GMAT Essays (AWA)

The package of benefits and incentives that Ready-to-Ware offers to professional staff is too costly. Our quarterly profits have declined since the package was introduced two years ago, at the time of our incorporation. Moreover, the package had little positive effect, as we have had only marginal success in recruiting and training high-quality professional staff. To become more profitable again, Ready-to-Ware should, therefore, offer the reduced benefits package that was in place two years ago and use the savings to fund our current research and development initiatives



In the above argument the author claims that the package of benefits and incentives that Ready-to-Ware, a software engineering firm,offers to the professional staff should be replaced by the reduced benefit package. The author supports this statement by telling that the profits have declined since the new package is introduced. He says that the continuation of the old package will be beneficial and save funds that can be used for research and development initiatives. Though the claim may well have merit, the author presents a poorly reasoned argument based on several questionable assumptions and premises, based solely on the evidence that the author offers we cannot accept his argument as valid.

The primary issue with the author's reasoning lies in his unsubstantiated premises.The author thinks that the sole reason for the decline of profits of the new package is because it is costly , but what if other factors contribute to the decline of profits? The author does not provide any information about the profits of other companies for similar products.What if the customers does not need such package any more? The author also claims that introducing the old package will result in the increase in the profits . What if the old package is outdated? The author premise , the basis of his argument lack evidentary support and render his conclusion unacceptable.

In addition , the author make several assumption that remain unproven . First, the author assumes discontinuing the new package will result in success in recruiting and training high-quality professional staff. But the author fails to consider if the current results are low because of carelessness and irresponsibility of people rather than the package , then change in package will not bring any positive effect. Second, the author thinks that reduced benefits will attract more profit. This statement is a stretch and not substantiate in any way. The customers always look for more benefits with adequate price. The author weakens his argument by making assumptions and failing to provide proper explication.

In sum , the author illogical argument is based on unsupported premises and unsubstantiated assumptions that render his conclusion invalid. But the author has some key issues in the argument's assumptions and premises.He can strengthen the argument if he provides more information about the cause of failure of the new package. The author can also provide information about how reintroducing the old package will attract more customers and thus, increase profit. If author truly hopes to change reader's mind on the issue, he would have to largely restructure the arguments, fix the flaws in his logic, clearly explicate his argument , and provide evidentary support. Without these things , his poorly reasoned argument will likely convince few people