-
aman88
- Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
- Posts: 142
- Joined: Sat Oct 20, 2012 3:31 am
- Location: New Delhi
- Thanked: 20 times
- Followed by:3 members
Hi, please let me know whether this AWA is good enough for the GMAT. I'll be very thankful for your response.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following appeared as part of a business plan created by the management of the Take Heart Fitness Center.
"After opening the new swimming pool early last summer, Take Heart saw a 12 percent increase in the use of the center by its members. Therefore, in order to increase membership in Take Heart, we should continue to add new recreational facilities in subsequent years: for example, a multipurpose game room, a tennis court, and a miniature golf course. Being the only center in the area offering this range of activities would give us a competitive advantage in the health and recreation market."
Discuss how well reasoned.., etc.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In this argument, the management of the Take Heart Fitness Center claims in its business plan that opening new recreational facilities in its Fitness Center will give a competitive advantage to the fitness center in the health and recreational market. The author supports this claim by providing an example of a newly opened swimming pool early last summers and further asserts that post opening of the swimming pool in the fitness center lead to an increase in usage of the pool, therefore, new facilities will lead to an increase in the percentage of new members. This argument, however, is based on few assumptions for which there are not enough evidence given and the assertion made in it is not convincingly strong to believe that adding new recreational facilities will lead to an increase in the membership of the club.
To begin with, the author in this argument has given a poor example to support his claim that newly opened swimming pool last summer lead to an increase in the membership of the club. He mentions that post opening the new swimming pool, the management of Take Heart Fitness Center saw a 12% increase in the use of the swimming pool. The author believes that this increase in percentage of the usage of the pool shows an increase in the membership of the center. This example is, therefore, flawed and subsequently does not support the author's main conclusion. This example simple states that the swimming pool gave rise to percentage of the members who are using the swimming pool, not a rise of the membership. It might be possible that prior of the opening of the new pool, very few members used the fitness center maybe because of summer heat and, opening a new pool gave the members a new way to relax, enjoy and relieve themselves in the summer. Perhaps the members were waiting for the fitness center to add swimming pool to its list and while it was not there, the members used to go to a different fitness center to swim of relax in the summing pool.
Additionally, the author mentions few more recreational facilities that the management plans to add in the facility's list of Take Heart Fitness Center and claims that those facilities will also be helpful in increasing the percentage of membership of the center. It will be a leap of faith to state that because the opening of swimming pool showed an increase in the usage, the opening of other recreational facilities such as a multipurpose game room, a tennis court, and a miniature golf course will give a boost in the percentage of the membership of the club. There is no information about why these new facilities will prove to be a wise decision for the club and help the management gain profits by having more members. Looking at the argument as the way it is written shows us that the fitness center is aware of the interests of the people of the region and these three additional facilities are the ones that are shortlisted. However, if this was the case, then there is no evidence provided to support this and thus, this assertion can be read like an assumption which is again flawed.
Furthermore, according to the argument, it appears that competitive advantage in the health and recreation market can only be gained by increasing the range of activities of the center and the author mentions nothing about other vital points on the basis of which, the competitive advantage of a fitness center is gauged and can be gained. Points such as the membership prices, whether there are discounts to old members, the location of the fitness center in the area, whether there are good trainers in the center, whether the quality of the equipment is at par with the prices offered in this center and other fitness center in the region, are all missing from the argument.
To conclude, there are numerous things that are missing from this argument. The assumptions made here are not well supported by the author and there is scant evidence to prove the main conclusion of the author valid. If the author had mentioned some information information or data to show a direct link between the opening of the new pool last summer and the increase in the usage actually leads to an increase in the percentage of the members, the argument would have had a strong base to believe that summing pool leads to an increase in the membership. Further to reinforce the argument, the author should have mentioned with some proper evidence that a multipurpose game room, a tennis court, and a miniature golf course are the facilities that the people of the area are interested in and addition of these will definitely give rise to the percentage of membership. Without all such information and premises, the business plan of the management of the Take Heart Fitness Center is seriously flawed and thus the argument falls apart.
-------------------------------------------
Thanks.
This forum rocks!!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following appeared as part of a business plan created by the management of the Take Heart Fitness Center.
"After opening the new swimming pool early last summer, Take Heart saw a 12 percent increase in the use of the center by its members. Therefore, in order to increase membership in Take Heart, we should continue to add new recreational facilities in subsequent years: for example, a multipurpose game room, a tennis court, and a miniature golf course. Being the only center in the area offering this range of activities would give us a competitive advantage in the health and recreation market."
Discuss how well reasoned.., etc.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In this argument, the management of the Take Heart Fitness Center claims in its business plan that opening new recreational facilities in its Fitness Center will give a competitive advantage to the fitness center in the health and recreational market. The author supports this claim by providing an example of a newly opened swimming pool early last summers and further asserts that post opening of the swimming pool in the fitness center lead to an increase in usage of the pool, therefore, new facilities will lead to an increase in the percentage of new members. This argument, however, is based on few assumptions for which there are not enough evidence given and the assertion made in it is not convincingly strong to believe that adding new recreational facilities will lead to an increase in the membership of the club.
To begin with, the author in this argument has given a poor example to support his claim that newly opened swimming pool last summer lead to an increase in the membership of the club. He mentions that post opening the new swimming pool, the management of Take Heart Fitness Center saw a 12% increase in the use of the swimming pool. The author believes that this increase in percentage of the usage of the pool shows an increase in the membership of the center. This example is, therefore, flawed and subsequently does not support the author's main conclusion. This example simple states that the swimming pool gave rise to percentage of the members who are using the swimming pool, not a rise of the membership. It might be possible that prior of the opening of the new pool, very few members used the fitness center maybe because of summer heat and, opening a new pool gave the members a new way to relax, enjoy and relieve themselves in the summer. Perhaps the members were waiting for the fitness center to add swimming pool to its list and while it was not there, the members used to go to a different fitness center to swim of relax in the summing pool.
Additionally, the author mentions few more recreational facilities that the management plans to add in the facility's list of Take Heart Fitness Center and claims that those facilities will also be helpful in increasing the percentage of membership of the center. It will be a leap of faith to state that because the opening of swimming pool showed an increase in the usage, the opening of other recreational facilities such as a multipurpose game room, a tennis court, and a miniature golf course will give a boost in the percentage of the membership of the club. There is no information about why these new facilities will prove to be a wise decision for the club and help the management gain profits by having more members. Looking at the argument as the way it is written shows us that the fitness center is aware of the interests of the people of the region and these three additional facilities are the ones that are shortlisted. However, if this was the case, then there is no evidence provided to support this and thus, this assertion can be read like an assumption which is again flawed.
Furthermore, according to the argument, it appears that competitive advantage in the health and recreation market can only be gained by increasing the range of activities of the center and the author mentions nothing about other vital points on the basis of which, the competitive advantage of a fitness center is gauged and can be gained. Points such as the membership prices, whether there are discounts to old members, the location of the fitness center in the area, whether there are good trainers in the center, whether the quality of the equipment is at par with the prices offered in this center and other fitness center in the region, are all missing from the argument.
To conclude, there are numerous things that are missing from this argument. The assumptions made here are not well supported by the author and there is scant evidence to prove the main conclusion of the author valid. If the author had mentioned some information information or data to show a direct link between the opening of the new pool last summer and the increase in the usage actually leads to an increase in the percentage of the members, the argument would have had a strong base to believe that summing pool leads to an increase in the membership. Further to reinforce the argument, the author should have mentioned with some proper evidence that a multipurpose game room, a tennis court, and a miniature golf course are the facilities that the people of the area are interested in and addition of these will definitely give rise to the percentage of membership. Without all such information and premises, the business plan of the management of the Take Heart Fitness Center is seriously flawed and thus the argument falls apart.
-------------------------------------------
Thanks.
This forum rocks!!
I wasn't aware of that tool earlier, but I guess its too late to purchase a writing tool now, especially when you are just one week away from the D-Day! 
