Why firms adhere to or deviate

from their strategic plans is poorly

understood. However, theory and

Line limited research suggest that the

(5) process through which such plans

emerge may play a part. In particular,

top management decision-sharing—

consensus-oriented, team-based

decision-making—may increase the

(10) likelihood that firms will adhere to their

plans, because those involved in the

decision-making may be more com-

mitted to the chosen course of action,

thereby increasing the likelihood that

(15) organizations will subsequently adhere

to their plans.

However, the relationship between

top management decision-sharing and

adherence to plans may be affected

(20) by a firm’s strategic mission (its fun-

damental approach to increasing

sales revenue and market share, and

generating cash flow and short-term

profits). At one end of the strategic

(25) mission continuum, “build” strategies

are pursued when a firm desires to

increase its market share and is willing

to sacrifice short-term profits to do so.

At the other end, “harvest” strategies

(30) are used when a firm is willing to

sacrifice marked share for short-term

profitability and cash-flow maximiza-

tion. Research and theory suggest

that top management decision-sharing

(35) may have a more positive relationship

with adherence to plans among firms

with harvest strategies than among

firms with build strategies. In a study

of strategic practices in several large

(40) firms, managers in harvest strategy

scenarios were more able to adhere

to their business plans. As one of the

managers in the study explained it,

this is partly because “[t]ypically all a

(45) manager has to do [when implementing

a harvest strategy] is that which was

done last year.” Additionally, man-

agers under harvest strategies may

have fewer strategic options than do

(50) those under build strategies; it may

therefore be easier to reach agree-

ment on a particular course of action

through decision-sharing, which will

in turn tend to promote adherence

(55) to plans. Conversely, in a “build”

strategy scenario, individual leader-

ship, rather than decision-sharing,

may promote adherence to plans.

Build strategies—which typically

(60) require leaders with strong perso-

nal visions for a firm’s future, rather

than the negotiated compromise

of the team-based decision—may

be most closely adhered to when

(65) implemented in the context of a clear

strategic vision of an individual leader,

rather than through the practice of

decision-sharing.

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Q24:

The passage cites all of the following as differences between firms using build strategies and firms using harvest strategies EXCEPT

1. their willingness to sacrifice short-term profits in order to build market share
2. their willingness to sacrifice building market share in order to increase short-term profitability
3. the number of strategic options available to their managers
4. the relative importance they assign to maximizing cash-flow
5. how likely they are to employ decision-sharing in developing strategic plans请问为什么选E补选C？我觉得文中并没有给出两者的number呀！只是说一个比一个少而已，另外我觉得E在文中有提示，请NN指点，谢谢

我觉得文中并没有给出两者的number呀！只是说一个比一个少而已

是什么少呢？不是NUMBER 吗？

看来你被GMAT 折磨的不行了。我也是。