TOPIC: ARGUMENT127 - The vice president for human resources at Climpson Industries sent the following recommendation to the company's president.

"In an effort to improve our employees' productivity, we should implement electronic monitoring of employees' Internet use from their workstations. Employees who use the Internet from their workstations need to be identified and punished if we are to reduce the number of work hours spent on personal or recreational activities, such as shopping or playing games. By installing software to detect employees' Internet use on company computers, we can prevent employees from wasting time, foster a better work ethic at Climpson, and improve our overall profits."
WORDS: 456              DATE: 2008-7-24

思路比较简单:
1.装软件限制上网不一定增加productivity, 因为上网可能要做正事,自己的事情不一定要上网去做
2.............................不一定增加工作氛围, 可能这样一个环境中本来工人的效率就很高了
3.............................不一定增加总profit,考虑装软件和维护的成本

In this argument, the author concludes that in order to improve the employees' productivity, and foster a better work ethic at Climpso, the company should implement electronic monitoring of employees. At first glance, the author' s reasoning seems to be appealing, while clearly examining the author's reasoning, we may find that it is unconvincing. The argument contains several facets that are questionable.

The threshold problem with this argument is that the causal relationship between using Internet and wasting time for personal activities. No evidence is offered to support this assumption. A multitude of factors could contribute to Internet using. for example, people need to use Internet to get latest news, which is beneficial to their work. On the other hand, employees also have multiply choices to do their personal activities. They can play so many kinds of games without using Internet. Also, perhaps they go out for shopping or other things, which maybe more common in Climpson Industries. Without considering and eliminating these and other possible factors, the author cannot even convince me that using Internet is a sign of wasting time, let alone improving productivity by restricting Internet use.

Even assume that restricting Internet use can improve the productivity, the author's claim that it can foster a better work ethic is unjustifiable. No evidence have been provided that the working condition is so bad because of using Internet for personal activities. Maybe this kind of entertainment is beneficial to the work. Employees have a higher efficiency after playing games or shopping. While restricting Internet use will probably raise their displeasure, which will result in a confliction between employees and employers. Therefore, the author must provide additional evidence to convince me that installing software to detect employees' Internet use will foster a better work ethic.

Before I come to my conclusion, it is necessary to point out another flaw appeared in the argument, which is installing software to detect employees' Internet use will improve our overall profits. The author provides no information about the costs involved in buying these kinds of softwares, installing them, and maintaining them. If so, then the costs might prevent the Climpson from earning a profit. In short, without more information about buying and maintaining costs, the author cannot assert that the overall profits will be higher.

In sum, the author cannot justify his voting recommendation on the basis of the scant evidence provided in the editorial. To better evaluate the reliability of the argument., I would need more information about whether employees use Internet for their own propose, and whether the current working condition is badly influenced by Internet using. I would also need to know the cost of buying the software and maintaining it, which relate to the overall profits.

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