According to a particular version of the law of unintended consequences policies implemented to achieve certain ends often have the...

GMAT Two Part Analysis : (TPA) Questions

Source: Official Guide

Two Part Analysis

Verbal - RC

HARD

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Notes

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According to a particular version of the law of unintended consequences policies implemented to achieve certain ends often have the consequence of making it more difficult to achieve those ends.

Suppose that a government agency has announced its intention to enforce existing policies whereby communications utilizing agency channels and equipment are subject to monitoring, with employees to be investigated and potentially dismissed if they are found to be breaking the rules or not doing their jobs. In different rows of the table, select a situation P and a situation R such that, if the agency's announcement was intended to discourage P but inadvertently encouraged R, the combined situation would best illustrate the principle described in the passage.

Evidence of employee misconduct sometimes being reliable enough to result in disciplinary action.

Employees frequently using private mobile phones and email accounts even when conducting company business.

Investigations into employee misconduct remaining open until definitive proof of wrongdoing is obtained.

Employees spending large amounts of time at work on social media and other non-work-related activities.

Employees reducing their time spent at work on social media and other non-work-related activities.

Solution

Phase 1: Owning the Dataset

First, Create an Argument Analysis Table

Passage Statement	Analysis & Implications
"According to a particular version of the law of unintended consequences policies implemented to achieve certain ends often have the consequence of making it more difficult to achieve those ends."	Core Fact: Policies can backfire and undermine their own goals Visualization: Like installing speed bumps to slow traffic but causing accidents that create worse congestion Logical Connections: The unintended result must directly interfere with the original objective What We Can Conclude: We need a scenario where enforcement creates behavior that defeats the policy's purpose
Agency announcement: "enforce existing policies whereby communications utilizing agency channels and equipment are subject to monitoring, with employees to be investigated and potentially dismissed if they are found to be breaking the rules or not doing their jobs"	Core Fact: Agency will monitor all communications on company systems Visualization: Like installing cameras in every office to catch slackers Logical Connections: Creates incentive to avoid monitored channels What We Can Conclude: Policy aims to ensure proper work conduct on company resources

Second, Identify Key Patterns

Established Facts:
- The principle involves policies backfiring
- Agency is implementing monitoring of company communication channels
- Violations can lead to investigation and dismissal
Relationships: The unintended consequence (R) must make the intended goal harder to achieve
Boundaries: We must select situations that together demonstrate the backfire effect

Phase 2: Question Analysis & Prethinking

First, Understand What Each Part Asks

Part 1 Focus (P): What situation did the agency intend to DISCOURAGE?
Part 2 Focus (R): What situation was INADVERTENTLY ENCOURAGED?
Relationship: R must be an unintended consequence that undermines the goal of discouraging P

Second, Generate Valid Inferences (Prethinking)

Based on monitoring policy analysis:

P should be: Misuse of company resources (like time-wasting on social media)
R should be: Behavior that avoids monitoring but harms company interests (like conducting business on personal devices)

Phase 3: Answer Choice Evaluation

Analyzing Each Option:

"Evidence of employee misconduct sometimes being reliable enough to result in disciplinary action"
- What it claims: Disciplinary processes work effectively
- Part Suitability: Neither P nor R - this is a desired outcome
"Employees frequently using private mobile phones and email accounts even when conducting company business"
- What it claims: Employees avoid company channels for legitimate work
- Part Suitability: Perfect for R - unintended consequence that undermines oversight
"Investigations into employee misconduct remaining open until definitive proof of wrongdoing is obtained"
- What it claims: Describes investigation procedures
- Part Suitability: Neither - procedural detail, not behavioral outcome
"Employees spending large amounts of time at work on social media and other non-work-related activities"
- What it claims: Employees waste time on non-work activities
- Part Suitability: Perfect for P - exactly what monitoring aims to discourage
"Employees reducing their time spent at work on social media and other non-work-related activities"
- What it claims: Employees improve their work focus
- Part Suitability: Neither - this would be the desired outcome

Answer Selection Process

Part 1 (P): Choice 4 - "Employees spending large amounts of time at work on social media and other non-work-related activities"

This is precisely what the monitoring policy intends to discourage

Part 2 (R): Choice 2 - "Employees frequently using private mobile phones and email accounts even when conducting company business"

This is the perfect unintended consequence that undermines the policy's effectiveness

Verification

This combination brilliantly illustrates the principle because:

The agency wants to stop time-wasting on company systems
But the monitoring drives employees to use personal devices for ALL communications
Now the company loses visibility over legitimate business communications
The policy meant to improve oversight actually reduces it!

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