GWD7 Q34 - Downsizing

FindNeverland

Firms traditionally claim that they
downsize (i.e., make permanent
personnel cuts) for economic reasons,
Line laying off supposedly unnecessary staff
(5) in an attempt to become more efficient
and competitive. Organization theory
would explain this reasoning as an
example of the “economic rationality”
that it assumes underlies all organi-
(10) zational activities. There is evidence
that firms believe they are behaving
rationally whenever they downsize; yet
recent research has shown that the
actual economic effects of downsizing
(15) are often negative for firms. Thus,

organization theory cannot adequately

explain downsizing; non-economic

factors must also be considered.

One such factor is the evolution of

(20) downsizing into a powerful business
myth: managers simply believe that
downsizing is efficacious. Moreover,
downsizing nowadays is greeted
favorably by the business press; the
(25) press often refers to soaring stock
prices of downsizing firms (even though
research shows that stocks usually
rise only briefly after downsizing and
then suffer a prolonged decline).
(30)
Once viewed as a sign of desperation,
downsizing is now viewed as a signal
that firms are serious about competing
in the global marketplace; such signals
are received positively by key actors—
(35) financial analysts, consultants,
shareholders—who supply firms with
vital organizing resources. Thus, even
if downsizers do not become economi-
cally more efficient, downsizing’s mythic
(40) properties give them added prestige
in the business community, enhancing
their survival prospects.

Q34:
The primary purpose of the passage is to:

A.criticize firms for engaging in the practice of downsizing
B.analyze the negative economic impact of downsizing on firms
C.offer an alternative to a traditional explanation for the occurrence of downsizing
D.chronicle how perceptions of downsizing have changed over time
E.provide evidence disputing the prevalence of downsizing

答案是C,说an alternative,但是文章里面说到的alternative 不只一个,有好几个啊,比如L17, L22, L30, 不是很明白为什么C比较D更好,请大家指教,谢谢!

aeolusero二

我觉得l17 22 30提供的都只是downsizing的某些方面吧 不全是

occurence的explanation 文章general的alternative还是说【downsizing

不单纯追求效率】这一点。
D选项说按时间线来探讨对downsizing的看法，没有明确的时间线啊，只有

traditional的观点和新的观点而已，chronicle应该是那种很强调明确时间

线的意思，类似编年史。

FindNeverland

谢谢你! 明白了