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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  31
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 is Schweitzer’s contention against Edwin Locke?
选项 A、Goal-setting has become too deep-rooted in corporate culture.
B、Studying goal-setting can throw more light on successful business practices.
C、The link between goal-setting and harmful behavior deserves further study.
D、The positive effects of goal-setting outweigh its negative effects.
答案C
解析 文章第9段中，Dr. Locke强调了设定目标对企业繁荣和个人发展的重要作用。第10段以But开始，contends对应题干关键词contention，该段指出Schweitzer与Locke相对的观点：人们应该研究那些表明目标设定和有害行为有联系的“越来越多的偶然性证据”，以便使公众注意到那些值得谨慎对待和深入研究的问题。[C]是Schweitzer观点的同义转述，故为答案。[A]为Dr．Locke的观点，可排除；[B]从原文中无法看出，可以排除；[D]与第10段末Schweitzer原话意思正好相反，可以排除。
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