The following appeared as part of an article in a computer magazine:
"A year ago Apex Manufacturing bought its managers computers for their homes and paid for telephone connections so that they could access Apex computers and data files from home after normal business hours. Since last year, productivity at Apex has increased by 15 percent. Other companies can learn from the success at Apex: given home computers and access to company resources, employees will work additional hours at home and thereby increase company profits."
Discuss how well reasoned . . . etc
The argument that giving home computers and access to company resources will result in employees working additional hours at home and thereby increase company profits its flawed. The argument fails to present relevant or statistical data that allows to establish a connection between the purchase of home computers for managers, and the increase in productivity. Furthermore, the author assumes that just because managers have access to the company´s data at home, they will work more after normal business hours. Moreover, the author also assumes that working more hours, in this case from home, has a direct impact in profits. On the other hand, the argument fails to consider the risks of giving access to company´s data from the manager´s home.
Firstly, the author does not present any significant data that allows to conclude that effectively, productivity has increased based on the new access that managers have at home. It could be the case that the same productivity increase could have been reached without the investment on home computers and network access. Since there is no data supporting or backing up this premise, we cannot accept it as valid.
Secondly, the argument strongly depends on the two assumptions. The author assumes that managers will work after normal business hours, just because they have access to the company´s network and data. Even though some may had work after business hours and prefer doing it from home, it does not mean that they will do it every day. Additionally, the argument depends directly on the assumption that working more has a positive impact on the increase of profits. This last assumption does not provide the support the argument needs to be valid. Consider the case in which employees are working more hours just because they haven´t figured out the efficient way of doing things. In this case, if the task can be done efficiently in 1 hour, but the employees takes 4 hours, there will be no positive impact in the company´s profits.
Lastly, the argument ignores the risks of opening the company´s networks to give access to the managers from home. As explained before, the increase in productivity could have nothing to do with this initiative. Moreover, the company could be facing security issues in terms of sharing vital information with the competition or unethical practices like deleting important pieces of information. This issue makes the argument more incomplete.
In order to strengthen the argument, the author should provide statistical data that allows to establish the positive correlation between the increase of productivity and the initiative of giving home access to the managers. Also, assumptions should be backed up with relevant information that proofs that working more has a direct and positive impact on profits. Finally, by considering the risks and advantages of this idea, the author would be able to produce a strong and flawless argument.
"A year ago Apex Manufacturing bought its managers computers for their homes and paid for telephone connections so that they could access Apex computers and data files from home after normal business hours. Since last year, productivity at Apex has increased by 15 percent. Other companies can learn from the success at Apex: given home computers and access to company resources, employees will work additional hours at home and thereby increase company profits."
Discuss how well reasoned . . . etc
The argument that giving home computers and access to company resources will result in employees working additional hours at home and thereby increase company profits its flawed. The argument fails to present relevant or statistical data that allows to establish a connection between the purchase of home computers for managers, and the increase in productivity. Furthermore, the author assumes that just because managers have access to the company´s data at home, they will work more after normal business hours. Moreover, the author also assumes that working more hours, in this case from home, has a direct impact in profits. On the other hand, the argument fails to consider the risks of giving access to company´s data from the manager´s home.
Firstly, the author does not present any significant data that allows to conclude that effectively, productivity has increased based on the new access that managers have at home. It could be the case that the same productivity increase could have been reached without the investment on home computers and network access. Since there is no data supporting or backing up this premise, we cannot accept it as valid.
Secondly, the argument strongly depends on the two assumptions. The author assumes that managers will work after normal business hours, just because they have access to the company´s network and data. Even though some may had work after business hours and prefer doing it from home, it does not mean that they will do it every day. Additionally, the argument depends directly on the assumption that working more has a positive impact on the increase of profits. This last assumption does not provide the support the argument needs to be valid. Consider the case in which employees are working more hours just because they haven´t figured out the efficient way of doing things. In this case, if the task can be done efficiently in 1 hour, but the employees takes 4 hours, there will be no positive impact in the company´s profits.
Lastly, the argument ignores the risks of opening the company´s networks to give access to the managers from home. As explained before, the increase in productivity could have nothing to do with this initiative. Moreover, the company could be facing security issues in terms of sharing vital information with the competition or unethical practices like deleting important pieces of information. This issue makes the argument more incomplete.
In order to strengthen the argument, the author should provide statistical data that allows to establish the positive correlation between the increase of productivity and the initiative of giving home access to the managers. Also, assumptions should be backed up with relevant information that proofs that working more has a direct and positive impact on profits. Finally, by considering the risks and advantages of this idea, the author would be able to produce a strong and flawless argument.
