The following appeared as part of a recommendation by one of the directors of the Beta Company:
“The Alpha Company has just reduced its workforce by laying off 15 percent of its employees in all divisions and at all levels, and it is encouraging early retirement for other employees. As you know, the Beta Company manufactures some products similar to Alpha’s, but our profits have fallen over the last few years. To improve Beta’s competitive position, we should try to hire a significant number of Alpha’s former workers, since these experienced workers can provide valuable information about Alpha’s successful methods, will require little training, and will be particularly motivated to compete against Alpha.”
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.
The director’s recommendation can be seen as an attempt by Beta to compete more effectively with Alpha. However, rather than hiring Alpha’s former employees, the company should focus on improving its own products. Hiring new employees means that Beta will have to train them, and this will cost time and money. Furthermore, the company must take care that these new employees are productive. If they are not, the company will have wasted money on them. Hiring Alpha’s former employees would be risky, as there is no guarantee that these workers will be productive, and even if they are, there is no guarantee that they will want to stay. The director is suggesting that the company hire Alpha’s former employees, but there is no guarantee that they will help the company improve its bottom line. Furthermore, the newly hired employees may be resentful of Alpha’s former employees at the Beta Company, causing tension within the workforce. Instead of hiring Alpha’s former employees, the Beta Company should put effort into improving its own products. As the old employees work, they will doubtless pick up valuable knowledge about Alpha’s products, and this knowledge can help Beta improve upon its own products and make them more competitive.