RC passage Identifying function

GRE Verbal Problem Solving
1

" During the 1920s, most advocates of scientific management, Frederick Taylor’s method for maximizing workers’ productivity by rigorously routinizing their jobs, opposed the five-day workweek. Although scientific managers conceded that reducing hours might provide an incentive to workers, in practice they more often used pay differentials to encourage higher productivity. Those reformers who wished to embrace both scientific management and reduced hours had to make a largely negative case, portraying the latter as an antidote to the rigors of the former.

In contrast to the scientific managers, Henry Ford claimed that shorter hours led to greater productivity and profits. However, few employers matched either Ford’s vision or his specific interest in mass marketing a product — automobiles — that required leisure for its use, and few unions succeeded in securing shorter hours through bar gaining. At its 1928 convention, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) boasted of approximately 165,000 members working five-day, 40-hour weeks. But although this represented an increase of about 75,000 since 1926, about 70 percent of the total came from five extremely well-organized building trades’ unions"

In this passage I understood it correctly and got 4/4 correct however , there was something I wanted to get some expert advise on.
In 2nd Paragraph the HF dude give his opinion , which was sort of opposed in next sentence with the given Ideas , that no body believed this dude. This was still the reality that people think HF dude was having how own motive and barely any union could convince 5days work.

but while reading the passage since I though Author is putting this information, indirectly he is opposing the views of HF with these realities. so in a way here Author is giving his opinion indirectly. am I correct? is author giving his opinion indirectly or he is just presenting some ideas that says so and we can not really make out what Author is saying explicitly?
My doubt is revolving around isnt Author indirectly making comments through that?

2

Mostly , I think the author’s main goal seems to be to provide a historical account of the different perspectives on shorter workweeks during the 1920s

3

so Author is neutral overall throughout. He is giving historical accounts of the issue in play. That is all. Right?

4

I men to me Author seems to be saying okay the 5 day week thing is not widely accepted what it seems but then at that particular sentence I though is Authors opinion and he supported that below with further evidences and qualifying the AFL evidence to make his point as mention few unions able to bargain. so this sentence , I am still thinking as Author idea or opinion not some else. as No subject is there who is another person , it is author who is writing that so he thinks the status of acceptance of 5 days work is questionable ?

I get stuck at thoughts like this

5

“However, few employers matched either Ford’s vision … securing shorter hours through bar gaining”

This para present a general observation, and the use of the word “however” suggests a contrast with the prior information about Ford’s beliefs. Moving on, the sentence next after this "At its 1928 convention, the American Federation … 40 hr weeks " : point towards a specific evidence about the American Federation of Labor, which provides more context about the overall acceptance of the 5-day workweek during that era.

Now, given the way this information was presented to us, one could interpret that the author is suggesting that while Ford’s view on shorter work hours was positive and may have had merit, it wasn’t necessarily the prevailing or widely-accepted perspective of the time.

However, it’s also essential to distinguish between an author’s intent to inform and the potential perception of bias. In this passage, while there might be a suggestion of the limited acceptance of the 5-day workweek, it’s framed more as a contextual observation rather than a personal opinion.