Once McGregor has chosen his arguments, what structure will work best in this situation?, homework help
1. Once McGregor has chosen his arguments, what structure will work best in this situation? One-sided or two-sided? Tell or sell? Given, since, therefore? Recommendations, rationale, implementation? Storytelling?
An one-sided approach will work best for McGregor’s argument. He should list the benefits of the change of the employee discount program to the employees and explain how everyone will have an advantage from the new plan. McGregor should use the tell approach since he has the final say so about the employee discount plan. He should use the storytelling approach to sell the employees on the new discount program and paint a vivid picture of how the change will keep McGregor’s Department stores more competitive in the retail market.
2. In arriving at his decision to modify the discount program, McGregor considered many arguments in its favor. Identify his arguments with a suitable key word. Which seem most cogent and persuasive to you?
The new plan will be fair to all employees including the cleaning team.
The new plan will save $19,024 for the company.
The new plan will attract younger employees which will in return attract younger customers.
The argument that seems most persuasive to me is the fact that it will save the company over $19,000 dollars which mean that they can do other things with that money such as raise for employees.
3. What attitudes are the executives and buyers likely to have toward the new discount program? Which of McGregor’s arguments are likely to seem most persuasive to them? Can you devise new arguments that might be more acceptable to them?
The executive and buyers will most likely have a negative attitude. They will probably feel that the new discount plan is unfair to them since they received the biggest discount under the old plan. The argument that will be most persuasive to them is that the company is doing good and that with the new discount plan the company will save $19,024. This could mean many good things for the employees such as raises.
4. In designing his communication to his senior managers, should McGregor concentrate on one or two issues, or should he discuss all the issues that had a bearing on his decision?
While designing his communications McGregor should concentrated on two issues which are fairness for all employees and the cost savings for the company. I don’t think it will effective for him to discuss all of the issues that had a bearing on his final decision.
5. Do you find merit in Allen Lee’s suggestion that there might be more meaningful ways to cut costs and overhead than McGregor’s new discount program? What might they be? What arguments support your view?
I believe that there is merit in Allen Lee’s suggestions to McGregor. He is giving suggestions from a younger point to of view, the same demographics that they are trying to attract. The current plan is to confusing and unfair to all employees. Other ways they could cut cost and overhead are cutting out overtime, laying off employees, and stopping home deliveries. In the case it stated that goods where delivered free of charge within a 30 radius from the store and that the cost of delivery outweighed the cost of the goods.
6. Suppose you disagree with McGregor about instituting the new program as it is described in the case. What changes would you make? Or would you leave the current plan in place? What arguments and what structure would you choose to persuade McGregor to modify or abandon his new program?
I would leave the current plan in place. The current plan is more than fair to all employees and even including the cleaning team. I would use the consult approach since I will not have the final decision on the matter. The agreements that I would use to persuade McGregor are that upper management find the new employee discount plan to be unfair. Because now everyone will get the same out off of items. The second argument would be that even though the company will save $19,024 what will be done with the money save.
