Easy Read is a widely used method of increasing employee productivity. The company uses the device on all of its reports, articles, and other written material. The Easy Read course consists of a series of lessons that teach employees how to speed up their reading and comprehension. The employee pays $500 for the course, which lasts three weeks. The employee then reads materials at home for three weeks while taking additional seminars in Spruce City. At the end of the course, the employee receives a certificate indicating she successfully completed the program. The employee is then promoted to the position of Vice President of Acme Publishing Company. This course of action, the personnel director argues, will improve Acme’s productivity by allowing employees to read more quickly and comprehend material better.

The first question that needs to be answered in order to determine whether the recommendation and the argument upon which it is based are reasonable is, ‘Why should Acme expect that all of its employees, no matter how long they have worked for Acme, would be able to read at a similar speed?’ The answer to this question is, ‘Since Acme only requires employees to read material for their own use only, there is no real reason to expect employees to be able to read a similar speed.’ The Easy Read program is not designed to help employees read entire books or reports, but to improve their comprehension and speed of reading materials with which they are already familiar. Consequently, it is unlikely that most employees would be able to read materials at a similar speed. This lack of uniformity in reading ability would make it difficult and, perhaps, even impossible, for the company to measure the productivity gains that could be realized by allowing all employees to take the Easy Read course.

If the company’s goal is to improve employee productivity, then the Easy Read course may be a viable option. If the company expects that all employees will be able to read similar material at similar speeds, however, then the company will need to determine the speed at which employees read materials already in the workplace. If it is determined that most employees read at similar speeds, then the Easy Read course would be ineffective. If the speed at which employees read varies widely, then the company’s decision to add the course to its employee training procedures would be unwise.

Another question that needs to be answered is, ‘How would the company ensure that employees who took the Easy Read course would be able to read material at a similar speed?’ The answer to this question is, ‘The company would need to ensure that the employees taking the Easy Read course would read material alone and without interruption. The company would not need to monitor the employees or take any other steps to ensure that the employees read at similar speeds.’ In other words, the company would not be required to verify that employees read at similar speeds. Because the company does not have to monitor employees to ensure that the course is being utilized, it would likely save money by not requiring all employees to take the course. If the company were to require all employees to take the course, it would have to pay employees for time not spent reading, which might not be worth the $500 it would have to pay each employee.

The final question that needs to be answered is, ‘How would the company ensure that employees who took the Easy Read course would be able to read material at a similar speed?’ The answer to this question is, ‘The company would need to ensure that employees would read only material with which they are already familiar. The company would need to prohibit employees from reading any materials that they would not normally read on their own time. The company would need to prohibit employees from reading any materials that are not pertinent to their jobs.’ The Easy Read course could be of limited benefit to employees who are required to read material with which they are not already familiar. Even if the company did not require the employee to read new material, the Easy Read course would not work if the employee was required to read material unrelated to her job. Moreover, the company would need to prohibit employees from reading any materials that are not pertinent to their jobs. For example, if an employee is required to read a technical report, she may not need to read the Easy Read newsletter.

Thus, the Easy Read course would not be a viable option for the company. The Easy Read course will not help the company to achieve its goal of improving employee productivity.