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 incentives 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 extant that changes in compensation create new problems, the consultants will continue to have work solving the problems that result from their advice.
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?
A.It often fails to bring about the intended changes in companies’ compensation systems.
B.It has highly influenced views that predominate in prominent business journals.
C.It tends to result in decreased labor rates but increased labor costs.
D.It leads to changes in companies’ compensation practices that are less visible than changes to work processes would be.
E.It might be different if the consulting firms were less narrowly specialized.
答案是A
我不太明白。。。原文中说改变工资系统可能不如其他方法有效。但是A说的是经常没法按照计划改变工资系统，不一样啊。况且后文还说changes to the compensation system may appear to be simpler to implement than changes to other aspects of an organization，这说明A中的bring about the intended changes in companies’ compensation systems并不难啊。。。为啥还often fail呢。。。
还有四天就考了，急求解答~~
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?
A.It often fails to bring about the intended changes in companies’ compensation systems.
B.It has highly influenced views that predominate in prominent business journals.
C.It tends to result in decreased labor rates but increased labor costs.
D.It leads to changes in companies’ compensation practices that are less visible than changes to work processes would be.
E.It might be different if the consulting firms were less narrowly specialized.
答案是A
我不太明白。。。原文中说改变工资系统可能不如其他方法有效。但是A说的是经常没法按照计划改变工资系统，不一样啊。况且后文还说changes to the compensation system may appear to be simpler to implement than changes to other aspects of an organization，这说明A中的bring about the intended changes in companies’ compensation systems并不难啊。。。为啥还often fail呢。。。
还有四天就考了，急求解答~~作者: rucstarchan 时间: 2011-12-1 06:36
Finally, to the extant that changes in compensation create new problems, the consultants will continue to have work solving the problems that result from their advice.
所以是often fail吧……这句话的意思不是就是说通常还会带来其他的问题还需要继续解决么 不也就是没解决么……
恩这个是我的看法作者: robinyue 时间: 2011-12-1 21:38
首先，谢谢你及时的回复
定位至最后一句，我确实之前没考虑过，有启发。
但是，我还是不太明白，最后一句说changes in compensation create new problems（发生了change但是产生了新问题）。但是A说fails to bring about the intended changes in companies’ compensation systems（根本就没有带来预期的changes，也就是连changes都没有）。这两处我总是感觉无法衔接。
望解答作者: sealg 时间: 2011-12-2 06:33
Many managers are influenced by dangerous myths about pay that lead to counterproductive decisions about how their companies compensate 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. 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 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 processes, or other factors. The confusion of costs with rates persists partly because labor rates are a convenient target for managers who want 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 incentives 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 extant that changes in compensation create new problems, the consultants will continue to have work solving the problems that result from their advice作者: rucstarchan 时间: 2011-12-2 21:44
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 incentives 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 extant that changes in compensation create new problems, the consultants will continue to have work solving the problems that result from their advice.
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?
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.
我认为这句话的重点在于appear to be，这句话的意思是说对compensation system的改变看起来是最容易的所以通常经理们都会收到这样的建议。至于是不是真的有效题干里是没有明确表述的，而且其实隐含的意思应该是没有。
Finally, to the extant that changes in compensation create new problems, the consultants will continue to have work solving the problems that result from their advice.
然后就是这个create new problems的问题，这里确实产生了change但是产生了相应的新问题。
A说fails to bring about the intended changes in companies’ compensation systems
这里我觉得intended changes 和changes是不同的，这里的意思应该是说没有产生所希望达到的改善的效果，而不是说完全没有任何效果
