[讨论]GWD 4-22

G-CRACKER

答案选A, 但是实在不能理解这里的“OFTEN"从何而来？   

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?

              

It often fails to bring about the intended changes in companies’ compensation systems.

It has highly influenced views that predominate in prominent business journals.

It tends to result in decreased labor rates but increased labor costs.

It leads to changes in companies’ compensation practices that are less visible than changes to work processes would be.

It might be different if the consulting firms were less narrowly specialized.                                                                           Q22 to Q25:

      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 work solving the

problems that result from their advice.

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G-CRACKER

藕重看了一遍文章，原来“ofen"是这样来的。作者从引出compensation company 那刻起，就用了大负评价，The myth is also perpetuated by the compensation-consulting industry; 接着用了三个大负例子来具体批判. 一是薪酬领域主要业务集中在薪酬领域上，不太可能提供其他实际上可行但不在 薪酬领域的建议。二是对于咨询公司的服务对象--manager 而言, 有关薪酬领域的建议更易执行，（即使没用）。三是在薪酬体系上的变动会生出新问题，咨询公司可以进一步咨询获利。

综上，咨询公司经常不能实际上帮上忙。

msfox

同意E

http://forum.chasedream.com/dispbbs.asp?boardid=25&star=3&replyid=734832&id=82628&skin=0&page=1

createdream

谁要是再说选E，我就和谁急我。。。

ESeraph

楼上太逗了。take it easy.

oldest

E

vancouverade

The answer should be A, absolutely

tobytao

The answer should be A.

E would be true, if it was modified as follows:

It might be different if the consulting firms were regardless of vested interest.

在这篇文章里，公司的结果到底如何与consulting firm到底有多专业化关系并不强，不管consulting有多少specialized，由于他出于自身的利益，都会选择和公司说change the compensation system rather than make change in other ways.