Argument186【0906G 文以载道三月四月作文小组】2.11作业 by noheven

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186. The following is a recommendation from the director of personnel to the president of Professional Printing Company. "In a recent telephone survey of automobile factory workers, older employees were less likely to report that having a supervisor present increases their productivity. Among workers aged 18 to 29, 27 percent said that they are more productive in the presence of their immediate supervisor, compared to 12 percent for those aged 30 or over, and only 8 percent for those aged 50 or over. Clearly, if our printing company hires mainly older employees, we will increase productivity and save money because of the reduced need for supervisors."
在最近一次对汽车工厂工人的电话调查中，年纪大一些的员工更少报告说有管理员在场会提高他们的生产效率。在18到29岁的员工中，27％的人说当他们的顶头上司在场时更有效率，相比之下，30岁及以上的工人只有12％，50岁及以上的工人只有8％这样认为。显然，如果我们印刷公司主要雇佣年纪大一些的员工的话，我们的劳动生产率将会提高，并且节省开支，因为对于管理员的需求将会减少。

1.调查不具代表性,且没有提及样本大小和随机性
2.调查仅仅显示了上司在场时的不同年龄工人的生产状况,而没有上司不在场时不同年龄工人的生产状况,缺乏对比;且工人自身感觉未必客观;
3.汽车工厂的状况未必适用于印刷厂;
4.年纪大的工人经验丰富,薪酬很可能也更高,不一定有利于降低成本
WORDS:520

     In this recommendation, the director of personnel to the president of Professional Printing Company suggest to hire mainly older employees to reduce money as well as to increase productivity based on the survey of automobile factory workers. It said that older employees were more productivity than younger ones when their supervisors were not present. This argument is doubtful since there is not enough evidence for supporting.

      First of all, the argument involves the statistical reliability of the survey. There is not any evidence to show that the samples were random and representative and the size of the samples is not mentioned neither. Lacking these data, it is hast to conclude from this vague survey.

      Second, even if the survey is reliable, it just shows the different productivities of different age groups when their supervisors were not present. Since the working situation of the older groups and the younger groups is not presented, how to compare the different productivities in these two backgrounds? Maybe the aged 30 or over group and the aged 50 or over group just kept the same productivities despite their supervisors were out, or the other 73 percent of the aged 18 to 29 group even work harder without their supervisors. On other hand, the productivity cannot conclude only by the words from workers themselves, since people’s feeling are sometimes not the truth. To reflect the real productivity, there should be some data from different age groups in different working backgrounds.          

     Thirdly, there is no evidence to imply that the situation in automobile factory is also suitable in printing factory. The author falsely equates automobile factory with printing factory, which is unwarranted. Since automobile factory and printing factory hold the different equipment and processes which require different aged workers. Perhaps printing factory needs more young workers as swift labors instead of older ones, or the older workers in printing factory are more productive in the presence of their immediate supervisor. In these cases, the conclusion is susceptible.          

      Last but not least, the arguer says that the measure hiring mainly older employees will help increase productivity and save money because of the reduced need for supervisors. This suggestion based on the assumption that the younger workers and the older workers get the same wages. But in common sense, with much more experience, older labors usually get higher paid and higher assistance. For that matter, it possibly that hire mainly older employees will increase the cost but not saving.

     In sum, the survey’s statistical reliability is problematic and its assumption based on the similar working situation in automobile factory and printing factory is unproved, so the suggestion is not reliable. To strengthen this recommendation, the arguer should provide clear evidence such as the quantities of different sample groups, the data of productivity with the supervisors in and out, to prove that the survey is credible. Moreover, the arguer also need to analogy the situation between automobile factory and printing factory then decide the result of the survey can be used. To better access, the different paid levels in different aged workers should be offered for the next step discussion.