argument209

waxtearUID: 2904420

209. The following recommendation was made by the Human Resources Manager to the board of directors of the Fancy Toy Company.

"In the last three quarters of this year, under the leadership of our president, Pat Salvo, our profits have fallen considerably. Thus, we should ask for her resignation in return for a generous severance package. In Pat's place, we should appoint Rosa Winnings. Rosa is currently president of Starlight Jewelry, a company whose profits have increased dramatically over the past several years. Although we will have to pay Rosa twice the salary that Pat has been receiving, it will be well worth it because we can soon expect our profits to increase considerably."


The arguer concludes that they should employ Rosa Winnings in place of Pat Salvo and pay the new president twice salary. Three reasons are mainly mentioned in the argument. Firstly, company income decreased when Pat Salvo was in power. Secondly, Rosa Winnings’s company made great profits in his term. Thirdly, Rosa will help them make money soon. Obviously, a number of bugs exist in this recommendation.

To begin with, what is the direct mistake causing the Fancy Toy Company make less money and does Pat Salvo really have something to do with falling profits? To answer this question, they had better take all the possibilities into account. Maybe it is the economic crisis that affects the whole industry, and unfortunately their company doesn’t escaping from the disaster. What’s more, if their products’ prices are too high, sales amounts will also be disappointing. Additionally, we might forget that the style of their toys is of great importance when customers decide which one to pay for. Generally speaking, except for a leader’s fault, many other situations could cause the same result.

Next, is the Human Resources Manager sure that Starlight Jewelry’s increasing profits is attributed to Rosa’s individual ability? After all, toy and jewelry are two entirely different kinds of business. We cannot rule out the likeliness that people are intent to buy jewelry for investment or as gift or any other purpose in recent years. Moreover, it might be their excellent employees other than the president himself who actually make a contribution to large their profits. If Rosa has little effect on his company’s development, will he be suitable to save the Fancy Toy?

Even if the arguer’s above two assumptions are all flawless-Fancy’s failure is due to Pat and Starlight’s success owes to Rosa, will Rosa’s coming definitely meet his expectation-guide them to the road of making profits? Firstly, compared to Pat, Rosa has less knowledge about Fancy Toy’s current condition. After his arrival, it must be some time for him to adapt to the new environment. Secondly, whether to pay him twice the salary that Pat has been receiving is still a problem to think over. Many other employees in the company might fell unequal because they have never seen any devotion made by the new president, which is not beneficial to internal unity.

Based on the above discussions, we could conclude that seeking for the real reason to the problem is necessary before dismissing Pat. Only by solving the problem according to its genuine cause, can they change their fate effectively.