Critical Reasoning

Most employees in the computer industry move from company to company, changing jobs several times in their careers. However, Summit Computers is known throughout the industry for retaining its employees. Summit credits its success in retaining employees to its informal, non hierarchical work environment.

Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports Summit's explanation of its success in retaining employees?

(a) Some people employed in the computer industry change jobs if they become bored with their current projects
(b) A hierarchical work environment hinders the cooperative exchange of ideas that computer industry employees consider necessary for their work
(c) Many of Summit's senior employees had previously worked at only one other computer company.
(d) In a nonhierarchical work environment, people avoid behavior that might threaten group harmony and thus avoid discussing with their colleagues any dissatisfaction they might have with their jobs.
(e) The cost of living near Summit is relatively low compared to areas in which some other computer companies are located

OA: [spoiler]B--"This statement properly identifies a point that strengthens the company's argument, relating the work environment to job satisfaction and therefore to employees' remaining at the company"[/spoiler]


I choosed D.
Premises: Summit retains employees
Concl: Summit credits retention on informal, nonhierarchical work environment.
Doesn't answer choice D strengthen the argument on retention since people don't necessarily want to "rock the boat" at work and therefore keep the "informal" atmosphere at bay? Who cares if cooperation and exchange of ideas is necessary. That doesn't explain why Summit retains its employees or explain why things are "informal" or "nonhierarchical". Any thoughts?

A-states a possible reason why people change jobs ...does not support the argument
B-employees consider the exchange of ideas necessary for work (which is possible in a non-hierarchial environment)- sounds like a good choice BUT remember to read all the alternatives
C-is irelevant
D-states that it is possible people are dissatisfied with their jobs but, given the non-hierarchial environment, they do not discuss the issues w/ their colleagues...sounds more like it is weakening than strengthening the argument
E- is irelevant


You can easily eliminate A, C, and E. D is a little tricky and does the opposite of what is being asked

Answer is B

thp510 wrote: Who cares if cooperation and exchange of ideas is necessary. That doesn't explain why Summit retains its employees or explain why things are "informal" or "nonhierarchical". Any thoughts?

We aren't looking to explain why Summit retains its employees. The explanation we are given is that it because it has a non hierarchical environment. We need to find the statement that adds more proof to that assertion. The correct answer choice will offer more proof that it is in fact the non hierarchical structure that is responsible for the high retention rates.

Choice B
Conclusion: Summit can retain computer industry employees because it doesn't have a hierarchical environment and computer industry employees find themselves hindered by hierarchical environments.

It's not a smoking gun, but it definitely adds more support for the conclusion.

Choice D
The question stem tells us to take all statements as true, so if you have a non-hierarchical work environment, you aren't going to discuss any dissatisfaction you have with your job. Take it a step further: Because Summit has a non hierarchical environment, Summit employees don't discuss their job dissatisfaction with other employees.

Conclusion: Summit can retain employees because it doesn't have a hierarchical environment and Summit employees don't discuss their job dissatisfaction with other employees.

Summit Employees don't discuss their dissatisfaction with other employees. So what? That doesn't change the fact that Summit still has a high retention rate and it doesn't help show that it has a high retention rate because of the non hierarchical work environment.


Remember, we aren't evaluating whether the claim being made is true or not, you have to accept it as true and look add more proof to it.

thp510 wrote:Most employees in the computer industry move from company to company, changing jobs several times in their careers. However, Summit Computers is known throughout the industry for retaining its employees. Summit credits its success in retaining employees to its informal, non hierarchical work environment.

Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports Summit's explanation of its success in retaining employees?

(a) Some people employed in the computer industry change jobs if they become bored with their current projects
(b) A hierarchical work environment hinders the cooperative exchange of ideas that computer industry employees consider necessary for their work
(c) Many of Summit's senior employees had previously worked at only one other computer company.
(d) In a nonhierarchical work environment, people avoid behavior that might threaten group harmony and thus avoid discussing with their colleagues any dissatisfaction they might have with their jobs.
(e) The cost of living near Summit is relatively low compared to areas in which some other computer companies are located

OA: [spoiler]B--"This statement properly identifies a point that strengthens the company's argument, relating the work environment to job satisfaction and therefore to employees' remaining at the company"[/spoiler]


I choosed D.
Premises: Summit retains employees
Concl: Summit credits retention on informal, nonhierarchical work environment.
Doesn't answer choice D strengthen the argument on retention since people don't necessarily want to "rock the boat" at work and therefore keep the "informal" atmosphere at bay? Who cares if cooperation and exchange of ideas is necessary. That doesn't explain why Summit retains its employees or explain why things are "informal" or "nonhierarchical". Any thoughts?

Lets just try to analyze the question, it saysmost strongly supports Summit's explanation of its success in retaining employees, the reason which summit computers explain for retaining its employee is " Informal, non hierarchical work environment",, now we must look into the answer choices which supports this policy of summit's computer.

A) Its just referring to the possible reason which might cause the employees to leave their organization but it didn't throw any light on why summit corporation is able to retain its employee and also it didn't mention at all about its non- hierarchical work environment and its effect on its employee.

B) Well it explains the advantage of having the non- hierarchical work environment, which might be the reason for summit computers to retain its employee.

C) Its completely out of scope.

D) It states that employees are not satisfied with their jobs and its because of the system that they're not able to express their dissatisfaction about their job with its colleague, so from here we can conclude that the system might be helping in maintaining the decorum of the work, but it might not help in retaining the employees.

E) It points to the alternate reason other than the one which is mentioned by summit computers in retaining its employee and hence can be negated.

i hope it helps...!!!![/u]