delving into AWA

Well, obviously now I am delving into AWA. Two weeks to go to what has been planned for my GMAT test, and yet I am just opening AWA section. poor mee….I am not sure..However, after studying for a while for this analysis of issue and analysis of argument, I began to grasp some pattern to get good score.  In order to get a good score, I promise myself to at least compose one analysis of issue and another analysis of argument each day forward. Sounds promising though, I am bored, demotivated but still dealing with this thing.

Anyway, the excerpt below is one of my essay for analysis of argument. Not sure though about the score, but I compose the essay in approximately time alloted:

Problem

The following appeared in a report presented for discussion at a meeting of the directors of a company that manufactures parts for heavy machinery:

“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.”

Discuss how well reasoned . . . etc.

My reasoning:

1. Cause and effect relationships falling revenues mainly caused by delays in manufacturing
2. Sufficient necessary relationships that purchasing should know the properties of metals.
3. Necessary relationship that the company should move the purchasing manager to sales department and bring in scientist from research division to be manager of the purchasing department

My Essay:

It can be concluded from the reports that in order to prevent further falling revenues, the company should move its purchasing manager to the sales department and bring in someone from research division to be manager of purchasing manager. The author of the report bases this conclusion on several facts including the fact that the company experiencing revenue falling coincides with delays in manufacturing and the fact that current manager has little knowledge of properties of metals and good in general business, psychology, and sociology. However, the argument relies on a series of unproven assumption and is unconvincing as it stands.

Firstly, the argument relies on an unproven cause and effect relationships between the current falling of revenues with delays of manufacturing. The author fails to acknowledge other possible means necessary and contribute to the falling of the revenues. It can be external factors that the market of heavy metal equipment is actually falling and has nothing to do with its delays in manufacturing. In short, until the speakers ruled out other factor responsible for the success of the corporations, I simply can’t accept the recommendation.

Secondly, the argument relies on unproven assumption that in order to succeed as a purchasing manager in heavy metal companies, one should have sufficient knowledge in properties of metals. The author neglects to substantiate his assumption that the knowledge of mining metals would suffice to the success as a purchasing manager. Common sense tells me that in order to succeed as a purchasing manager, one also should have knowledge about the market, prices of goods. In short, until the author of the reports doesn’t substantiate his view with premises that knowledge in metals properties would suffice, I can’t simply accept the recommendation.

Thirdly, the argument also relies on an assumption that scientist from research department may have all skills necessary required to be a good purchasing manager. Even if we consider that the only thing needed by a good purchasing manager is knowledge in metal properties, it supplies no evidence whatsoever that particular people coming from research department will have the sufficient knowledge for the position. It could be that the one chosen from research department also has less knowledge in metal properties and good in engineering, for example or good in general management.

As a final analysis, the argument is dubious one that relies on a series of unproven assumption – about the confusing cause and effect relationships and relying on sufficient condition assumption -. As a result, without the additional information that validates all the assumption mentioned above, I find that the argument unconvincing at best.