function of ‘diminishing’

Hi, Deepcosmos,

@deepcosmos posted:

“In the workplace, automation’s focus on enhancing speed and efficiency — a focus determined by the profit motive rather than by any particular concern for people’s well-being — often has the effect of removing complexity from jobs, diminishing the challenge they present and hence the engagement they promote.”

For the function of underlined ‘diminishing’ above which will be proper parsing below?;

1) present participle leading the participle clause meaning RESULT,

2) present participle, which combines ‘which’ and ‘diminishes’ to make a reduced relative clause.

I understand the clause starting with "diminishing" to be a reduced which-clause functioning as a sentence modifier. The subject of "diminishing" is "the fact that automation's focus on enhancing speed and efficiency often has the effect of removing complexity from jobs." This is what diminishes the challenge jobs present and the engagement they promote.

@Gustavo, Co-Moderator posted:

Hi, Deepcosmos,

I understand the clause starting with "diminishing" to be a reduced which-clause functioning as a sentence modifier. The subject of "diminishing" is "the fact that automation's focus on enhancing speed and efficiency often has the effect of removing complexity from jobs." This is what diminishes the challenge jobs present and the engagement they promote.

Thank you for your support as always, Gustavo. Are there any effective clues to differentiate the function of 'ing' in such uneasy cases as above?

For the present participial clause to refer to a noun, there needs to be a noun before it and there will generally be no comma, which means that reduced adjectival clauses tend to be restrictive or defining (see example below). Otherwise, it will refer to the whole sentence.

- Automation’s focus on enhancing speed and efficiency often has the effect of removing complexity from jobs otherwise presenting greater challenges and promoting higher engagement.

@deepcosmos posted:

. . . “In the workplace, automation’s focus on enhancing speed and efficiency . . . often has the effect of removing complexity from jobs, diminishing the challenge they present and hence the engagement they promote.”

. . . the implied subject of ‘diminishing’ is, I feel, the whole clause - “automation’s focus on enhancing speed and efficiency often has the effect of removing complexity from jobs” . . . .

Hi, Deepcosmos and Gustavo—What an interesting participial construction! I myself understand the implied subject of "diminishing" to be the nominal -ing phrase "removing complexity from jobs." Consider the following paraphrases:

• Removing complexity from jobs diminishes the challenge they present and hence the engagement they promote.
  
  
• [Automation's focus on enhancing speed and efficiency often has the effect of] removing complexity from jobs, which diminishes the challenge they present and hence the engagement they promote.

@Gustavo, Co-Moderator posted:

For the present participial clause to refer to a noun, there needs to be a noun before it and there will generally be no comma, which means that reduced adjectival clauses tend to be restrictive or defining (see example below). Otherwise, it will refer to the whole sentence.

- Automation’s focus on enhancing speed and efficiency often has the effect of removing complexity from jobs otherwise presenting greater challenges and promoting higher engagement.

@David, Moderator posted:

Hi, Deepcosmos and Gustavo—What an interesting participial construction! I myself understand the implied subject of "diminishing" to be the nominal -ing phrase "removing complexity from jobs." Consider the following paraphrases:

• Removing complexity from jobs diminishes the challenge they present and hence the engagement they promote.
  
  
• [Automation's focus on enhancing speed and efficiency often has the effect of] removing complexity from jobs, which diminishes the challenge they present and hence the engagement they promote.

Hello, David and Gustavo,

What a wonderful pleasure in my life to be a member in this forum and continue to find invaluable treasure full of explanations from such excellent experts !