Logical Reasoning

PT103 · S1 · Q4 In order to increase production

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In order to increase production, ABC Company should implement a flextime schedule, which would allow individual employees some flexibility in deciding when to begin and end their workday.

Conclusion

To increase production, ABC should implement a flextime schedule.

Evidence

Flextime schedules allow individual employees some flexibility in deciding when to begin and end their workday.

Studies show that working under flextime schedules is associated with increased employee morale.

Evaluate

This argument really has more of a Plan / Goal structure to it. The stated goal here is "increasing production", and the plan to get there is "a flextime schedule".

Well how do we get from "Flextime schedule" to "increasing production"?

Flextime schedule apparently leads to more employee morale. Does more employee morale lead to increased production?

Goal

The author seems to be assuming the Missing Link that "if employee morale increases, then production will increase".

She also is failing to consider ways in which a flextime schedule might impede production (maybe it's harder for workers to be efficient because they need to ask employee X a question, but employee X is now working a different schedule that's more convenient for them).

So we might see Defender answers like, .

4.

The argument depends on the assumption that

  1. the employees who prefer a

    Out of Scope

    Out of Scope: prefer Too Strong: most The argument isn't assuming anything about the specific subgroup of employees who prefer flextime. She's only assuming that making flextime an option will lead to higher employee morale, which will lead to more productivity.

    4% picked this

  2. Correct

    an increase in the morale

    Why this is right

    This answer should be lovable because it connects a New Concept in the Conclusion (increased production) to wording in the evidence (increased morale). The author's recommendation was picturing that offering flextime would increase employee morale, which would then lead to increased production. That's how she's arguing that "to increase production, ABC should implement a flextime schedule". The negation of this, "increased morale cannot lead to increased production", would badly weaken the argument because it would make it seem like the Plan had nothing to do with the Goal.

    Skill tested: Necessary Assumption · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

    92% picked this

  3. flextime schedules tend to be

    Out of Scope: lateness / absenteeism

    The author never brought up reduced lateness or absenteeism, so we have no grounds for accusing them of assuming something about these ideas. Even if flextime schedules tend to have the same rate of lateness and absenteeism, the author can still recommend them (since they increase employee morale, which would potentially increase productivity).

    2% picked this

  4. employees are most productive during

    Weakens Too Strong: most / all

    Not only is the strong language a toxic turn-off, but this answer also goes against the author's plan. With employees on a flextime schedule, they will all be present much less often than with employees on a fixed schedule. Currently, they're all there from 9-5, but once it's flextime you might rarely have all employees in the office at the same time, and according to this answer that would be mean that you're rarely at your most productive. So how would a flextime schedule increase production?

    0% picked this

  5. companies that are in competition

    Out of Scope: competitors

    The argument never says or insinuates anything about competing businesses, so we can't accuse the author of assuming anything about competitors.

    0% picked this

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