XAT 2020 — Decision Making Question 4
Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question that follows:
Vindhya, Shabnam and Amala are interning at a software organization as part of the requirement of their B-school curriculum.
The organization has allotted each of them a project based on their area of specialization. In the first meeting with the HR head, they are informed of a PPO possibility (pre-placement offer, i.e., an offer to join the company after their MBA), based on their performance. All of them are eager to convert their internship into a job offer.
Each of them is assigned a mentor who evaluates the intern's performance along with the HR head.
Shabnam, who is working on sales executives’ work-life balance, has collected the following details about their frequent travels:
- Frequent meetings help strengthen relationships with key customers.
- Travelling has no effect on the personal lives of the sales executives as most of them are single.
- Travel enhances the financial health of the sales executives since their fixed salaries are low.
- Frequent travel has no significant impact on market budget, given the current high margins from sales.
- The sales executives have the autonomy to decide the frequency of their travel.
Shabnam thinks that the frequency of travel is higher than required.
Which of the following combinations of the above reasons can enable Shabnam BEST substantiate her thinking?
Answer & solution
- A
2, 3 and 5
- B
1, 3 and 5
- C
2, 3 and 4
- D
1, 2 and 4
3, 4 and 5
If frequent meetings strengthen customer relations, then it is necessary. So statement 1 will not help Shabnam substantiate her thinking ;this negates options 2 and 4. Since frequent travels does not affect the personal lives of executives, statement 2 also does not substantiate her thinking. This negates options 1 and 3. Only statement 3, 4 and 5 will substantiate Shabnam’s thinking as they prove why the frequency of travel is higher.
Hence, option (e).