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Constructing Effective Management Arguments

This document discusses critical thinking in management. It covers constructing arguments, distinguishing forms of arguments, evaluating arguments, and cue words for arguments. The key points are: 1) An argument is a form of thinking where reasons are offered to support a conclusion. Arguments can be deductive, reasoning logically from premises to a conclusion, or inductive, reasoning from premises to a conclusion that does not follow logically. 2) When evaluating an argument, one must determine if the reasons and evidence truly support the conclusion, if the reasons are true or false, and if the argument structure is valid. 3) Arguments can be constructed for different purposes such as to decide, explain, predict, or persuade. Cue

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91 views11 pages

Constructing Effective Management Arguments

This document discusses critical thinking in management. It covers constructing arguments, distinguishing forms of arguments, evaluating arguments, and cue words for arguments. The key points are: 1) An argument is a form of thinking where reasons are offered to support a conclusion. Arguments can be deductive, reasoning logically from premises to a conclusion, or inductive, reasoning from premises to a conclusion that does not follow logically. 2) When evaluating an argument, one must determine if the reasons and evidence truly support the conclusion, if the reasons are true or false, and if the argument structure is valid. 3) Arguments can be constructed for different purposes such as to decide, explain, predict, or persuade. Cue

Uploaded by

perry7grine
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Critical Thinking in Management

Developing/Constructing Arguments
Constructing Arguments

Recognising Constructing
Arguments Arguments

Cue words ARGUMENT: Decide, Explain,


Predict, Persuade
A form of thinking in
which certain reasons
Distinguishing Forms of
are offered to support a
Arguments
conclusion.
Deductive: Reasoning from
Evaluating
premises to a conclusion
Arguments
that follows logically.
Truth,
Inductive: Reasoning from
Validity,
premises to a conclusion
Soundness
that does not follow
logically
Assignments

You will be required to write in certain genres &


use the conventions of that genre: essays, reports,
reviews, discussion papers
You will present information, discussions etc
through presentations also.

Essay techniques
Critical thinking
Essays: Informative or expository

Choose material according to a controlling focus which


frames & limits your choice of ideas & information.
Choose main points which explain, describe, define or
illustrate significant aspects of your topic or question.
In your introduction you justify why you have chosen
these main points & not others.
Your controlling focus is your view of the aspects that are
most significant.
E.g.If your topic is to explain the different treatments of capital and
income under income tax law, you choose the three main points which seem to
you to be the most significant in explaining these differences.
Essays: Argumentative

You must have an argument that consists of a thesis which is


supported by a number of reasons (or premises) & each of
these reasons will form a main point in the essay.
The thesis you choose to develop will depend on your
position, your interests and world views. It is the thesis, and
the reasons you choose to support this thesis, that helps to
make the essay distinctively yours.
You may take a perspective from others.

E.g. You hold a conservationist position on the question of deep sea fishing. Your
argument consists of the thesis that fishing quotas should be implemented; your
reasons are the declining fish stocks and the impact on the food chain. You support
your reasons with evidence & examples.
Definition of an “Argument”

When we offer reasons to support a conclusion, we are


considered to be presenting an argument.
Argument = A form of thinking in which certain statements
(reasons) are offered in support of another statement (a conclusion).
Reasons = Statements that support another statement (known as a
conclusion), justify it, or make it more probable.
Conclusion = A statement that explains, asserts, or predicts on the
basis of statements (known as reasons) that are offered as evidence
for it.
Arguments are Inferences
Describing the world in ways:
Reporting factual  That can be verified through
information: investigation

 That are based on factual information yet


Inferring:
going beyond this information to make
statements about what is not currently
known

 That express our evaluation based on


certain criteria
Judging
Evaluating Arguments
DO THE REASONS & EVIDENCE SUPPORT
THE CONCLUSION?

ARE THE REASONS FALSE/TRUE?

IS THE STRUCTURE OF THE ARGUMENT


VALID?

 For a sound argument we must have true reasons


and a valid structure
Cue Words for Arguments

Signalling Reasons: Signalling Conclusions:


Thus, then, therefore, hence
Since
Thereby showing
For
(Which) shows that
Because
(Which) proves that
As shown/indicated by
Points to
In view of
Implies that
First, second/place
As a result/Consequently
May be inferred/deduced from
Suggests strongly
Given/assuming that
Leads me to believe that
For the reason that
Demonstrates that
May be derived from
Allows us to infer that
Arguments are constructed for different
purposes
Examples:
Decide On a job, course of action

Explain Why you were late for an


appointment

Predict What may happen in the


future
Persuade To stop smoking
Your Presentation Topics

What type of discussion (presentation and handout) are you going to


develop? Informative or argumentative?

Are your facts verifiable? What/who are your sources?

Are your reasons true?

Is the structure logical? How many


points do you have and are they the
most important?

Is the argument structure sound?

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