Question

Employees complaining about mundane tasks are often ignored. There is a listlessness that settles around them. A bored employee may continue to produce good results, but that can also be because the tasks are repetitive, and the outcomes are expected.
Which of the following options can be BEST inferred from the passage?

• A. Good performance makes organizations overlook their employees’ state of mind.
• B. A bored employee must be a bad performer for the organization to take notice.
• C. Boredom is a serious problem that needs immediate attention.
• D. Mundane tasks create listlessness around good performers.
• E. Listlessness settles around good performers who are bored.

Hint:

Inference questions often test the unstated consequence of the passage. Focus on the organizational or behavioral conclusion, not just restating facts.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

To determine the best inference from the passage given, we need to understand the core message it conveys. The passage discusses how employees, despite experiencing boredom and performing mundane tasks, are often ignored by their organizations if they continue to produce good results. This suggests that organizations focus largely on performance metrics while overlooking employee well-being and state of mind. Let's evaluate each option:

1. Good performance makes organizations overlook their employees’ state of mind.

   This option aligns with the main idea of the passage, as it indicates that despite the employees' listlessness or boredom, organizations focus on the outcomes (good performance) and disregard their mental or emotional state.

2. A bored employee must be a bad performer for the organization to take notice.

   The passage does not suggest that bad performance is necessary for organizations to notice the employee's boredom. It primarily reflects a situation where good performance allows the issue to be ignored.

3. Boredom is a serious problem that needs immediate attention.

   While boredom is mentioned, the passage does not state or imply that it requires immediate attention from organizations. It focuses more on the oversight due to good performance.

4. Mundane tasks create listlessness around good performers.

   This statement is partially true, as mundane tasks contribute to boredom and listlessness. However, it does not encapsulate the main inference which concerns the organization’s reaction to good performance overshadowing employee well-being.

5. Listlessness settles around good performers who are bored.

   Similar to option 4, this statement captures part of the passage but not the key inference about organizational oversight.

Based on this analysis, the correct inference from the passage is: "Good performance makes organizations overlook their employees’ state of mind."

Answer 2

Step 1: Understand the passage.
The paragraph highlights that even when employees are bored, organizations often ignore their complaints as long as they continue to deliver good results. The issue is not lack of performance, but lack of recognition of the mental state.
Step 2: Evaluate the options.
- Option A: Fits perfectly. It directly reflects the idea that good performance masks the underlying boredom or dissatisfaction. - Option B: Incorrect. The passage says bored employees may still be good performers, so being bad performers is not a necessary condition. - Option C: Too extreme — the passage does not say boredom always needs “immediate attention.” - Option D: Slightly misleading; boredom isn’t only created by mundane tasks, but rather exacerbated by repetition. - Option E: Rephrases part of the passage but doesn’t capture the inference about organizational behavior.
Step 3: Best inference.
Thus, the best inference is Option A.
Final Answer: \[ \boxed{\text{A}} \]