argument117[Jet小组]第九次作业

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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."
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The memo from the business manager of Valu-Mart stores said that their stores should increase their office-supply departments so that they will become the most profitable component of the stores. However, the business manager made rush decision on the basis of a report which shows that over 70 percent of the respondents are required to take more work home with them from the workplace than they were in the past, which made the memo not accomplished enough and full of logical flaws.

Firstly, further statistical materials have not provided by the author to show whether the work-at-home trend happens everywhere that Valu-Mart stores locate. It is possible that in some area which Valu-Mart stores locate there are no offices at all, instead, all the people live around it are senior citizens who has retired. That is to say, there are no such trend in the area, even less needs of home office machines and office supplies. Therefore, increasing the stock of home office machines at all Valu-Mart stores is a kind of imprudent decision which may take great losses to the company. Thus, we should make full preparation of the investigation of market which take deferent locations of stores into consideration.

Secondly, there is an obvious illogicality with the decision made by the business manager of Valu-Mart stores on the basis of the work-at-home trend. Since Valu-Mart stores has not seen impressive sales in its office-supply departments in the past, in order to take advantage of the work-at-home trend, we should decrease or at most keep stock of office supplies such as paper, pens etc., and make up with the stock of home office machines instead of increasing stock of office supplies as well as home machines according to the author.

Last but not least, we should also take account of the needs of the market and consuming psychology. Although we assume that the work-at home trend takes place everywhere, we should think twice that who will pay for the trend. That means, in the stand of company, it would rather having its stuff work at office than taking their work home because they can use those office supplies are equipped well and really convenient for the stuff to use. However, when stuff take their work home, they would rather think it is the company’s responsibility to buy those home office machines for them to let them finish their work while the company is reluctant to pay for those extra fees and let those office supplies that they already have leave unused.

In sum, the perspective of the decision made by the business manager of increasing both stock of home office machines and office supplies at all Valu-Mart stores is hardly to be called optimistic by every means.