Read the passage below carefully and answer the five questions that follow:

The invention of the office from the Latin opus (work) + facere (do) officium (performance of work) -was necessitated by the inability of work to be done remotely. Until very recently, the prevalent technology was simply not available or very limited to allow work away from office. If you had to conduct stocktaking, copy documents or engage in a brainstorming session, one had to be physically close to the tools of work and co-workers. Even as the technology was becoming increasingly available, it was the forced disruption of pandemic that finally showed that office, like the stock exchange trading floor, as a shared physical-only space was no longer essential to carry out work. Today, as Covid restrictions thankfully recede, the push that had become the shove of working from home (WFH) is becoming a nudge for working from anywhere (WFA).

Neither can all work be conducted WFA nor to all workers prefer remote working. Several reasons for the primacy of the "face-to-face work model are trotted out - 'water-cooler engagements; ideas flying 'better' at corporeally attended meeting: company values welded only under 'one roof, one team' norms. But studies, including pre-pandemic ones conducted by the likes of Harvard Business School's Prithviraj Choudhury, have shown that WFA is a 'win-win for 'Workers, Companies and for Society'. WFA slashes time and energy expanded in commutes; allows workers the choice of their work surroundings that may actually improve their quantitative and qualitative output: provides less crowded space for those who choose offices as their comfort work zone. Most importantly, for companies, it allows HFA - hiring from anywhere, thereby breaking the talent pool distance barrier.

The new hybrid work culture is still a work-in progress. Floor managers will have to be trained to manage a different kind of floor. Company values will need to flourish in a digital-deeper environment. The idea of work-life balance itself has to be rejigged. But the bottom line is work optimisation. For which WFA, without the stress of a pandemic around, makes damn good pitch.


1. Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion A and the other is labelled as Reason R

Assertion (A): Work from Anywhere is only possible in case of employees working independently.

Reason (R): Brainstorming sessions are possible in the case of Work from Anywhere.

In light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below

(a) Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)

(b) Both (A) and (R) are correct but (R) is NOT the correct explanation of (A)

(c) (A) is correct but (R) is not correct

(d) (A) is not correct but (R) is correct


2. Work from Office was preferred because of

A. 'Water cooler' engagements

B. Ideas fly better at corporeally attended meetings

C. Promotes one team norm

D. Improves work-life balance

E. Inability of work to be done remotely

Choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

(a) A, B and C only

(b) C, D and E only

(c) A, B, C and E only 

(d) A, B and E only


3. Given below are two statements 

Statement I : Work from home concept was not initiated in the past because no one had conceptualized it. 

Statement II: It was not possible to Work form home in the past. In light of the above statements

choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below

(a) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct

(b) Both Statement I and Statement II are incorrect

(c) Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect

(d) Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct


4. Which one of the following is NOT true for Work from Anywhere?

(a) It reduces time and energy expended in commuting

(b) It increases talent pool distance barrier

(c) It allows an employee to choose his work surroundings

(d) It improves quality and quantity of work output


5. Given below are two statements in relation to the passage:

Statement I : With ease in the stress of the pandemic around, the relevance of work from Anywhere will reduce 

Statement II : For the new hybrid work culture to prevail, companies will have to invest more technology  

In light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below

(a) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct

(b) Both Statement I and Statement II are incorrect

(c) Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect

(d) Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct



ANSWERS

1 - d
2 - c
3 - d
4 - b
5 - d