Extended Response Stimulus Materials

Extended Response Stimulus Materials:

Source Material # 1 Email From: Jasmine Black, CEO Sent: Monday, September 24 To: Employees of Lazur Industries

Since we founded our company 10 years ago, there has been no dress code policy. Jeannette Holmes, our human resources director, made it clear to me that not having a dress code creates confusion and other personnel problems. So beginning on January 1st, our company will adopt a dress code policy that mandates professional looking business attire.

With no dress code policy, employees are confused about what to wear. I have seen some workers wear suits and professional dresses while others wear jeans, flip-flops, and T-shirts. It seems that both those who dress formally and those who dress casually wonder if they are doing the right thing. The new policy will end this confusion.

Additionally, an old saying about dress in the workplace is very true: “Dress for the job you want, not for the job you have.” One senior manager shared a story with me about an employee who began work at our company a few years ago. For the first two years she was here, she dressed very casually. She then became determined to earn a promotion, so she started dressing more formally. When she applied for a supervisor’s position, she was not hired because the other managers thought she has not serious about her job based on the way she dressed previously. This worker ended up leaving the company in frustration, and we lost this talented employee.

Like it or not, we are judged by our appearance in our society. Potential customers coming into our workplace and seeing employees dressed casually may get the idea that we are not serious about our work here and take their business elsewhere. We always need to project a professional image. Every employee is the face of our business because you never know whom you might meet as you represent the company here and in the community. Source Material # 2

Email From: Kim Lee, Vice President Sent: Friday, October 5 To: Jasmine Black, CEO Cc: All Employees Lazur Industries

Dear Ms. Black:

I write this email on behalf of 215 employees of Lazur Industries who strongly object to having a formal dress code for our office. Please take time to consider our thoughts before making any new policies.

Employees are happier when they can dress comfortably. A happy employee is a more productive worker. Most men wearing suits have removed their jackets and taken off their ties by the time they are a few hours into the workday. So what’s the point in wearing a suit in the workplace? For women, formal dress is a nightmare. It takes a long time for them to get ready in the morning making them late for work. High-heeled shoes cause low back, neck and shoulder pain because the shoes disrupt the natural form of the body. A formal wardrobe is also very expensive for everyone.

It is also wrong to judge people based on their appearance. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said we should be judged based on the content of our character and not on how we look. As a society, we have grown beyond judging people on appearance and instead celebrate diversity. Judging based on looks is old fashioned and belongs in history books, not in modern corporate culture.

Casual dress makes our company seem more human. Instead of appearing to be a group of robots all dressed alike, we show our individuality. Our employees will be seen as the group of diverse individuals they are instead of looking like a dull, lifeless machine. Our potential customers will view us more positively, making it more likely they will do business with us. After all, we are human beings, not human doings.

In closing, one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world dresses the same way every day - casually. Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of Facebook, always wears jeans, a T- shirt, and sneakers to the office. Since one of the most successful people in the world dresses casually, why shouldn’t we?

Extended Response Prompt Analyze the arguments presented in the two emails.

In your response, develop an argument in which you explain how one position is better supported than the other. Incorporate relevant and specific evidence from both sources to support your argument.

Remember, the better-argued position is not necessarily the position with which you agree. This task should take approximately 45 minutes to complete. Article Title: Source Material # 1 Email from Jasmine Black, CEO

Argument: Our company needs a formal dress code (Paragraph 1)

Reason 1: The dress code will end confusion (Paragraph 2)

Evidence Counterevidence - Having a policy will end confusion about - No proof was given that employees are what employees should wear confused by not having a dress code policy. The words “it seems” were used and no statistics or surveys back up the evidence that employees are confused.

Reason 2: Employees should dress for the job they want (Paragraph 3)

Evidence Counterevidence - The saying, “Dress for the job you want, - Old sayings are not always true. The not for the job you have” modern workplace is much more casual. - Story about the employee who was - The employee should have been judged judged based on how they dress and who by their work, not on their appearance ended up leaving the company

Reason 3: People are judged based on their appearance (Paragraph 4)

Evidence Counterevidence - People are judged based on how they - It is wrong to judge people based on their look in our society looks. They should be judged on their - Employees are the face of the business actions.

Article Title: Source material # 2 Email from Kim Lee

Argument: The employees do not want a formal dress code (Paragraph 1)

Reason 1: Employees are happier when they dress comfortably (Paragraph 2)

Evidence Counterevidence - A happy employee is a more productive - It can take much more than casual dress worker to make a happy employee

- Men who wear suits usually take off their - Sometimes there are emergency jackets and ties anyway. Why not just meetings where it helps to be dressed dress casually in the first place? formally

- It takes women longer to dress formally - Women can dress formally without making them late for work wearing high heeled shoes and taking hours to get ready - High heeled shoes cause health problems - This is a sexist argument as it takes men longer to dress formally too - Formal dress is expensive for everyone - People can dress formally on a budget by buying on sale or at Goodwill

Reason 2: It is wrong to judge people based on their appearance (Paragraph 3)

Evidence Counterevidence - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. quote that - While people should only be judged by people should be judged on their character their character, the reality is that our not on their looks society does judge people based on their appearance - Our society has moved beyond judging by appearance and celebrates diversity

- Judging based on looks is old fashioned

Reason 3: Casual dress makes our company seem more human (Paragraph 4)

Evidence Counterevidence - Being able to dress casually shows that - If employees are dressed we are individuals and not a collection of unprofessionally, potential clients may not robots do business with them

- Potential customers will see us as people - People’s personalities are much more than what they wear. People can still - We are human beings, not human show their individuality and dress formally. doings. This means we are people and not just workers doing jobs. Reason 4: Mark Zuckerberg dresses casually so we should too (Paragraph 5)

Evidence Counterevidence - Mark Zuckerberg is one of the most - This is a “get on the bandwagon” financially successful people in the world argument. Just because dressing casually and he dresses casually so we should too. works for Mark Zuckerberg does not mean it will work for everyone else.