GMAT考试写作指导：Argument范文八八

　　2. In this argument the author concludes that the Apogee Company should dose

　　down field offices and conduct all its operations from a single, centralized location

　　because the company had been more profitable in the past when all its operations were

　　in one location. For a couple of reasons, this argument is not very convincing.

　　First, the author assumes that centralization would improve profitability by cutting

　　costs and streamlining supervision of employees. This assumption is never supported

　　with any data or projections. Moreover, the assumption fails to take into account cost

　　increases and inefficiency that could result from centralization. For instance, company

　　representatives would have to travel to do business in areas formerly served by a field

　　office, creating travel costs and loss of critical time. In short, this assumption must be

　　supported with a thorough cost-benefit analysis of centralization versus other possible

　　cost-cutting and/or profit-enhancing strategies.

　　Second, the only reason offered by the author is the claim that Apogee was more

　　profitable when it had operated from a single, centralized location. But is centralization

　　the only difference relevant to greater past profitability? It is entirely possible that

　　management has become lax regarding any number of factors that can affect the bottom

　　line such as inferior products, careless product pricing, inefficient production, poor

　　employee expense account monitoring, ineffective advertising, sloppy buying policies

　　and other wasteful spending. Unless the author can rule out other factors relevant to

　　diminishing profits, this argument commits the fallacy of assuming that just because one

　　event follows another , the second event has been

　　caused by the first.

　　In conclusion, this is a weak argument. To strengthen the conclusion that Apogee

　　should close field offices and centralize. This author must provide a thorough cost-

　　benefit analysis of available alternatives and rule out factors other than decentralization

　　that might be affecting current profits negatively.