Prep2012_Pack1_RC(题目版)(4)

to make an impact on their company'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 company's most malleable financial variable: cutting wages appears an easier way to control costs than such options as reconfiguring work processes or altering product design. The myth that labor rates and labor costs are equivalent is supported by business journalists, who frequently confound the two. For example, prominent business journals often remark on 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 incentive to keep such myths alive. First, although some of these consulting firms have recently broadened their practices beyond the area of compensation, their mainstay continues to be advising companies on changing their compensation practices. Suggesting that a company's performance can be improved in some other way than by altering its pay system may be empirically correct but contrary to the consultants’ interests. Furthermore, changes to the compensation system may appear to be simpler to implement than changes to other aspects of an organization, so managers are more likely to find such advice from consultants palatable. Finally, to the extent that changes in compensation create new

problems, the consultants will continue to have work solving the problems that result from their advice.

PREP2012-Pack1-RC-005-01 VRC000361-01 Medium The author of the passage mentions business journals (see highlighted text) primarily in order to

A. demonstrate how a particular kind of evidence can be used to support two different

conclusions

B. cast doubt on a particular view about the average amount paid to German workers

C. suggest that business journalists may have a vested interest in perpetuating a particular

view

D. identify one source of support for a view common among business managers

E. indicate a way in which a particular myth could be dispelled

PREP2012-Pack1-RC-005-02 VRC000361-02 Easy

According to the passage, which of the following is true about changes to a company's compensation system?

A. They are often implemented in conjunction with a company's efforts to reconfigure its

work processes.

B. They have been advocated by prominent business journals as the most direct way for a

company to bring about changes in its labor costs.

C. They are more likely to result in an increase in labor costs than they are to bring about

competitive advantages for the company.

D. They sometimes result in significant cost savings but are likely to create labor-relations

problems for the company.

E. They may seem to managers to be relatively easy to implement compared with other

kinds of changes managers might consider.

PREP2012-Pack1-RC-005-03 VRC000361-04 Easy

The primary purpose of the passage is to

A. describe a common practice used by managers to control labor costs

B. examine the relation between labor costs and other costs incurred by businesses

C. explain why labor rates are a more significant factor than labor costs for most businesses

D. dentify a common misperception held by managers and point out some of the reasons for

its persistence

E. distinguish between a factor that companies can easily control and another that is more

difficult to change

PREP2012-Pack1-RC-005-04 VRC000361-05 Medium

It can be inferred from the passage that the author would be most likely to agree with which of the following statements about compensation?

A. A company's labor costs are not affected by the efficiency of its work processes.

B. High labor rates are not necessarily inconsistent with the goals of companies that want to

reduce costs.

C. It is more difficult for managers to compare their companies’ labor rates with those of

competitors than to compare labor costs.

D. A company whose lab-or rates are high is unlikely to have lower labor costs than other

companies.

E. Managers often use information about competitors’ labor costs to calculate those

companies’ labor rates.

PREP2012-Pack1-RC-005-05 VRC000361-06 Medium The passage suggests that the “myth" mentioned in the highlighted text persists partly because

A. managers find it easier to compare their companies’ labor rates with those of competitors

than to compare labor costs

B. managers tend to assume that labor rates affect their companies’ budgets less than they

actually do

C. managers tend to that labor rates can have an impact on the efficiency of their companies’

work processes

D. the average amount paid to workers differs significantly from one country to another E. many companies fail to rely on compensation consultants when making decisions about

labor rates

PREP2012-Pack1-RC-006

Why firms adhere to or deviate from their strategic plans is poorly understood. However, theory and limited research suggest that the process through which such plans emerge may play a part. In particular, top management decision-sharing—c0nsensusoriented,

team-based decision-making—may increase the likelihood that firms will adhere to their plans, because those involved in the decision-making may be more committed to the chosen course of action, thereby increasing the likelihood that organizations will subsequently adhere to their plans. However, the relationship between top management decision sharing and adherence to plans may be affected by a strategic mission (its fundamental approach to increasing sales revenue and market share, and generating cash flow and short-term p …… 此处隐藏：5749字，全部文档内容请下载后查看。喜欢就下载吧 ……