Argument117【0806G-Sunbird小组】第4次作业

javen3721UID: 2332354

TOPIC: ARGUMENT117 - 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."

WORDS: 374         TIME: 00:48:31          DATE: 2007-11-22 上午 11:20:44

In this argument, the manager of Valu-Mart recommends that the company should increase the stock of home office machines at all Val-Mart stores in order to get a greater profit on the basis of a recent survey that more and more people are required to take work home. Close scrutiny reveal, however, that this argument is problematic.

First, the arguer fails to provide assurance that these respondents are representative. Perhaps, only a few people are involved in the survey, and the number of the people who are required to take more work home is very small actually. It’s also entirely likely that the respondents in the survey are all in several kinds of jobs or just in some selective regions, which ,of course, would make the result unconvincing. So, only when further evidence is shown, could we not accept the result of the survey.  

Even if the result of the survey is reliable, the arguer still shows no evidence that the company should increase the stock of home office machines. It's possible that the company have already stock enough home office machines due to the low sales in the past. It’s also possible that the company are short of floating capital at this moment. Therefore, it’s open to doubt that the arguer draws a broad conclusion.

Finally, even the company increases the stock of home office machines, the arguer could not make sure that the office-supply departments will inevitably become the most profitable component of all the stores. Perhaps, people who have to work at home have already have enough home office machines. Even though they haven't, it doesn't indicate a increasing profit. As we know, the potential demand is not the only reason for the increasing profit. The arguer could not rule out other factors, such as the competion, the cost of the company, the whole economy situation, that might affect the sales, in turn, the profit of the company.

In conclusion, the argument rests on some dubious example and is unconvincing as it stands. To bolster the recommendation, the arguer should give more information, for instance a much more dependable result of a survey. Moreover, the arguer must rule out other relevant factors that might affect the performance of the office-supply department.


谢谢大家指教，有拍必回····

[ 本帖最后由 javen3721 于 2007-11-23 11:47 编辑 ]

hope~~UID: 2416007

忽忽!赶来了!

javen3721UID: 2332354

原帖由 hope~~ 于 2007-11-24 21:52 发表
忽忽!赶来了!

多多指教啊~~~

hope~~UID: 2416007

Even if the result of the survey is reliable, the arguer still shows no evidence that the company should increase the stock of home office machines. It's possible that the company have already stock enough home office machines due to the low sales in the past. It’s also possible that the company are short of floating capital at this moment. Therefore, it’s open to doubt that the arguer draws a broad conclusion.（句意不明！不懂啊！）这个指出的逻辑错误啊好象没说到点上去

Finally, even the company increases the stock of home office machines, the arguer could not make sure that the office-supply departments will inevitably become the most profitable component of all the stores. Perhaps, people who have to work at home have already have enough home office machines. Even though they haven't, it doesn't indicate a increasing profit. As we know, the potential demand is not the only reason for the increasing profit. The arguer could not rule out other factors, such as the competion (completion), the cost of the company, the whole economy situation, that might affect the sales, in turn, the profit of the company. (that might affect the sales and the profit of the company)这样会不会明确些

In conclusion, the argument rests on some dubious example and is unconvincing as it stands. To bolster the recommendation, the arguer should give more information (evidence是不是更适合些), for instance a much more dependable result of a survey. Moreover, the arguer must rule out other relevant factors that might affect the performance of the office-supply department.
本人实力有限啊！改不出什么问题来！不过我觉得你提出的第二个逻辑错误有点问题！建议看看网上的分析啊！

[ 本帖最后由 hope~~ 于 2007-11-26 22:29 编辑 ]