Mr. Blatt: Expert consultants are sought after by management because they help executives make better decisions. That is why they are worth the substantial fees they charge. Ms. Fring: Nonsense. Expert consultants are hired in order to enable executives to avoid responsibility. The more the experts cost, the more they can be blamed when things go wrong.
Which one of the following, if it occurred, would be the strongest evidence favoring Ms. Fring’s position over Mr. Blatt’s position?
(A) A company that is trying to decide whether to move its manufacturing plant hires an expensive expert to conduct a cost/benefit analysis.
(B) Two competing companies faced with very similar problems adopt different solutions, one with the help of a consultant, one without.
(C) A successful firm of expert consultants seeks to increase its volume of business by reducing its fees, but its volume of business drops.
(D) An expert consultant builds up a successful business by charging clients a substantial percentage of the amount an independent assessor judges that the consultant saved the company.
(E) A company follows a consultant’s advice to open two new stores, but both stores are only marginally profitable at first.