Correct Answer: D
Explanation:
"Lauded" is most appropriate here because it means celebrated or honored, which fits the context of the sentence and the actions of the manager. "Hailed" means called out to while "chided" and "castigated" both mean scolded, with "castigated" having the more intense meaning. It would also make little sense for a manager to have "decried" successful employees, because this would mean that he criticized or denounced them.