Timothy Jenkins had been working for six years at Hartford Mills, a company that takes a strong stand against unionization

Though Timothy's designation was that of a production supervisor, as the company grew, he also took on additional duties like keeping a check on employee safety, ensuring that legal measures are followed, and implementing programs for labor welfare that the company planned. Many believed that Timothy was doing a great job for the company, and so it came as a surprise when Timothy was rumored to face severe disciplinary action, as he was encouraging the workers to join a union. However, he was let off with a mere warning. Which of the following, if true, would explain this paradox?
A) The management had recently instituted a formal employee welfare committee.
B) Timothy stressed the fact that he was a meticulous worker who always adhered to company policies.
C) The management had recently moved from an open shop mechanism to a closed shop mechanism.
D) Timothy claimed that he was only looking to ensure greater employee welfare, which was one of the duties the company had assigned to him.
E) Timothy argued that allowing unionization had increased the levels of employee satisfaction in one of their rival companies.

D
Explanation: D) The fact that the management had recently instituted a formal employee welfare committee does not explain this paradox. The fact that Timothy was a meticulous worker who always adhered to company policies does not explain this paradox. The fact that the management had recently moved from an open shop mechanism to a closed shop mechanism does not explain why the company let Timothy go with just a warning. The fact that Timothy claimed that he was only looking to ensure greater employee welfare, which was one of the duties the company had assigned to him, does explain this paradox. Since the company had not clearly defined the scope and functions of Timothy's role, he had greater freedom to engage in political activities that the company did not formally prohibit. The fact that Timothy argued that allowing unionization had increased the levels of employee satisfaction in one of their rival companies does not explain this paradox.