The following appeared as part of an annual report sent to stockholders by Olympic Foods, a processor of frozen foods:
"Over time, the costs of processing go down because as organizations learn how to do things better, they become more efficient. In color film processing, for example, the cost of a 3-by-5-inch print fell from 50 cents for five-day service in 1970 to 20 cents for one-day service in 1984. The same principle applies to the processing of food. And since Olympic Foods will soon celebrate its 25th birthday, we can expect that our long experience will enable us to minimize costs and thus maximize profits."
Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.
Write the essay now!
- The following appeared in a memorandum from the business planning department of Avia Airlines Of all the cities in their region Beaumont and Fletcher are showing the fastest growth in the number of new businesses Therefore Avia should establish a commuter 70
- The following appeared as part of a column in a popular entertainment magazine:"The producers of the forthcoming movie 3003 will be most likely to maximize their profits if they are willing to pay Ro
- The following appeared in a letter to the editor of a River City newspaper:"The Clio Development Group's plan for a multilevel parking garage on Dock Street should be approved in order to strengthen
- The following appeared in a memorandum from the president of a company that makes shampoo:"A widely publicized study claims that HR2, a chemical compound in our shampoo, can contribute to hair loss a
- The following appeared in a memorandum from the human resources department of HomeStyle, a house remodeling business:"This year, despite HomeStyle's move to new office space, we have seen a decline i 100