GWD4－22答案怎么选a呢？

carolyue

      Many managers are influenced by

            dangerous myths about pay that lead

            to counterproductive decisions about

Line     how their companies compensate

  (5)     employees.  One such myth is that

labor rates, the rate per hour paid to

workers, are identical with labor costs,

the money spent on labor in relation to

the productivity of the labor force.

(10)    This myth leads to the assumption that

a company can simply lower its labor

costs by cutting wages.  But labor

costs and labor rates are not in fact

the same:  one company could pay

(15)    its workers considerably more than

another and yet have lower labor

costs if that company’s productivity

were higher due to the talent of its

workforce, the efficiency of its work

(20)    processes, or other factors.  The

            confusion of costs with rates per-

            sists partly because labor rates are

a convenient target for managers who

want to make an impact on their com-

(25)    pany’s budgets.  Because labor rates

are highly visible, managers can easily

compare their company’s rates with

those of competitors.  Furthermore,

labor rates often appear to be a

(30)    company’s most malleable financial

variable:  cutting wages appears an

easier way to control costs than such

            options as reconfiguring work pro-

cesses or altering product design.

(35)         The myth that labor rates and labor

costs are equivalent is supported by

business journalists, who frequently

confound the two.  For example, prom-

inent business journals often remark on

(40)   the “high” cost of German labor, citing

as evidence the average amount paid

to German workers.  The myth is also

perpetuated by the compensation-

consulting industry, which has its own

(45)    incentives to keep such myths alive.

First, although some of these con-

sulting firms have recently broadened

their practices beyond the area of

compensation, their mainstay con-

(50)    tinues to be advising companies on

changing their compensation prac-

tices.  Suggesting that a company’s

performance can be improved in

some other way than by altering its

(55)    pay system may be empirically cor-

rect but contrary to the consultants’

interests.  Furthermore, changes

to the compensation system may

appear to be simpler to implement

(60)    than changes to other aspects of an

organization, so managers are more

likely to find such advice from con-

sultants palatable.  Finally, to the

extant that changes in compensation

(65)    create new problems, the consultants

will continue to have

carolyue

Q22:

The author of the passage suggests which of the following about the advice that the consulting firms discussed in the passage customarily give to companies attempting to control costs?

                        

1. It often fails to bring about the intended changes in companies’ compensation systems.
2. It has highly influenced views that predominate in prominent business journals.
3. It tends to result in decreased labor rates but increased labor costs.
4. It leads to changes in companies’ compensation practices that are less visible than changes to work processes would be.
5. It might be different if the consulting firms were less narrowly specialized.

dinosaure

我认为应该选B; 原文定位如下:

The myth is also

perpetuated by the compensation-

consulting industry, which has its own

(45)      incentives to keep such myths alive.

文章并没有说consulting firms' advices often fail,只是说可能比其它方法更没有效果,即效果不一定很好,而不是fail;

[此贴子已经被作者于2004-11-14 12:54:13编辑过]

BoatOnTheRiver

I think E is the correct answer. The question asked about the "advice".

A: Wrong

The the advice that the consulting firms discussed DOES NOT "often fails to bring about the intended changes in companies’ compensation systems"; Rather, it brings changes to companies' compensation systems although the "changes in compensation create new problems".

B. Wrong

It didn't say in the article that the "advice that the consulting firms discussed in the passage customarily give to companies" "has highly influenced views that predominate in prominent business journals".

I think this choice tries to confuse "prominent business journals" that "often remark on the “high” cost of German labor" with the "advice" the consulting company gives.

C: Wrong

Hard to jump to this conclusion

D: Wrong

The oposite may be true:  It leads to changes in companies’ compensation practices that are MORE visible than changes to work processes would be.

E: Why Do I think it is right?

Read these sentences:

"

First, although some of these con-

sulting firms have recently broadened

their practices beyond the area of

compensation, their mainstay con-

(50)     tinues to be advising companies on

changing their compensation prac-

tices.  Suggesting that a company’s

performance can be improved in

some other way than by altering its

(55)     pay system may be empirically cor-

rect but contrary to the consultants’

interests."

It hints that the company was "narrowly specialized" in "advising companies on changing their compensation practices". So if the consulting company was "less narrowly specialized" in compensation practices, the advice it gives to those companies may be different (might not be focusing on compensation practices).

   

[此贴子已经被作者于2004-11-16 14:15:37编辑过]

vancouverade

支持A,GWD的答案基本上来源是ETS上的答案