To prepare for this Assignment, consider the following:

In the coming weeks, you will be practicing your critical-thinking skills in a real-world environment. You will use critical thinking to build an argument for corrective action. You will be adding elements to the paper as you proceed through the project. You will complete an argument by Day 7 of Week 5, and then refine that argument by Day 3 of Week 8.

For this Assignment, you will assume the role of a management consultant. The following are descriptions of three clients your company has acquired. Select the one with which you would be most interested in working. The company you select will be used for the entire project.

• Company #1 Glow-Tech Glow-Tech is a 10-year-old solar-cell production company trying to expand its operations, but management feels that workers are not committed. Productivity is at a steady level, but there is a lack of motivation to improve. Glow-Tech cannot afford to hire many more employees. For more information on Glow-Tech, see USW1_MGMT_6110_Week03_glowTech.pdf.
• Company #2 ExtraVert ExtraVert is a large digital and social media marketing firm that recently expanded operations overseas. However, communication and cooperation between the overseas branch and the home organization have been poor. There have been a few incidents of open hostility. ExtraVert wants a solution to smooth out its operations. For more information on ExtraVert, see USW1_MGMT_6110_Week03_extraVert.pdf.
• Company #3 Old Time Productions Old Time Productions is a 75-year-old entertainment business that specializes in producing classic movie merchandise such as toys and posters. Recently, new management has expressed an interest in reaching out to younger audiences by producing items from newer movies. Some in upper management feel that the company should stay true to its roots. Old Time Productions would like an analysis of the market to determine if it is beneficial to pursue this new product and how best to do this without radically changing its brand. For more information on Old Time Productions, see USW1_MGMT_6110_Week03_oldTimeProductions.pdf.

After you have reviewed the information on the company you selected for the project, you will identify and explain the claims being made. Remember, a claim is a statement or belief that is the basis for a particular line of thinking. This claim may be either true or false. For example, consider the following statement:

I hate it when the weather is poor. It makes the arthritis in my knee flare up. It rained all day, and by the afternoon I felt like I was hobbling along on a wooden peg.

Analysis of this statement shows that several claims are being made:

• When the weather is poor, it causes the arthritis in my knee to flare up.
• Rain makes my knee hurt.
• The pain in my knee is due to arthritis.

Left to themselves, these claims have little significance, but when combined they form a simple argument. This happens when claims link to other claims; they form what are called explanations. In this case, one claim, the primary claim or the heart of the argument, is given significance and explanation through the use of other claims. In this example, you might consider the primary claim to be: When the weather is poor, it causes the arthritis in my knee to flare up.

Rain makes my knee hurt is an explanation. It categorizes rain as poor weather, which is one of the causes of the condition. The pain in my knee is due to arthritis is also an explanation. It isolates the cause of my pain to arthritis and not any other issue.

To complete the Assignment, compose a cohesive document that addresses the following:

• Draft a response in which you identify the claim being made, any possible explanations for that claim, and the essential question facing the company that will require critical thinking to solve.
• Pose questions that come to mind.
• State the significance of the problem, the reason for solving it, and the questions raised.