argument117 [自由女神小组第13次作业]

hemaUID: 2190745

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."


the author attempts to convince us that the office-supply departments should take advantage of the work-at-home trend by increasing at all Valu-Mart stores the stock of home office machines and increasing stock of office supply, so that the office-supply department will become the most profitable component of the stores. To substantiate the recommendation, the author cites the survey that over 70 percent of the respondents are required to take more work home than before. however, as it stands, this argument renders unconvincing because it relies on unsubstantiated assumption.
First of all, the author cites the survey that over 70 percent of the respondents are required to take more work home than before. nevertheless, the author does not tell any other information about the scope of the survey and the number of the respondents, also the age, occupation and gender of the survey do not mention in the argument. Lacking these information about the survey, survey failed to give us the real situation about their work. It is highly possible that the respondents just complaint about their work.
In the second place, even the respondents of the survey give out the real situation of their work, the author still failed to convince the assumption because that the more work home with them from the workplace than they were in the past does no mean they need more office machines. It is highly possible that the most of the workers who take more work home now use the computer instead of the papers, maybe they also do not need to make some paper-copy. As these things happen, I don’t think the requirement of the office machines and the offices supplies such as paper, pens will increase. Without ruling out these and other possible reasons, the author cannot confidently conclude that the requirement of the office machines and supplies will increase.
Thirdly, even if the office machines and supplies will increase, the author failed to convince us that it is necessary to take the advantage of this work-at-home trend by increasing at all Valu-Mart stores the stock of home office machines. As the author does not tell us the condition about the Valu-Mart, we have no ideas about the development of office-supply department. Maybe Valu-Mart only pay little attention on the office-supply, so even they do much effort on the office-supply department now, it is no use to make the department become the most profitables.
In conclusion, the recommendation is not well supported. To convince that the office-supply department should take the advantage of this work-at-home trend, the author have to provide clear evidence about the survey such as scope, age and gender in order to make sure that the result of the survey can just tell the condition of the trend.