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117The following is a memo from the business manager of Valu-Mart stores.
"Over 70 percent of the respondents to a recent survey reported that they are required to take more work home with them from the workplace than they were in the past. Since Valu-Mart has not seen impressive sales in its office-supply departments in the past, we should take advantage of this work-at-home trend by increasing at all Valu-Mart stores the stock of home office machines such as printers, small copy machines, paper shredders, and fax machines. We will also increase stock of office supplies such as paper, pens, and staplers. With these changes, our office-supply departments will become the most profitable component of our stores."
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The argument about increasing stock of office supplies based on a recent survey that reporting a
work-at-home trend seems at first glance reasonable in some sense. However, how many people take part in the survey at earth? Do the workers select the supplies in Valu-Mart? The conclusion that increasing stock of home office machines will make its office-supply department more profitable may mask other (and potentially more significant) causes of impressive sales in its office-supply departments.
First of all, the arguer fails to provide the information about the scope of the survey and the amount of the respondents. If the scope is very narrow and the amount is very small, the 70 percent is also meaningless, in that maybe only several companies required their staff to take more work home from the workplace; and if the these kinds of work have no need in office machines but only a notebook PC, for example the workers in software company. Therefore, with no consideration of the specific information about the survey such as the scope of the survey or the amount as well as the occupation of the respondents, we have every reason to doubt the reliability of the survey, of course, the conclusion about stock also.
In addition, the arguer fails to analyze the specific causes of their impressive sales. Even if there indeed exist many workers required to take work home from the workplace, which is, of course, unwarranted, it does not follow that these workers will in favor of the supplies in Valu-Mart. However, as cited in the argument Valu-Mart encounter impressive sales possibly due to their high prices or poor services, and if there no improvement in there respects, the most profitable component cannot be expected. Accordingly, the recommendation without consideration of these factors is unconvincing.
Finally, the argument above is weakened by the fact that it does take into account the cost of storing. As we know, the fees of storing is usually very high, if the stock of home office machines cannot be sold out in short time, the high profits cannot be assured again.
The argument for stock of home office machines should provide more information about the specific circumstance about the survey and relation between increased work-at-home workers and selling more home office machines. After all, a misleading policy of a company may lead to a decline of profits even a loss of business. |
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