Over the past decade, the restaurant industry in the country of Spiessa has experienced unprecedented growth.

Argument

Over the past decade, the restaurant industry in the country of Spiessa has experienced unprecedented growth.  This surge can be expected to continue in the coming years, fueld by recent social changes: personal incomes are rising, more leisure time is available, single-person households are more common, and people have a greater interest in gourmet food, as evidenced by a proliferation of publications on the subject. 

Answer

While the author argues that growth of restaurant industry in Spiessa seems to be lasting in next year due to some social changes, some significant factors should be considered are omitted. Since statistical data is unavailable, and social changes mentioned cannot be unconditionally concluded as the industry's expansion, this argument needs to be more sophisticated. 

To begin with, statistical evidence, though the author states that rise of incomes, more leisure time, and the number of households with a single contributes to restaurant growth, is not mentioned.  Without specific data with reasoning of statistical method, it has be doubted its validity.  For example, this argument based on a statistical data may come from a questionnaire applied to only 1% of population in the country, which is really not enough to conclude tendency and trend.  According to the author, personal incomes are rising, people have more leisure time, and living alone is more common but they have to be proven majority of generations in Spiessa has same trend by showing how the author has led out this supporting content. 

Another point to be tackled with is that those social changes cannot always be led to boost the restaurant industry.  More income and more leisure time may make people have more oversea trip, single households may buy more lunch packs at a grocery, or more gourmet publication may be caused by severe competition among magazine companies to get more subscribers from ordinary citizens without any typical hobby.  To connect reasoning of social changes and conclusion of restaurant's increase, the author must analyze what roles each social change takes for more restaurants trend. 

In conclusion, the author's argument misses several significant explanations such as statistical evidence to strengthen social changes mentioned and detail analysis of how each social change works out to restaurant's growth.  If those points are well addressed within the article, the author can be more convincing with his idea.

Neither stronger ethics regulations nor stronger enforcement mechanisms are necessary to ensure ethical behavior by companies doing business with this department.

Argument

Neither stronger ethics regulations nor stronger enforcement mechanisms are necessary to ensure ethical behavior by companies doing business with this department.  We already have a code of ethics that companies doing business with this department are urged to abide by, and virtually all of these companies have agreed to follow it.  We also know that the code is relevant to the current business environment because it was approved within the last year, and in direct response to specific violations committed by companies with which we were then working–not in abstract anticipation of potential violations, as so many such codes are.  

Answer

The author's argument that no stronger regulation and no enforcement are needed to keep companies legal has some critical flaws caused by omitting several important factors.  As following, the argument should include how effective the current code was since last year, what the specific violation that the current regulation referred to is, and what kind of illegal activity is frequently committed.  

To begin with, there is no explanation about how illegal cases are decreased since the current regulation.  According to the author, the current code, which the argument declares effectiveness since its relevance to specific case, was approved within last year to fit modern business environment.  If the code is effective enough to prevent companies from committing violations, there should be some comparison of data showing how environment has been changed before and after the current code.  

Additionally, the author failed to define what case the current code was referred to when it was set force.  The argument mentions that the code was responded to specific violations committed by companies in the past.  However, without knowing what cases or activities were referred to, it is difficult for everyone to determine whether the code is strong enough not to add other ones as the author states.  

Furthermore, those violations frequently committed should be discussed when the code was taken effect even if it was relevant to some specific recent cases because the reference cases cannot be always a benchmark that companies usually or commonly violate.  For example, if the reference cases were complex structure of fraud deals in stock exchange market among security companies and investment banks, no one can be sure that the current code can keep companies away from illegal actions because the reference is very specific and occurred in a specific industry.  

As mentioned above, the argument still omits showing some significant factors to consider such as comparison of business environment before and after the current code, specific cases that the code referred to, and frequent and common cases that companies have committed.  Being convincing requires to address all possible aspects that the argument could reach to.  

Two of today's best-selling brands of full-strength prescription medication for the relief of excess stomach acid, Acid-Ease and Pepticaid, are now available in milder nonprescription form.

Argument

Two of today's best-selling brands of full-strength prescription medication for the relief of excess stomach acid, Acid-Ease and Pepticaid, are now available in milder nonprescription form.  Doctors have written 76 millions more prescriptions for full-strength Pepticaid.  So people who need an effective but milder nonscription medication for he relief of excess stomach acid should choose Acid-Ease.  

Answer

The argument that, in milder nonscription form, Acid-Ease is better chosen for excess stomach acid symptom than Pepticaid has not well discussed about several significant aspects.  To be more convincing, the author of statement should provide and prove following topics.  

Most obviously,  The author lacks explaining why more sales of full-strength Pepticaid mean Acid-Ease is better than Peptocaid in nonprescription form.  The more number of prescription in full-strength Pepticaid than Acid-Ease does not indicate that Acid-Ease is preferable in nonprescription form.  Full-strength Pepticaid might have been sold more than Acid-Ease because it might be cheaper or more available than Acid-Ease. The author should clarify why Acid-Ease in nonprescription form is supported by a fact that Pepticaid has been prescribed 76 millions more than Acid-Ease.  

Furthermore, there is no reason why Acid-Ease is better in nonprescription form than Pepticaid.  Pepticaid could be even more effective than Acid-Ease to excess amount of stomach acid or could be even more affordable than Acid-Ease.  To convince more readers of this argument, objective comparison of Pepticaid and Acid-Ease with their price, availability, and effectiveness must be concerned.   

Finally, the author omits considering other rivals of nonprescription drug for excess stomach acid.  Even though Pepticaid and Acid-Ease are top two best selling ones in prescription form for stomach acid, there could already be a giant in nonprescription form drug for stomach.  Best selling model in prescription form does not directly lead to be best one in nonprescription form.  The author must consider other models already existing in nonprescription form.  

In conclusion, this argument still needs to develop itself in order to be more sound.  Analyzing why Pepticaid has been prescribed much more than Acid-Ease, comparison between Pepticaid and Acid-Ease, and research of other drugs already expanding in nonprescription form should be addressed in this article.  

Laziness blocks my way; Business cannot be an excuse

Although this blog was started to achieve GMAT score at some certain level for my MBA degree, it has been almost a month any new post comes up.  I need to improve time management first, even before GMAT and English.

Reporting about my recent life; I am transferred to a new department where I become a sales person with some electronic devices and equipments.  The first mission, which allegedly starts on October, is going to proceed claims and complaints coming from customers due to technical failure, measurement defect, and damaged appearance.  Yet it is not an international position.  Mostly, I boost sales activity to domestic companies. Oh my god, hope I don't need to be a typical old sales person who needs to keep accompanied with customers as if I am like a slave of them.

Along with this transfer, I will move to Tokyo to live in.  Who is NOT happy to come to Tokyo? It's me!! I'm not interested in such a huge city where people are crowded, train is full, and traffic is heavy. But anyway, my life starts in one of the biggest city in this earth.

ALL I NEED IS TIME TO STUDY. OTHERWISE, I FAIL MY LIFE PLAN! BE STRONG!

It is no longer cost-effective for the Perks Company to continue offering its employees a generous package of benefits and incentives year after year.

Argument;

It is no longer cost-effective for the Perks Company to continue offering its employees a generous package of benefits and incentives year after year.  In periods when national unemployment rates are low, Perks may need to offer such a package in order to attract and keep good employees, but since national unemployment rates are now high, Perks does not need to offer the same benefits and incentives.  The money thus saved could be better used to replace the existing plant machinery with more technologically sophisticated equipment, or even to build an additional plant. 

Answer; 

The argument that Perks Company should stop generous benefit package for its employees and purchase technologically developed equipment omits some significant factors that must be addressed.  Those critical failures on assumptions crucially make this argument weakened.  There are three main points to be tackled with this problem. 

Primarily, the author's conclusion is based on the idea that a more sophisticated plant machine progresses Perks Company.  However, the argument does not mention about productivity of each plant of existing one and new one.  Whenever a new facility is installed, productivity and cost-effectiveness must be analyzed because it is possible that existing equipment, even if it is old, works enough to cover requirement that Perks Company needs.  New equipment even takes employees in Perks Company some time to get used to its operation; therefore productivity in entire of Perks Company gets decreased.  Why the existing plant needs to be replaced is not specified. 

Another issue ignored by the author is actual national unemployment rates.  Although the argument says that welfare package Perks Company offers to its employees should be adjusted, or even canceled when unemployment rates are low, along with fluctuation of national unemployment rates, at what rates can be benchmarks to determine when to adjust welfare package.  Foe example, if current unemployment rates are at 5.5% while it was just 5% a month ago, what decision does Perks Company make?  Is 0.5% difference big enough to see the situation as a good opportunity to hire highly skilled employees?  The author must explain what percentage of national unemployment rates is recognized high, or low. 

Finally, the assumption that Perks Company can employ employees with high skills at where national unemployment rates are high is not the case.  For example, those graduates from Harvard or Stanford are usually still employed in the recession, or even some of them run their own company instead of being an employee.  Besides, preference of treatment including salary and benefits are different among each employee.  Some workers may want to have incentive upon his sales record while others may ask for stable salary and adequate benefit package.  Since unemployment rates are high, it is not sure that Perks Company can hire highly educated employees who usually go to a bigger or more famous company. 

In conclusion, the argument in current form is not convincing.  More information is needed in order to better evaluate validity of the author's claim.  To begin with, need of replacement of the plant equipment is not specified enough to determine the new one is going to be better.  Also, benchmarks of unemployment rates must be defined to decide when is the good timing to try hiring highly profiled employees.  Finally, the author must takes tendency of highly skilled employees' preference to get hired such as salary or benefits.  Before any conclusion is made, every possible factor must be analyzed.