Fallacies in the Business World Term Paper

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Fallacies in the business world can be fatal when making a decision. Fallacies can impede the critical thinking process, causing the decision maker to focus on solutions that are not the most appropriate, or confuse the issue at hand. For these reasons, it is important to understand what fallacies are out there and how they affect the critical thinking process. Only by being aware of them is a person able to circumvent their effects. This paper explores: equivocation, far-fetched hypotheses, and hasty generalizations.

Fallacies in the Business World

Fallacies in the business world can be fatal when making a decision. Fallacies can impede the critical thinking process, causing the decision maker to focus on solutions that are not the most appropriate, or confuse the issue at hand. For these reasons, it is important to understand what fallacies are out there and how they affect the critical thinking process. Only by being aware of them is a person able to circumvent their effects.

The Fallacy of Equivocation Definition:

The fallacy of equivocation occurs when someone uses a word's different meanings in an argument, implying that the word means the same thing in each instance. These definitions are often correct within the immediate context, however, the arguer performs a semantic shift, gradually changing the context of the argument, and thus creating the fallacy ("Equivocation, 2004). Equivocation occurs when the word or phrase is ambiguous in that it as multiple distinct meanings ("Fallacy files," n.d.).

The Far-Fetched Hypothesis Definition:

The far-fetched hypothesis fallacy often offers an implausible theory as the correct rationalization, rather than first ruling out a more ordinary one (Dowden, 2004). It is a fallacy of inductive reasoning that occurs when a person accepts this unreasonable theory, when there is another more reasonable theory, often based more on facts, available (Messina & Messina, 2004).

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The Hasty Generalization Definition:

The hasty generalization fallacy is also known as the fallacy of insufficient statistics. It is also sometimes known as leaping to a conclusion. It is a logical fallacy where the person comes to a generalization about a situation with little evidence to support that conclusion ("Hasty," 2004).

Examples of These Common Fallacies at General Motors Car Assembly Plants:

Even large companies can fall victim to fallacies. Sometimes, they even utilize fallacious arguments to promote sales. General Motors is a prime example of how fallacies are committed by even the most senior of organizations.

The equivocation fallacy is possibly one of the least found fallacies in General Motors. General Motors' management makes every effort that their communications are clear and concise. They know that if an employee misinterprets the meaning of a communication, it could be detrimental to the company. Misdirecting the implied meanings of words does little good in the promotion of efficiency and efficacy in the workplace, and for this reason, equivocation is rarely found at a General Motors assembly plant.

The use of the term 'seniority' however, may be one exception. It is such an ambiguous term when it comes to working in a large organization like General Motors. Is an employee's seniority based on tenure with the organization as a whole? Or is it based on their tenure within a certain department? These differences in definition can lead to unanticipated equivocation.

Far-fetched hypotheses have also been found at General Motors. And, regretfully, this fallacy has often been the reason why General Motors has made some poor….....

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