Reading Comprehension

Source: OG 12th Ed

Jon Clark's study of the effect of the
modernization of a telephone exchange on exchange
maintenance work and workers is a solid
contribution to a debate that encompasses two
lively issues in the history and sociology of
technology: technological determinism and social
constructivism.

Clark makes the point that the characteristics of a
technology have a decisive influence on job skills
and work organization. Put more strongly,
technology can be a primary determinant of social
and managerial organization. Clark believes this
possibility has been obscured by the recent
sociological fashion, exemplified by Braverman's
analysis, that emphasizes the way machinery
reflects social choices. For Braverman, the shape of
a technological system is subordinate to the
manager's desire to wrest control of the labor
process from the workers. Technological change is
construed as the outcome of negotiations among
interested parties who seek to incorporate their own
interests into the design and configuration of the
machinery. This position represents the new
mainstream called social constructivism.

The constructivists gain acceptance by
misrepresenting technological determinism:
technological determinists are supposed to believe,
for example, that machinery imposes appropriate
forms of order on society. The alternative to
constructivism, in other words, is to view technology
as existing outside society, capable of directly
influencing skills and work organization.

Clark refutes the extremes of the constructivists
by both theoretical and empirical arguments.
Theoretically he defines "technology" in terms of
relationships between social and technical variables.
Attempts to reduce the meaning of technology to
cold, hard metal are bound to fail, for machinery is
just scrap unless it is organized functionally and
supported by appropriate systems of operation and
maintenance. At the empirical level Clark shows how
a change at the telephone exchange from
maintenance-intensive electromechanical switches
to semielectronic switching systems altered work
tasks, skills, training opportunities, administration,
and organization of workers. Some changes Clark
attributes to the particular way management and
labor unions negotiated the introduction of the
technology, whereas others are seen as arising from
the capabilities and nature of the technology itself.
Thus Clark helps answer the question: "When is
social choice decisive and when are the concrete
characteristics of technology more important?"

Q 1
Which of the following most accurately describes Clark's opinion of Braverman's position?
(A) He respects its wide-ranging popularity.
(B) He disapproves of its misplaced emphasis on the influence of managers.
(C) He admires the consideration it gives to the attitudes of the workers affected.
(D) He is concerned about its potential to impede the implementation of new technologies.
(E) He is sympathetic to its concern about the impact of modern technology on workers.

OA: B

Q 2
The information in the passage suggests that which of the following statements from hypothetical sociological studies of change in industry most clearly exemplifi es the social constructivists' version of technological determinism?
(A) It is the available technology that determines workers' skills, rather than workers' skills influencing the application of technology.
(B) All progress in industrial technology grows out of a continuing negotiation between technological possibility and human need.
(C) Some organizational change is caused by people; some is caused by computer chips.
(D) Most major technological advances in industry have been generated through research and development.
(E) Some industrial technology eliminates jobs, but educated workers can create whole new skills areas by the adaptation of the technology.

OA: A

Q 3
The information in the passage suggests that Clark believes that which of the following would be true if social constructivism had not gained widespread acceptance?
(A) Businesses would be more likely to modernize without considering the social consequences of their actions.
(B) There would be greater understanding of the role played by technology in producing social change.
(C) Businesses would be less likely to understand the attitudes of employees affected by modernization.
(D) Modernization would have occurred at a slower rate.
(E) Technology would have played a greater part in determining the role of business in society.

OA: B

Please explain

Received a PM asking me to respond here. Before I jump into this passage and explain the questions, I'd love to hear a bit more about what your original answers were and how you worked through the passage. What was your thought process for each question? What did you find particularly challenging? Are there wrong answer choices that you find especially tempting?

You'll definitely learn more from the forums by offering an explanation of your thinking. From there, I'm happy to provide clarifications and additions that can move this discussion forward! For more on optimal forum use, see Stacey Koprince's recent article. https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/05/ ... the-forums

This is an interesting passage/set of questions, so I look forward to seeing your thoughts!

This passage contains 8 questions. I solved 5 but 3 couldn't. I could not understood even I saw explanation from OG.

I usually go through passage then I approach to question. But know, I am trying to follow Manhattan strategy to helpful in taking in notes.

This passage I did 15 days back. So, I could not remember the story.

Ok, great! Note-taking is definitely a valuable skill on RC -- it improves your efficiency and helps to simplify complicated GMAT prose. Let's look at the first question, which is asking you to see the relationship between points of view in the passage. You always want to be on the lookout for these various points of view; note mentions of theorists, studies, conventional wisdom, and indications of the author's point of view. The GMAT loves to ask about the relationship between these various POVs, and that's exactly what this question is doing.

This question asks you to describe Clark's opinion of Braverman's position. Before you even look at the answer choices, let's go back to the passage to determine the relationship between their POVs. Try to come up with a broad summary of this relationship, and then eliminate answer choices that do not fit your summary.

So what do you think here? Broadly, do Clark and Braverman agree or disagree? What's the relationship between their POVs? Which answer choices can you eliminate after determining this relationship?

Let's start there and we'll keep working through these. Let me know what you think!

akhp77 wrote:Source: OG 12th Ed

Jon Clark's study of the effect of the
modernization of a telephone exchange on exchange
maintenance work and workers is a solid
contribution to a debate that encompasses two
lively issues in the history and sociology of
technology: technological determinism and social
constructivism.

Clark makes the point that the characteristics of a
technology have a decisive influence on job skills
and work organization. Put more strongly,
technology can be a primary determinant of social
and managerial organization. Clark believes this
possibility has been obscured by the recent
sociological fashion, exemplified by Braverman's
analysis, that emphasizes the way machinery
reflects social choices. For Braverman, the shape of
a technological system is subordinate to the
manager's desire to wrest control of the labor
process from the workers. Technological change is
construed as the outcome of negotiations among
interested parties who seek to incorporate their own
interests into the design and configuration of the
machinery. This position represents the new
mainstream called social constructivism.

The constructivists gain acceptance by
misrepresenting technological determinism:
technological determinists are supposed to believe,
for example, that machinery imposes appropriate
forms of order on society. The alternative to
constructivism, in other words, is to view technology
as existing outside society, capable of directly
influencing skills and work organization.

Clark refutes the extremes of the constructivists
by both theoretical and empirical arguments.
Theoretically he defines "technology" in terms of
relationships between social and technical variables.
Attempts to reduce the meaning of technology to
cold, hard metal are bound to fail, for machinery is
just scrap unless it is organized functionally and
supported by appropriate systems of operation and
maintenance. At the empirical level Clark shows how
a change at the telephone exchange from
maintenance-intensive electromechanical switches
to semielectronic switching systems altered work
tasks, skills, training opportunities, administration,
and organization of workers. Some changes Clark
attributes to the particular way management and
labor unions negotiated the introduction of the
technology, whereas others are seen as arising from
the capabilities and nature of the technology itself.
Thus Clark helps answer the question: "When is
social choice decisive and when are the concrete
characteristics of technology more important?"

Q 1
Which of the following most accurately describes Clark's opinion of Braverman's position?
(A) He respects its wide-ranging popularity.
(B) He disapproves of its misplaced emphasis on the influence of managers.
(C) He admires the consideration it gives to the attitudes of the workers affected.
(D) He is concerned about its potential to impede the implementation of new technologies.
(E) He is sympathetic to its concern about the impact of modern technology on workers.

OA: B

Q 2
The information in the passage suggests that which of the following statements from hypothetical sociological studies of change in industry most clearly exemplifi es the social constructivists' version of technological determinism?
(A) It is the available technology that determines workers' skills, rather than workers' skills influencing the application of technology.
(B) All progress in industrial technology grows out of a continuing negotiation between technological possibility and human need.
(C) Some organizational change is caused by people; some is caused by computer chips.
(D) Most major technological advances in industry have been generated through research and development.
(E) Some industrial technology eliminates jobs, but educated workers can create whole new skills areas by the adaptation of the technology.

OA: A

Q 3
The information in the passage suggests that Clark believes that which of the following would be true if social constructivism had not gained widespread acceptance?
(A) Businesses would be more likely to modernize without considering the social consequences of their actions.
(B) There would be greater understanding of the role played by technology in producing social change.
(C) Businesses would be less likely to understand the attitudes of employees affected by modernization.
(D) Modernization would have occurred at a slower rate.
(E) Technology would have played a greater part in determining the role of business in society.

OA: B

Please explain

It took me 8 min to finish this paragraph. I got 1 & 3 as right. for me Q-2 ans. was B

Q1
It is contain in following passage
... + Clark believes this possibility has been obscured by the recent sociological fashion, exemplified by Braverman's analysis, that emphasizes the way machinery reflects social choices. + ..

It is very hard for me to infer E.

neha.patni wrote: It took me 8 min to finish this paragraph. I got 1 & 3 as right. for me Q-2 ans. was B

Such comment is not helpful to me.

Can someone explain Q3?

Thanks.

jen@knewton wrote:Received a PM asking me to respond here. Before I jump into this passage and explain the questions, I'd love to hear a bit more about what your original answers were and how you worked through the passage. What was your thought process for each question? What did you find particularly challenging? Are there wrong answer choices that you find especially tempting?

You'll definitely learn more from the forums by offering an explanation of your thinking. From there, I'm happy to provide clarifications and additions that can move this discussion forward! For more on optimal forum use, see Stacey Koprince's recent article. https://www.beatthegmat.com/mba/2010/05/ ... the-forums

This is an interesting passage/set of questions, so I look forward to seeing your thoughts!

Hi Jen,

I have given my thoughts on how I have chosen an answer Q1. Please, help me with your insights as how good you think about the thought process?

Q1: IMO B. Detail question type. Need to look at the passage.

Which of the following most accurately describes Clark's opinion of Braverman's position?
(A) He respects its wide-ranging popularity. "Nowhere has words indicating respect or admiration given in passage."
(B) He disapproves of its misplaced emphasis on the influence of managers. "From 2nd passage, Braveman's view: shape of tech system = Manager's desire to take control of labor processes from workers. Now, in passage 4, Clark refutes Braveman in empirically level through example where changes in tech system affected some labor processes."
(C) He admires the consideration it gives to the attitudes of the workers affected. "Same reason as for A. "
(D) He is concerned about its potential to impede the implementation of new technologies. "implementation of new technologies is not discussed anywhere."
(E) He is sympathetic to its concern about the impact of modern technology on workers. "No signs of sympathy shown in passage, neither modern technology discussed."

Now for Q2: Again Detail question type. So, need to go back to passage.

IMO: A

The information in the passage suggests that which of the following statements from hypothetical sociological studies of change in industry most clearly exemplifies the social constructivists' version of technological determinism?

"question is asking to find the right answer choice that matches with social constructivists' version of technological determinism"

(A) It is the available technology that determines workers' skills, rather than workers' skills influencing the application of technology. "From 1st line of 2nd para; Clark's view: technology influence job skills and work organization. While Braverman's has opposite view: Machinery(read technology) influences social choices(read workers' area)."
(B) All progress in industrial technology grows out of a continuing negotiation between technological possibility and human need. (This option says that technological advancement is influenced by negotiation between technological possibility and human need.) "Now, in the last paragraph, negotiation is discussed between managers and labor( not technological possibility and human need) by clark(not Braverman)"
(C) Some organizational change is caused by people; some is caused by computer chips. "Nowhere it is mentioned like that"
(D) Most major technological advances in industry have been generated through research and development. "same as C"
(E) Some industrial technology eliminates jobs, but educated workers can create whole new skills areas by the adaptation of the technology. "Never discussed"

Q3: Again Detail question type. So, need to go back to passage.

The information in the passage suggests that Clark believes that which of the following would be true if social constructivism had not gained widespread acceptance?
(Qus asks about which option Clark believes will hold true when social constructivism is not favourite)

(A) Businesses would be more likely to modernize without considering the social consequences of their actions. "It is quite close but not right answer. It says, Businesses will modernize but nowhere had modernization discussed." The passage discuss the influence of machine over social set up(workers, management etc.) and vice versa. There are two different opinion. Clark(or technological determinism ) holds first one while Braverman (constructivism) holds opposite to clark's opinion
(B) There would be greater understanding of the role played by technology in producing social change. "Goes well with Clark's ideas. If Braverman doesn't work then the opposite will(Clark's philosophy). Hence, technology will be producing social change. Right choice"
(C) Businesses would be less likely to understand the attitudes of employees affected by modernization. "Attitudes of employees(or else labor) or modernization are not related with business in the passage. Neither we can conclude about this from passage"
(D) Modernization would have occurred at a slower rate. "Again, modernization is not in the scope of this discussion"
(E) Technology would have played a greater part in determining the role of business in society. "The first part viz. technology is inline but the second part viz. business in society is not relevant"

According to my comprehension Iam writing these answers.Guess this would help.

Q 1
Which of the following most accurately describes Clark's opinion of Braverman's position?

answer:He disapproves of its misplaced emphasis on the influence of managers.
Reason:We know that clark refutes Braverman's postion. So when we look into the options we find that all other options are positive expect this one.

Q 2
The information in the passage suggests that which of the following statements from hypothetical sociological studies of change in industry most clearly exemplifi es the social constructivists' version of technological determinism?

Answer Given:(A) It is the available technology that determines workers' skills, rather than workers' skills influencing the application of technology.

Even i find this as incorrect..I feel option B is true.

(B) All progress in industrial technology grows out of a continuing negotiation between technological possibility and human need.

Q 3
The information in the passage suggests that Clark believes that which of the following would be true if social constructivism had not gained widespread acceptance?

Answer:(B) There would be greater understanding of the role played by technology in producing social change.
Reason:If social constructivism had not gained widespread acceptance,then technological determinism would have gained it.So.everyone would have understood the effect of technology on society.

I am completely lost on Qn. 3. Could not understand the question itself? Could somebody explain please the question and how to identify the answer?