E provides a good reason why moving the office work in home setting could possibly hamper overall productivity.
A - agency can move office computers into homes without any additional purchase. STRENGTHENS the argument in a way.
B - employees spend 1.5 hours daily to commute from office to home and back. STRENGTHENs the argument why moving work to homes could be a better idea.
C - employees are accustomed to monitoring their own progress. this will not affect the argument in ANY wAy. and IT certainly DOES NOT WEAKEN IT.
D - Employees will adapt quickly to working from home. THIS also DOES NOT WEAKEN the argument - if at all, it STRENGTHENS IT saying its fine if the company decides to go for a virtual office setting. Its employees are flexible and will adapt quickly to that new setting.
Only E suggests that reduced face-to-face communication could possible hamper new ideas.
Hence E

Dang - I misread question. I agree it should be E.