Argument117 同主题写作

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The 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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In this memo, the author concludes that office-supply departments will become the most profitable component of Valu-Mart stores (VM). To support this conclusion, the author provides several facts and figures as evidence. However, the argument relies on a series of unsubstantiated assumptions, which render it unconvincing as it stands.

To begin with, the author unfairly assumes that the survey's results are statistically reliable. In order to ensure that the employees are required to take more work home with them from the workplace than they were in the past, the survey's sample must be sufficient in size and representative of the overall population of the employees. Lacking evidence of a sufficiently representative sample, the author cannot justifiably rely on it to draw any conclusion whatsoever.

Moreover, the author unfairly equates percentage with the actual number of the respondents. Perhaps, the basis number of the respondents is very few and 70 percent means nothing to draw a conclusion. For example, there are only 10 people respond to the survey, then the fact that only 7 employees feel that they are required to take more work home with them from the workplace than they were in the past can prove nothing. Furthermore, the author ignores the strong possibility that people who against for taking work home may be far more vocal that those who care little or not at all about it. That is, only those who hate to take work home may respond to the survey. Then the author might exaggerate the gravity of the problem by citing such data.

Even though the author can substantiate that employees are required to take more work home with them from the workplace than they were in the past, the author unfairly assumes that the need for home office machines will increase as well. However, it is entirely possible that the work that employees bring home need not to use these machines at all. Without considering this possible scenario, the author can not convince me that this work-at-home trend will lead to the increase of the need for home office machines.

Even if the author can substantiate all of the foregoing assumptions, the author falsely assume that the need for home office machines will inevitably/ necessarily lead to the increase of profits of office supplies in their stores. However, it is entirely possible that other factors, such as the qualities and the prices of the machines, the service after sale, may also lead to the increase of profits of office supplies. Without ruling out all other possible factors, the author can not justifiable rely on the mere fact that the increase of the need for home office machines to draw the conclusion that the profits of office supplies would also increase.

In sum, the argument is unpersuasive as it stands. To bolster the conclusion, the author would need to provide clear statistical evidence that employees are really required to take more work home with them from the workplace than they were in the past. The author would also need to provide evidence that the need for home office machines will increase at the same time. To better assess the argument, I would need to know that is there any other factors, which will influence the profits of office supplies in the stores.