Read the argument and the instructions that follow it, and then make any notes that Hill help you plan your response. Write your response on a separate sheet of paper. If possible, type your essay on a word processor.
The MegaTek Corporation’s vice president of marketing made the following statement to the company’s board of directors:
MegaTek has been losing market share to UltraCorp for three years straight. Customer surveys suggest that consumers perceive UltraCorp products to be of higher quality than those produced by MegaTek. MegaTek spends more annually on research and development than UltraCorp does, and it pays its employees a higher average salary, so we do not believe that our products are actually inferior; rather, the perception is due to the fact that UltraCorp charges higher prices and spends more money on advertising. In order to regain the lost market share from UltraCorp, MegaTek should raise its prices and devote more money to advertising.
Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion, be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative examples or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.