8. Based upon a survey among workers that indicates a high level of interest in the
6 r) n" G$ ~5 q/ W( G2 etopics of corporate restructuring and redesign of benefits programs, the author
7 M' a, S7 X- U* Y9 U- ]0 b$ n/ xconcludes that workers are not apathetic about management issues. Specifically, it is
) ~) e: a2 v9 f9 j3 M6 z Fargued that since 79 percent of the 1200 workers who responded to survey expressed ' p; ]1 a6 g- L/ F2 T
interest in these topics, the notion that workers are apathetic about management issues is
9 ~4 ^/ D3 }! o( Z$ l' m5 k% a. H Vincorrect. The reasoning in this argument is problematic in several respects.2 V: }+ X/ b8 K$ `
First, the statistics cited in the editorial may be misleading because the total
" S8 \& k! `: W. S+ \& [ Lnumber of workers employed by the corporation is not specified. For example, if the 5 |" u H& _! f& L" S+ @
corporation employs 2000 workers, the fact that 79 percent of the nearly 1200 ( |! `4 a$ h B$ Z$ s H2 `( \/ K
respondents showed interest in these topics provides strong support for the conclusion.
) M3 W1 s6 R, w2 eOn the other hand, if the corporation employs 200,000 workers, the conclusion is much - C# Y8 w5 a8 @/ t. Z
weaker.
/ m. ~1 P3 z4 a Another problem with the argument is that the respondents' views are not
% f; |. p$ S; S# E) }" h+ Snecessarily representative of the views of the work force in general. For example,
& Y) y3 q7 B' H# a6 Obecause the survey has to do with apathy, it makes sense that only less apathetic workers " u& t6 s) t& a! |
would respond to it, thereby distorting the overall picture of apathy among the work s+ z ?0 X: p$ m, j, N! w
force. Without knowing how the survey was conducted, it is impossible to assess
& t' |0 X3 E& N" u! k+ F9 j" E' S- ~whether or not this is the case.6 \" P0 Y8 ~0 U0 N5 q8 O
A third problem with the argument is that it makes a hasty generalization about
7 V1 E7 ~% U9 X. _7 Gthe types of issues workers are interested in. It accords with common sense that workers 5 B* I$ g$ N$ F: |0 B
would be interested in corporate restructuring and redesign of benefits programs, since
: t1 l" [; L$ ?, L" z6 s( b9 Vthese issues affect workers very directly. However, it is unfair to assume that workers
! c+ w- R L/ w" Ywould be similarly interested in other management issues ones that do not affect them or % A( d1 A. S; r1 N" K' q; F5 B3 [
affect them less directly.( u2 k/ j6 k- f5 `
In conclusion, this argument is not convincing as it stands. To strengthen it, the
, u& h9 t$ P, R/ ~$ b' H" xauthor would have to show that the respondents account for a significant and 4 l4 F, }/ I! X7 z _2 u! ?' f1 o8 y
representative portion of all workers. Additionally, the author must provide evidence of
/ l+ e4 \$ w9 aworkers' interest other management topics not just those that affect workers directly. |