Argument117【0706G－CRUSADE小组】第七次作业 by xixiaiko

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【题目】107 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."

Outlines:
1. conclude
2. whether this work-at-home trend is specified to office workers or non-office workers
3. it is entirely possible that most of the respondents already possess these equipments at home
4. whether the trend is a global one, a national one, or it only happened to certain areas
5. whether the trend is a global one, a national one, or it only happened to certain areas




The suggestion given by the manager aiming at increasing the profit of the office-supply department of Valu-Mart stores, is based on a vague survey lacking basic information to form an analysis on its influence. However, these missed information of the work-at-home trend may probably leading to different business strategies and different results under these actions.

First, the author assumes an unfairly causal relationship between the unimpressive sales in its office-supply departments and their ignore of this work-at-home trend. The survey fails to tell whether this work-at-home trend is specified to office workers or non-office workers. If the survey is specified to the office workers, then it indicates that office equipments such as printers, small copy machines etc, is required in their home. However, if the survey objects at non-office workers, such as handicraft workers and telephonists, whose work require no office equipment, then the work-at-home trend in these professions can’t be reference for the office-supply department of Valu-mart.

Even assuming that this trend is especially a phenomenon to office workers who require office equipment at home, it is entirely possible that most of the respondents already possess these equipments at home. The survey mentioned that the respondent are required to take more work home. However, it is quite possible that the respondent already have the office equipment home as they used to take work home and they’re just required more work at home than before these days.

Additionally, the author fails to provides the range of the survey. Thus we have no idea whether the trend is a global one, a national one, or it only happened to certain areas. As is indicate in the memo, there are Valu-stores in different districts. If the trend only happened in several certain areas, then there’s no need for stores in other districts to take into account the influence of the trend on their stock of home office machine. Without point out where the survey was taken, it is unfair to suggest that all Valu-Mart stores take advantage of this work-at-home trend showing by the survey.

Finally, there’s no evidence showing that increasing stock of home office machines and office supplies will lead to a good sales. If the quality of their stock is not competitive in the market, or the propaganda isn’t carried out well enough, the potential purchaser among the work-at-home group may probably not choose to purchase at Valu-Mart stores.

In conclusion, the argument is indefensible as it stands. To strengthen it the author must assure that the survey is specified to the ones who required new office equipment at home and this trend may influence the area where Valu-Mart stores stand but not somewhere else. The author must also have a fair evaluation on whether their stocks of products have market.

[ 本帖最后由 xixiaiko 于 2007-3-13 16:34 编辑 ]