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  3. As anyone who has tried to lose weight knows, realistic goal-setting generally produces the best results. That’s partially becau

As anyone who has tried to lose weight knows, realistic goal-setting generally produces the best results. That’s partially becau

admin2012-07-21  33
问题     As anyone who has tried to lose weight knows, realistic goal-setting generally produces the best results. That’s partially because it appears people who set realistic goals actually work more efficiently, and exert more effort, to achieve those goals.
What’s far less understood by scientists, however, are the potentially harmful effects of goal-setting.
    Newspapers relay daily accounts of goal-setting prevalent in industries and businesses up and down both Wall Street and Main Street, yet there has been surprisingly little research on how the long-trumpeted practice of setting goals may have contributed to the current economic crisis, and unethical (不道德的) behavior in general.
    "Goals are widely used and promoted as having really beneficial effects. And yet, the same motivation that can push people to exert more effort in a constructive way could also motivate people to be more likely to engage in unethical behaviors," says Maurice Schweitzer, an associate professor at Perm’s Wharton School.
    "It turns out there’s no economic benefit to just having a goal—you just get a psychological benefit." Schweitzer says. "But in many cases, goals have economic rewards that make them more powerful."
    A prime example Schweitzer and his colleagues cite is the 2004 collapse of energy-trading giant Enron, where managers used financial incentives to motivate salesmen to meet specific revenue goals. The problem, Schweitzer says, is the actual trades were not profitable.
    Other studies have shown that saddling employees with unrealistic goals can compel them to lie, cheat or steal. Such was the case in the early 1990s when Sears imposed a sales quota on its auto repair staff. It prompted employees to overcharge for work and to complete unnecessary repairs on a companywide basis.
    Schweitzer concedes his research runs counter to a very large body of literature that commends the many benefits of goal-setting. Advocates of the practice have taken issue with his team’s use of Such evidence as news accounts to support his conclusion that goal-setting is widely over-prescribed.
    In a rebuttal (反驳) paper, Dr. Edwin Locke writes: "Goal-setting is not going away. Organizations cannot thrive without being focused on their desired end results any more than an individual can thrive without goals to provide a sense of purpose."
    But Schweitzer contends the "mounting causal evidence" linking goal-setting and harmful behavior should be studied to help spotlight issues that merit caution and further investigation. "Even a few negative effects could be so large that they outweigh many positive effects," he says.
    "Goal-setting does help coordinate and motivate people. My idea would be to combine that with careful oversight, a strong organizational culture, and make sure the goals that you use are going to be constructive and not significantly harm the organization," Schweitzer says.
What does Maurice Schweitzer want to show by citing the example of Enron?
选项 A、Businesses are less likely to succeed without setting realistic goals.
B、Financial incentives ensure companies meet specific revenue goals.
C、Setting realistic goals can turn a failing business into success.
D、Goals with financial rewards have strong motivational power.
答案D
解析 根据题干中的the example of Enron将本题出处定位到第6段首句。该句提到，Schweitzer和同事举的一个主要例子是2004年能源贸易巨头Enron安然公司的倒闭，在该公司，经理们用财务奖励手段去激励销售人员达到特定的销 售目标。注意，该句是紧接着上段末Schweitzer所说的“但是那些能产生经济回报的目标往往让目标本身更具激励性”给出的，显然，Schweitzer给出安然公司的例子是为了说明这一观点，故答案为[D]“带有经济回报的目标有强大的刺激力”。文中Schweitzer提到安然公司的倒闭，但说它的问题是交易不盈利，[A]说不设立现实的目标企业就不太可能成功是在此基础上进行的过度推断。
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