Critical Reasoning

Analyst: Creative professionals, such as clothing designers, graphic designers, and decorators, often have very poor managerial skills and do not succeed when they try to run their own businesses. In fact, most of these creative types are less skilled in business than is the average white-collar professional who does not work in a creative field. Generally, creative talent and business acumen rarely go hand in hand.

If the analyst's argument is taken as true, which of the following statements can properly be concluded?

A. No successful businesspeople are creative.

B. Some creative types are not less skilled at business than is the average white-collar worker who is not creative.

C. Creativity precludes success in business.

D. Any white-collar worker who is not creative is more successful in business than any creative professional.

E. Business is not a creative endeavor.

OA: B

Can someone explain what option B is trying to say?

Hi,
Analogy: Most(majority, but not all) of the BTG members are Americans => Some of the BTG members are not Americans.

Stimulus: "In fact, most of these creative types are less skilled in business than is the average white-collar professional who does not work in a creative field".
This means most(but not all)of these creative types are less skilled...
So, there are some of these creative types that are not less skilled...
This is what B intends to say.

Analyst: Creative professionals, such as clothing designers, graphic designers, and decorators, OFTEN have very poor managerial skills and do not succeed when they try to run their own businesses. In fact, MOST of these creative types are less skilled in business than is the average white-collar professional who does not work in a creative field. Generally, creative talent and business acumen rarely go hand in hand.

If the analyst's argument is taken as true, which of the following statements can properly be concluded?

A. No successful businesspeople are creative.
B. Some creative types are not less skilled at business than is the average white-collar worker who is not creative.
C. Creativity precludes success in business.
D. Any white-collar worker who is not creative is more successful in business than any creative professional.
E. Business is not a creative endeavor.

Pay particular attention to the use of words in the stimulus.

1) The word 'often' means 'most of the time but not always.' This means that creative professionals MOST OF THE TIME BUT NOT ALWAYS have very poor managerial skills and do not succeed when they try to run their own business. Logically speaking, this also means that THERE ARE creative professionals who have great managerial skills and DO succeed when they try to run their own business.

2) The word 'most' means 'almost everyone but NOT everyone.' Putting things into perspective, it can be said that most means 99 out of 100 but not 100. This means that almost everyone but NOT everyone of these creative types are less skilled in business than is the average white-collar professional who does not work in a creative field.

The conclusion must be proven by the premises in the stimulus.

A. No successful businesspeople are creative. - The word 'NO' makes it true strong a statement. This is wrong.

C. Creative precludes success in business. - This answer choice implies causality, but there's no such thing said in the stimulus.

D. Any white-collar worker who is not creative is more successful in business than any creative professional. - Again, mind the word "any."

E. Business is not a creative endeavor - Out of scope.

B. Some creative types are not less skilled at business than is the average white-collar worker who is not creative.

Actually Bubbliii... your question is right but there is a strategy you have to follow. In this example, the passage is talking about Creative professionals having less business skills than white collar people in business. But you cannot say the same thing as the white collar people are more skilled in business. This is the problem with reasoning. You could also go through the chapter 'Syllogisms' which is asked in other management exams. eg: Some A's are B's. But you cannot say that some A's are not B's becoz that is true in all the circumstances. This is what I thought.