While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:Corporate leadership programs typically require 8-12 weeks of classroom instruction...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Corporate leadership programs typically require 8-12 weeks of classroom instruction at dedicated training centers.
- Companies like IBM, Microsoft, and General Electric have operated such programs for decades.
- In 2019, business consultant Elena Rodriguez developed the Immersive Leadership Track after observing that traditional approaches produced limited real-world application.
- Rodriguez believed that authentic skill development demanded immediate practice within actual workplace challenges.
- The Immersive Leadership Track embeds participants directly in ongoing company projects while providing intensive mentoring support.
- Organizations implementing Rodriguez's approach report \(45\%\) better leadership performance outcomes compared to classroom-based programs.
The student wants to explain Rodriguez's motivation for creating her alternative approach. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Elena Rodriguez developed the Immersive Leadership Track in 2019, which embeds participants in ongoing projects with intensive mentoring support.
Corporate leadership programs typically require weeks of classroom instruction, while Rodriguez's approach provides workplace-based experience.
Observing that traditional classroom approaches produced limited real-world application, Rodriguez created an immersive alternative that has demonstrated 45% better performance outcomes.
Companies like IBM, Microsoft, and General Electric operate traditional programs, but Rodriguez's workplace-based approach has proven more effective.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Corporate leadership programs typically require 8-12 weeks of classroom instruction at dedicated training centers.' |
|
| 'Companies like IBM, Microsoft, and General Electric have operated such programs for decades.' |
|
| 'In 2019, business consultant Elena Rodriguez developed the Immersive Leadership Track after observing that traditional approaches produced limited real-world application.' |
|
| 'Rodriguez believed that authentic skill development demanded immediate practice within actual workplace challenges.' |
|
| 'The Immersive Leadership Track embeds participants directly in ongoing company projects while providing intensive mentoring support.' |
|
| 'Organizations implementing Rodriguez's approach report 45% better leadership performance outcomes compared to classroom-based programs.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Visual Structure Map: Traditional Context → Rodriguez's Innovation → Rodriguez's Solution → Results
Main Point: Elena Rodriguez created an alternative leadership development approach because she observed traditional classroom programs had limited real-world application.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes traditional corporate leadership programs as classroom-based, then introduces Rodriguez's observation that these approaches had limited practical application, describes her alternative solution that embeds participants in real projects, and concludes with evidence of superior results.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The right answer needs to clearly identify Rodriguez's motivation (what she observed about traditional programs)
- Connect that observation to her creation of the alternative
- Use relevant information from the notes to make this connection clear
- From our analysis, Rodriguez's key motivation was observing that traditional approaches produced limited real-world application
Elena Rodriguez developed the Immersive Leadership Track in 2019, which embeds participants in ongoing projects with intensive mentoring support.
✗ Incorrect
- Simply describes what Rodriguez created without explaining her motivation
- This represents the trap of confusing describing the solution with explaining the motivation
Corporate leadership programs typically require weeks of classroom instruction, while Rodriguez's approach provides workplace-based experience.
✗ Incorrect
- Contrasts traditional and Rodriguez's approaches but doesn't explain motivation
- Missing the key element of what Rodriguez observed that drove her to create the alternative
Observing that traditional classroom approaches produced limited real-world application, Rodriguez created an immersive alternative that has demonstrated 45% better performance outcomes.
✓ Correct
- Clearly states Rodriguez's observation about traditional approaches having limited real-world application
- Connects this observation to her creation of an immersive alternative
- Directly addresses the motivation question by showing cause and effect
Companies like IBM, Microsoft, and General Electric operate traditional programs, but Rodriguez's workplace-based approach has proven more effective.
✗ Incorrect
- Mentions companies that use traditional programs and effectiveness comparison
- Doesn't explain Rodriguez's motivation for creating her approach