The falling revenues that the company is experiencing coincide with delays in manufacturing. These delays, in turn, are due in large part to poor planning in purchasing metals. Consider further that the manager of the department that handles purchasing of raw materials has an excellent background in general business, psychology, and sociology, but knows little about the properties of metals. The company should, therefore, move the purchasing manager to the sales department and bring in a scientist from the research division to be manager of the purchasing department.

This is for the argument essay.

My Response:

Firstly, there is no clear reason or set of reasons pointed out that caused the decline in revenues. The argument started by assuming that poor planning in purchases is the reason for the falling revenues only based on the fact that they co-exist. There is no clear causation attributed to the decline in revenues.

Secondly, it makes another big assumption that these delays are being caused because the purchasing manager is not aware of the properties of metals. Another subtle assumption made here is that a purchasing manager should know the properties of metals. This is again a big assumption without any rationale, that the purchasing delays are being caused only because of the lack of knowledge of the properties of metals.

Thirdly, the argument points out that the scientist from the research division be made the purchasing manager as he knows the properties of metals. There is a big assumption that the purchasing manager doesn't require to know anything else other than the properties of metals. It doesnt consider other qualifications and management acument that may be needed to be an effective purchasing manager.

To make this argument more concrete, one has to first find out the reasons for the falling revenues. Later, one has to think about how to solve the problem through effectively. The argument as such assumes too much and as a result is very weak.