The following appeared in a memo from the vice president of marketing at Dura-Sock, Inc.
"A recent study of our customers suggests that our company is wasting the money it spends on its patented Endure manufacturing process, which ensures that our socks are strong enough to last for two years. We have always advertised our use of the Endure process, but the new study shows that despite our socks' durability, our average customer actually purchases new Dura-Socks every three months. Furthermore, our customers surveyed in our largest market, northeastern United States cities, say that they most value Dura-Socks' stylish appearance and availability in many colors. These findings suggest that we can increase our profits by discontinuing use of the Endure manufacturing process."
Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.
The author presents a case study of a company. He mentions several studies through which he eventually conludes that by discontinuing use of the Endure manufacturing process the profits will increase. However based on the studies the author makes flawed assumptions which are not supported by any solid evidences or facts. Thus the author's argument is not credible.
The first assumption the author makes is that the study is valid. The study states that the average consumer purchases new Dura-Socks every three months. However there could be also be an error or miscalculation that lead to the result of the study. Perhaps the study was conducted on relatively small portion of the customer. Moreover the author assumes that every customer follows the trends of the average customer which purchases new socks every 3 months. Also even if the customers purchases new socks every 3 months that doesn't mean they discard the earlier socks. These assumptions are thus erroneous. Because of such uncorroborated assumptions the conclusion is incredible.
Secondly the author focuses only customers of largest market and overlooks the other customers. Even if the customers in northeastern united states cities value the dura-socks stylish appearance and availability in many colors. On the contrary the other customers could prefer the durability due to the endure manufacturing process. Suppose the northeastern us cities customer comprise of only 25% of the overall market customer. And the other 75% customers prefer the endure manufacturing process.Here the other customers also play a significant role. This scenario belies the author's assumption and thus the conclusion becomes unreasonable
Finally the author concludes that the by discontinuing use of the Endure manufacturing process the companies profit will increase. This conclusion is based on unwarranted assumptions. Just because the average customer buys a new pair every 3 months or even if the largest market customers prefer the dura-socks other features does not mean that the durability of the socks is not an important factor. Also there could be several stalwart customers who buys the dura socks because of it's durability. Even if they are a minority group, they could have an huge impact on the profit. Thus it is not mandatory that the profits will increase by discontinuing the use of manufacturing process.
The author's argument is based on numerous untenable assumptions. These assumptions are neither logically sound nor are they substantiated by concrete evidences. Based on such suppositions the conclusion that the profits will increase after terminating the use of the Endure manufacturing process, becomes disputable.
Sentence: He mentions several studies through which he eventually conludes that by discontinuing use of the Endure manufacturing process the profits will increase.
Error: conludes Suggestion: concludes
argument 1 -- not OK. don't guess: 'However there could be also be an error or miscalculation that lead to the result of the study. Perhaps the study was conducted on relatively small portion of the customer. '. You can find the loopholes from the study. Don't say the study is miscalculated.
argument 2 -- Don't refer: 'On the contrary the other customers could prefer the durability due to the endure manufacturing process'. But you can only refer: 'maybe northeastern citizens are generally wealthier than people from other places.'
General ideas for locations: it works in A, doesn't mean it works in B.
argument 3 -- OK
Attribute Value Ideal
Score: 3.5 out of 6
Category: Satisfactory Excellent
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No. of Spelling Errors: 1 2
No. of Sentences: 27 15
No. of Words: 420 350
No. of Characters: 2249 1500
No. of Different Words: 179 200
Fourth Root of Number of Words: 4.527 4.7
Average Word Length: 5.355 4.6
Word Length SD: 2.937 2.4
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No. of Words greater than 7 chars: 97 40
No. of Words greater than 8 chars: 67 20
Use of Passive Voice (%): 0 0
Avg. Sentence Length: 15.556 21.0
Sentence Length SD: 6.5 7.5
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Sentence-Text Coherence: 0.311 0.35
Sentence-Para Coherence: 0.488 0.50
Sentence-Sentence Coherence: 0.093 0.07
Number of Paragraphs: 5 5