OG-11 CR [Benchmarking, identifying the exception]

One way to judge the performance of a company is to compare it with other companies. This technique, commonly called “benchmarking,” permits the manager of a company to discover better industrial practices and can provide a justification for the adoption of good practices.

Any of the following, if true, is a valid reason for benchmarking the performance of a company against companies with which it is not in competition rather than against competitors EXCEPT:

(A) Comparisons with competitors are most likely to focus on practices that the manager making the comparisons already employs.
(B) Getting “inside” information about the unique practices of competitors is particularly difficult.
(C) Since companies that compete with each other are likely to have comparable levels of efficiency, only benchmarking against noncompetitors is likely to reveal practices that would aid in beating competitors.
(D) Managers are generally more receptive to new ideas that they find outside their own industry.
(E) Much of the success of good companies is due to their adoption of practices that take advantage of the special circumstances of their products or markets.

Solution:

The question asked is ambiguous in nature. So read it carefully. Once you what is demanded then its easier to solve most of the questions. It actually asked to identify the statement which states that benchmarking to be done or done with the competitors rather than non competitors.

Statement (A): Against doing the comparison with competitors.
Statement (B): Again trying to say that benchmarking with competitors is extremely difficult.
Statement (C): Asking to do benchmarking with non competitors.
Statement (D): Asking to adopt idea outside their industry (i.e. non competitors).
Statement (E): Saying that success is employed by studying their products or market. (It means that benchmarking to be done with competitors). So this is correct statement which is exception to the requirement.