gwd 2-35

coolgirl

Question 5 – 8:

This passage is based on an article written in 2000.

            The traditional model of employer-employee relations in the United States was a                                1

“psychological contract” in which employees made long-term commitments to                                                         2

organizations in exchange for long-term job security, training and development, and                                      3

internal opportunities for promotion.  Beginning mainly with the recession in the early                                    4

1970’s, this paradigm began to unravel.  Organizations began using extensive downsizing                  5

and outsourcing to decrease the number of permanent employees in the workforce.  Among              6

employees this situation has resulted in a decided shift in desire: in stead of working their                               7

way up in an organization, many now prefer to work their way out.  Entrepreneurship at                               8

the small business administration are now the fastest-growing majors in business schools.                             9

            Several factors have generated movement from the old paradigm to the new one.                              10

Organizations have had legitimate and pressing reasons to shift to a new paradigm of                                    11

employer-employee relations.  Large numbers of permanent employees make it difficult                                 12

for organizations to respond quickly to downturns in demand by decreasing payroll costs.                             13

The enormous rights in wrongful discharge suites has created incentives for organizations                             14

to use temporary, contract, and leased employees in order to distance themselves from                                  15

potential litigation problems.  Moreover, top management is under increased pressure                                    16

from shareholders to generate higher and higher levels of return on investment in the                                     17

short run, resulting in declines in hiring, increases in layoffs, and shortage of funds for                                 18

employee development.                                                                                                                                                                                       19

            At the same time, a lack of forthrightness on the part of organizations has led to                                           20

increased cynicism among employees about management’s motivation and competence.                                21

Employees are now working 15 percent more hours per week than they were 20 years ago,              22

but organizations acknowledge this fact only by running stress-management workshops                                23

to help employees to cope.  Sales people are being asked to increase sales at the same time                24

organizations have cut travel, phone, and advertising budgets.  Employees could probably                  25

cope effectively with changes in the psychological contract if organizations were more                                 26

forthright about how they were changing it.  But the euphemistic jargon used by executives               27

to justify the changes they were implementing frequently backfires; rather than                                                         28

engendering sympathy for management’s position, it sparks employees’ desire to be                                      29

free of the organization all together.  In a recent study of employees’ attitudes about                                      30

management, 49 percent of the sample strongly agreed that “management will take                                       31

advantage of you if given the chance.”                                                                                                                                                      32

Question 7:

Which of the following best characterizes the function of the final sentence of the

passage (lines 30-32)?

A.      It is such as an alternative explanation for phenomenon discussed earlier in the passage.

B.      It provides data intended to correct a common misconception.

C.      It further weakens an argument that is being challenged by the author.

D.     It introduces a specific piece of evidence in support of a claim made at beginning

of the final paragraph (lines 20-21).

E.  It answers a question that is implicit in the preceding sentence (lines 27-30).

答案是d,我觉得好像e更正确一些，只是e答案中的question好像有些问题，大家说呢？

robertchu

D is the best answer.
At beginning of Paragraph 2 (P2), the author claims "Organization’s lack of forthrightness has led to increasedcynicism among employees about management’s motivation and competence”
The final sentence of P2 offers a good evidence in supporting of the claim.

coolgirl

我只是从读的感觉上觉得最后一句是紧接上一句举出的例子，当然了上一句没有提到什莫question,所以e选项也确实有些毛病。我最后也是选了d.谢谢roberchu!

LES

这套题目的答案比较混乱，希望大家积极讨论！谢谢先！

Question 5: The primary purpose of the passage is to

A.      discuss the financial implications of a recent shift in attitudes among workers

B.      propose a new approach for businesses to increase loyalty among their employees

C.      defend certain business practices in light of criticism of corporations, actions

in a recent past

D.     speculate about possible long term benefits of a recent change in the general

business climate

E.      consider some of the factors contributing to a major shift in employer-employee

relationships

Answer:

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Question 6:

The passage suggests that which of the following is a legitimate reason for

organizations’ shift to the new model of employer-employee relations?

A.        Organizations tend to operate more effectively when they have a high manager-

to-employee ratio.

B.        Organizations can move their operations to less expensive locations more easily

when they have fewer permanent employees.

C.        Organizations have found that they often receive higher quality work when they

engage in outsourcing.

D.       Organizations with large pools of permanent workers risk significant financial losses

if the demand for their product or service decreases.

E.        Organizations are under increasing pressure to adopt new technologies that often

obviate the need for certain workers.

Answer:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question 8:

The passage suggests that organizations’ movement to the “new paradigm” (line 11) is

based in part on the expectation that wrongful discharge suites against employers are?

A.    less likely to be filed by non-managerial employees than by managers

B.    less likely to be filed by leased employees than by contract employees

C.    less likely to be filed by contract employees than by permanent employees

D.       more likely to be filed by employees with a long history in the organization than

by newer hirers

E.    more likely to be filed in small organizations than in large ones

                                                                                                                Answer:

future2005

我选的是:

Q5: E

Q6: A

Q8:C

valarie

以下是引用future2005在2004-9-8 23:07:00的发言：

我选的是:

Q5: E

Q6: A

Q8:C

mine is Q5: E, Q6: D Q8: C.

for Q6, please see line 12: Large numbers of permanent employees make it difficult               

for organizations to respond quickly to downturns in demand by decreasing payroll costs.

fredshen

6 is B.

D doesnt make any common sense, and the passage didnt eleborate on D either.  

[此贴子已经被作者于2004-9-10 6:27:35编辑过]

流沙

6选D，在文章没有提及“to less expensive locations ”。

Maggieyin

我的这套题目好象和大家的有点不一样， 我的题号是：2 - 4， 5 - 8， 10，11，12， 18。共十一到题，答案哪有啊？

plaster

哈哈...我是新来的,在这里潜水整七天了,觉得这里真是amazing!

较准确的答案你可以去各个专题讨论区找到.你做的题应该是GWD-2中不带gmat的那组.