Question

Kristin is president of a corporation that operates a chain of clothing stores, and she faces the task of hiring a manager to replace a man who retired from one of the stores. The former manager increased sales by 15 percent every year for the past five years. Kristin concludes that Roger Benson, a recent graduate of Wharton School of Business, will duplicate the former manager’s performance.

How do the following facts bear on Kristin’s argument?

a. The manager who retired was a graduate of Wharton.

b. The manager who retired liked tennis and drove a Jaguar, whereas Benson dislikes tennis and drives a BMW.

c. Unlike the manager who retired, Benson formerly managed a shoe store, where he increased sales 20 percent for each of the two years he was there.

d. A labor dispute has recently erupted in the store Benson will manage.

e. The manager who retired was an alcoholic, whereas Benson is a moderate drinker.

f. The government has approved a 10 percent increase in federal income taxes that takes effect at the beginning of the year.

g. Three additional stores owned by Kristin’s company are managed by recent Wharton graduates, and all three managers have increased sales by 18 percent for each of the past three years.

h. These three stores are located in the city’s three wealthiest suburbs.

i. The store Benson will manage is located in a neighborhood that has recently begun to decline.

j. Kristin changes her conclusion to state that Benson will increase sales by at least 10 percent for the first year.

Answer 1

g. Three additional stores owned by Kristin’s company are managed by recent Wharton graduates, and all three managers have increased sales by 18 percent for each of the past three years.

Step-by-step explanation:

Firstly, the former manager who retired increased sales by 15 percent every year for the past five years. Secondly, based on the performance of recent Wharton graduates, who were managers at three additional stores owned by Kristin's company and were able to perform better than this former manager who just retired by increasing sales by 18 for the past three years in their respective stores. Kristin can therefore conclude to higher Roger Benson to repeat the same stellar performance.