Which of the following, if true, would weaken the argument to use coercive techniques in this situation?

A) The company cannot afford to hire temp workers to handle the backlog and complete the work on time.
B) The company has taken several efforts to improve the level of employee morale and motivation.
C) The company's current work volumes are quite high.
D) The company recently learned that one of its clients utilizes the services of a rival content management firm.
E) The company just finished its peak season, during which employees were required to work overtime and on weekends.

E
Explanation: E) If the company just finished its peak season, during which employees were required to work overtime and on weekends, then this would explain their low morale. Using coercive techniques under such conditions would not be effective. If current work volumes are high, and if the option of hiring temp workers is not available to the company, then coercive techniques might be required. If the company runs the risk of losing business to a rival firm due to poor productivity, then the use of coercion would make sense. The argument is only slightly strengthened by the fact that the company has taken several efforts to improve employee morale and motivation.