Read the passage carefully and answer the question :
Quaternary activities involve some of the following: The collection, production and dissemination of information or even the production of information. Quaternary activities centre around research, development and may be seen as an advanced form of services involving specialised knowledge and technical skills. The quaternary sector along with the tertiary sector has replaced most of the primary and secondary employment as the basis for economic growth. Over half of all workers in developed economies are in the knowledge sector and there has been a very high growth in demand for and consumption of information-based services from mutual fund managers to tax consultants, software developers and statisticians. Personnel working in office buildings, elementary schools and university classrooms, hospitals and doctors' offices, theatres, accounting and brokerage firms all belong to this category of services.
The highest level of decision makers or policy makers perform quinary activities. These are subtly different from the knowledge based industries that the quinary sector in general deals with.
Quinary activities are services that focus on the creation, re-arrangement and interpretation of new and existing ideas; data interpretation and the use and evaluation of new technologies. Often referred to as 'gold collar' professions.
Quaternary activities are not involved in:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Policy making
The passage states: “Quaternary activities centre around research, development and may be seen as an advanced form of services involving specialised knowledge and technical skills. … The highest level of decision makers or policy makers perform quinary activities.”
Option (1) Research and development — A quaternary activity. Quaternary activities centre around research and development.
Option (2) Specialised knowledge — A quaternary activity. Quaternary services are an advanced form of services that need specialised knowledge.
Option (3) Policy making — Not a quaternary activity. Policy making is the work of the highest level of decision makers. It is a quinary activity.
Option (4) Technical skills — A quaternary activity. Quaternary services involve technical skills along with specialised knowledge.
Note: This passage is taken from the section on quaternary and quinary activities in the chapter ‘Tertiary and Quaternary Activities’ (Fundamentals of Human Geography), almost word for word.