Director of personnel: Ms. Tours has formally requested a salary adjustment on the grounds that she was denied merit ...
DerekAugust 1, 2014
Trying To Understand
Is the answer E because the director or personnel used the company's merit as a variable to support his argument? Because most of the answers seem pretty reasonable. I chose B because is seemed like he was focused on calling her justified situation a "complaint"
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The conclusion of the Director of personnel's argument is that Ms. Tours's request should be denied. Why? Because "to raise Ms. Tours's salary because of her complaint would jeopardize the integrity of the firm's merit based reward system by sending the message that employees can get their salaries raised if they just complain enough."
However, we do know that Mr. Tours's job performance has been both excellent in itself and markedly superior to that of others in her department who were awarded merit raises.
Answer choice (B) states: "attempts to undermine the persuasiveness of Ms. Tours's evidence by characterizing it as 'mere complaining.'"
This is not our answer because it is not true. The Director of personnel never undermines the persuasiveness of Ms. Tours's evidence. The Director even classifies the evidence as "compelling." Rather, the Director raises a concern that to give Ms. Tours a raise would "jeopardize the integrity of the firm's merit based reward system by sending the message that employees can get their salaries raised if they just complain enough."
Answer choice (E) states: "overlooks the implications for the integrity of the firm's merit-based reward system of denying Ms. Tours's request."
This is the correct answer. The main reason the Director gives for not wanting to give Ms. Tours her raise is that it will jeopardize the integrity of the firm's merit based reward system. However, not awarding her a raise would actually jeopardize it more since the system is merit-based and it is clear from the evidence that Ms. Tours earned the raised based on her merits. Thus, though giving Ms. Tours a raise might send the message to employees that if they complain enough they will get a raise, not giving Ms. Tours a raise sends the message that the merit-based system is not actually based on merits.
Hope that was helpful! Please let us know if you have any questions.
Ashley-TienJuly 1, 2018
Why is C incorrect?
MehranJuly 1, 2018
Hi @Ashley-Tien, thanks for your post.
A critical skill for excelling on the Logical Reasoning section of the LSAT is developing a laser focus on the conclusion and the given premise(s), and the ability to evaluate whether the premise(s) actually supports the conclusion.
What is the conclusion here? Ms. Tours' request should be denied.
Why? Because "to raise Ms. Tours' salary because of her complaint would jeopardize the integrity of the firm's merit based reward system by sending the message that employees can get their salaries raised if they just complain enough."
Answer choice (C) says that the personnel director's reasoning is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it "sidesteps the issue of whether superior job performance is a suitable basis for awarding salary increases." That's not the problem with the stimulus - the personnel director concludes that Ms. Tours' complaint that she was treated unfairly "appears justified."
Focusing on the given conclusion and the given premise helps you eliminate an answer choice like this. The premise talks about "the integrity of the system," as does the correct answer choice (E).
Hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any additional questions.
