1. BUS 290: Critical Thinking for Managers
Text Table of Contents #3:
What are the Issues and Conclusions?

2. Critical Thinking: The Argument
This course will use the perspective of Argument
Thus, the object of inquiry – i.e., the object of critical evaluation – is an argument
Argument
a list of statements presented by a speaker or a writer
one of the statements is the conclusion 
the other statements are the reasons, premises or assumptions of the argument
An argument presumes an Issue

3. What Are the Issues?
Issue - a question or controversy responsible for a discussion
Two types
Descriptive Issue – raises question about the accuracy of descriptions of facts – past, present, future
Prescriptive Issue - raises questions about what should be or what is right or wrong
Dihydrogen Monoxide ?

4. What Are the Conclusions?
Response to an issue
The point or message the speaker or writer wants you to accept or believe as true
Is inferred from (results from) the presentation of one or more reasons or premises
Reasons / premises – statements or propositions presented to support or justify a belief
A word about inference - induction vs. deduction
Induction – results in probable conclusion
Deduction results in certain conclusion
Can not critically evaluate statement without a conclusion
Why?

5. Identifying Conclusions
Look for the Issue
Conclusion answers the question posed by the issue
Indicator words
Consequently, therefore, thus, suggests, indicates, etc.
Likely locations
Typically presented at the beginning / end of argument
Conclusion is NOT
An example, statistic, definition, evidence
Consider the context of the communicator
The person’s bias or agenda may be obvious
And Therefore…?
Conclusion may be implied – ask what is the point?

6. Corporate managers are always interested in techniques for increasing the productivity of their workdays. One interesting suggestion made by productivity consultants is to pipe music into the work area. Several recent studies have explored the extent to which different types of music affect worker output. The primary hypothesis examined in the studies was that soft-rock music would prove the greatest aid to productivity. The research has found almost universally that country and western music is the greatest inducement to efficiency. Therefore, corporate officials should seriously consider playing country and western music as a stimulus to worker productivity.