Following the practice of praising only when about to criticize is undesirable because:

• A. Subordinates may expect to be praised for their work even if it is unsatisfactory
• B. Praising some aspects of work while criticizing other aspects will weaken the effects of the criticisms
• C. Subordinates would be more receptive to criticism if it were followed by praise
• D. Subordinates may come to disregard praise and wait for criticism to be given

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is about credibility and motivation in feedback. When praise is used only as a prelude to criticism, the positive feedback loses its sincerity and value. Subordinates learn that praise isn’t genuine praise for good work but a setup for the upcoming critique, so they start discounting it and may even ignore praise altogether, waiting instead for the negative feedback. This undermines the reinforcement that praise should provide and can hurt morale and motivation.

In short, praising only when about to criticize makes praise seem manipulative, eroding trust and diminishing its motivating power.