Argumentative Essay Topics (Business-Related)

Please find below a list of argumentative essay topics with a business focus. These topics were used for a college course in Vancouver, Canada, so they are particularly relevant to the Canadian context. Feel free to change 'Canada' in the questions to your particular region.

Note for students: If your teacher has asked you to develop a topic or research question for an argumentative essay, the best topic you can find is one that you come up with. Instead of copying a topic below, creating your own topic related to something you are actually interested in will enable you to enjoy and learn more from your assignment. Regardless, here is a list of research questions for argumentative essays that you can use for inspiration.

Jump to a topic category:

• Advertising & Marketing
• Business Ideas & Entrepreneurship
• Careers & the Workplace
• Health & Food
• Economics
• Education
• Employee Pay & Benefits
• Environment & Ethics
• Fashion
• Foreign Issues
• Human Resources & Hiring
• Investing & Personal Finance
• Law & Legalization
• Real Estate
• Shopping & Consumption
• Sports
• Tax
• Technology
• Travel & Tourism
• Workplace Productivity

List of Argumentative Essay Topics

Advertising & Marketing Topics

• Should advertisers be allowed to market their products to children?
• Should subliminal messages be allowed in company advertising?
• Is advertising on Youtube an effective/beneficial method to promote products?
• Should companies hire influencers to promote their products?
• Should companies adopt a product-orientation?
• Should companies adopt a market-orientation?
• Does marketing have an overall harmful effect on society?
• Should the advertisement of junk food be banned?
• Is telemarketing dead?
• Should companies use celebrities to endorse their products?
• Is direct-mail marketing still worthwhile in 2021?
• Should Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) be illegal?
• Should vaping advertisements be banned in Canada?
• Are loyalty programs still an effective strategy in 2021?
• Do coupon marketing strategies increase brand/product value?
• Should Canadian companies participate in Black Friday?
• Can a strong market monopoly be broken through a successful marketing approach?
• The Pink Tax: Do health and beauty companies unfairly target female consumers with higher prices?
• Should brands use storytelling to promote their products?
• Comparative advertisement is legal but is it also ethical?
• Will YouTube's (aggressive) advertising model drive away users?
• Is it ethical for companies to use personal data to target ads to consumers?
• Do pop-up ads affect the decision-making of consumers?
• Is distributing brochures and flyers an effective marketing method nowadays?

Business Ideas & Entrepreneurship Topics

• Will Bricks-and-Mortar shopping (in physical scores) survive?
• Are supermarkets killing local businesses?
• Should companies get involved in charity work?
• Is becoming a franchisee a good business opportunity?
• Is Canada a good place to start a business?
• Would creating a language school in Vancouver be lucrative?
• Are chatbots effective customer service tools?
• Does outsourcing improve the effectiveness of businesses?
• Does employee diversity positively affect businesses?
• Is Multilevel Marketing a legitimate business model?
• Is dropshipping a good business?

Careers & the Workplace Topics

• Should people pursue a degree in accounting?
• Is being a photographer a viable career?
• Should younger generations (or young people) consider video gaming as a career?
• Can social media influencer be considered a full-time job? / Should young people consider this as a possible career?
• Should companies/countries adopt a four-day workweek?
• Should regular employees be involved in the corporate decision-making process?
• Does shift-work have a negative impact on employee health?
• Is lifetime employment a thing of the past? / Should workers stay loyal to one company?
• Should leaders adopt a democratic leadership style?
• Should leaders adopt an authoritative leadership style?
• Should companies have dress codes? / Are strict dress code policies beneficial to companies?
• Should companies allow their employees to bring pets to work?
• Is the mental health of employees the responsibility of companies?
• Is leadership a learned trait?
• Is overtime counterproductive?
• Should companies provide benefits to gig workers?
• Should companies allow employees to listen to music during work?
• Is introversion a negative trait in the workplace?
• Can the taxi cab industry survive the advent of ride-hailing apps?
• Should Canada allow internationally trained doctors to practice?
• Should companies provide flexible work hours for employees?
• Should high school students work part-time?

Economics Topics

• Is hosting the Olympics a waste of money?
• Should the minimum wage be increased?
• Should [Canada] provide a living wage to workers?
• Should Canada adopt a Universal Basic Income (UBI)?
• Was the demonetization in India a success or failure?
• Should government privatize public services? / Does the privatization of public services improve cost-effectiveness?
• Should the [Canadian] government privatize healthcare?
• Does the 'gig economy' exploit workers?
• Will the gig economy replace the traditional employment landscape?
• Is worker exploitation necessary in order to maximize profits?
• Should workers in the public sector be allowed to unionize/go on strike?
• Has globalization hurt or helped developing countries?
• Should the Bank of Canada increase interest rates?
• Should the WTO or other trade organizations be able to issue binding orders?
• Should government regulate monopolies?
• Should government provide free healthcare to citizens?
• Does brain-drain negatively affect the economy of India?
• Should government regulate the BC housing market?
• Are Multi-National corporations (MNCs) really beneficial to the host economy?
• Should government create policies to manage population?
• Should Canada invest more in its agriculture industry?
• Is China engaging in debt-trap colonialism?
• Is China's investment beneficial to Africa?
• Will China become the new world leader?
• Was BrExit a good decision for Britain?

• Will a BRICS currency replace the American dollar as a reserve currency?

Education Topics

• Is a university degree needed for business success? / Does having an undergraduate degree guarantee a successful career?
• Should business schools focus on theoretical knowledge instead of practical skills?
• Are international student fees unfair to foreign students? / Are Canadian international students being exploited?
• Should young people pursue an online degree?
• Should Canadian colleges charge less for online programs? / Should tuition be lower for online learning programs?
• Should young adults do an internship as part of their education?
• Should unpaid Internships be legal?
• Should financial literacy courses be part of the national education system?
• Is studying abroad beneficial for a student's host country (or home country)?
• Is publishing independently the best method for new authors to promote their work?

Employee Pay & Benefits Topics

• Is the current basic requirement for weekly vacation in Canada adequate?
• In general, are CEOs overpaid?
• Are financial incentives the best way to motivate employees?
• Should college athletes get paid for their games?
• Should male employees be allowed paternity leave?
• Should companies provide childcare services for employees?
• Does the gender pay gap exist in the Canadian/North American workplace?
• Is a performance-based pay system a good motivator for employees?
• Does making more money make people happier?
• Should companies grant menstrual leave to female employees?
• Should companies allow employees to unionize?

Environment & Ethics Topics

• Should fracking be banned?
• Are CSR campaigns genuine or greenwashing?
• Is the hospitality industry sustainable enough?
• Should small companies pursue CSR?
• Should companies implement hiring quotas to ensure workplace diversity?
• Should organic food companies support fair trade policies?
• Should cosmetic companies be allowed to test their products on animals?
• Should government implement a carbon tax on polluters?
• Can renewable energies replace fossil fuels?
• Should government be able to censor Internet content?
• Should the Canadian seal hunt be banned? (ALT: Japanese whaling)
• Should the use of pesticides in agriculture be banned?
• Is the global coffee industry doomed?
• Should India adopt organic farming practices?
• Should single-use plastics be more heavily regulated in [Canada]?
• Is the adoption of EVs really environmentally beneficial?

Fashion

• Should designer brands start using vegan materials?
• Is Zara taking adequate measures to combat climate change?
• Should consumers support fast fashion?

Foreign Issues Topics

(*Replace [Canada] with your country of choice)

• Are immigrants worth the investment for [Canada]? / Do immigrants have a positive impact on the [Canadian] economy?
• Should [Canada] accept more refugees?
• Should international students on a study visa be allowed to work full-time?
• Should [Canada] accept more immigrants?
• Should Americans be required to have a visa to enter the Philippines?
• Does immigration in Canada increase crime?

Health & Food

• Will insect-based protein products replace traditional forms of protein?
• Is the food industry responsible for the problem of food waste?
• Is organic food worth the extra cost?
• Is the food industry to blame for the high obesity rate in the US?
• Should the food buffet model be discouraged/prohibited in the [Canadian] restaurant sector?
• Is laboratory-made food the solution to the food crisis?
• Are pharmaceutical companies unethically monetizing gender dysphoria in youth?
• Should public taxes be used to fund the safe use of hard drugs?
• Is the universal healthcare model sustainable?

Human Resources & Hiring Topics

• Should companies seek to hire employees internally?
• Should countries/companies enforce a mandatory retirement age?
• Should companies only hire experienced applicants? / Should companies hire university graduates with no work experience?
• Do dress code policies benefit companies?
• Should companies have policies to regulate workplace romance?
• Should workplaces conduct drug-testing?
• Is experience the most important factor for HR when promoting an employee?
• Can nepotism in the workplace be justified?
• Is money the most important factor when choosing a job?
• Is remote recruitment effective? / Should businesses shift to remote recruitment?
• Are virtual job interviews effective?
• Are job interviews an adequate/accurate measurement of an applicant’s skill?
• Should companies look at social media profiles of candidates when hiring?
• Should companies hire people with criminal records?
• Are work references a reliable tool in the hiring process?
• Is equal employment opportunity balance possible to achieve?
• Are good working conditions the most important factor when looking for a job?
• Are online job applications effective for hiring the best applicant?
• Should AI be used to screen job applications?
• Should local industries recognize the professional experience and qualifications of immigrants who enter the local labor market?
• Should companies hire employees through sponsorship?

Investing & Personal Finance Topics

• Is cryptocurrency/Bitcoin a good investment?
• Should people invest their own money or use a financial adviser?
• Should young people focus on passive investing?
• Should the Canadian government support/adopt cryptocurrencies?
• Is the stock market rigged?
• Is donating to charities effective? / Do charities make effective use of donations?
• Are credit cards a debt trap? / Should young people get a credit card?
• Is a car a good investment for people in cities?
• Should people purchase life insurance?
• Should short-selling be made illegal?
• Is payment for order flow an unfair business model for online brokerages?

Law & Legalization Topics

• Should government legalize psychedelic drugs?
• Should the sale of tobacco products be illegal?
• Should lotteries be banned? / Do lotteries unfairly target the poor?
• Should government allow the sale of genetically modified products?
• Should drugs be legalized in Mexico?
• Should recycling be legally required (in Canada)?
• Should sex work/prostitution be legalized?
• Are intellectual property rights effective in protecting a business's brand?

Sports

• Should FIFA consider human rights when it chooses its host?
• Are professional athletes overpaid?
• Is the gender pay gap in professional sports unfair?
• Should WNBA players receive equal pay to NBA players?
• Should young people consider a career in e-sports?
• Are e-sports the next 'big thing'?
• Should universities offer programs and scholarships for e-sports?
• Is being a high-performance athlete a viable career?
• Should sports betting be further regulated or prohibited in North America?

Shopping & Consumption Topics

• Should automatic gratuity for large groups be prohibited?
• Does tipping in restaurants improve service?
• Is the customer always right?
• Should customers base purchasing decisions on online reviews?
• Should female hygiene products be free (or subsidized)?
• Should consumers use grocery-delivery services?

Tax Topics

• Are progressive taxes fair (to all income earners)?
• Should churches be exempt from tax?
• Should the Provincial Sales Tax (PST) be eliminated?
• Should there be an additional tax on unhealthy products?
• Should online sellers without physical stores have to pay tax in the companies they operate in?
• Should there be a digital service tax (DST) on social media companies?

Technology Topics

• Will self-driving cars become a reality for consumers in the next decade?
• Should self-driving cars be legal?
• Should Amazon introduce drone delivery?
• Are cellphones unsafe for consumers? / Should government put tighter restrictions on cellphones for public safety?
• Should companies invest more in MIS (managerial information systems)?
• Should government regulate the use of cookies on the web?
• Should biodegradable straws be mandatory in F&B (Food & Beverages) businesses?
• Is a cashless economy possible?
• Can blockchain technologies replace centralized transactional systems?
• Is technology limiting the creativity of people?
• Does online shopping have addictive effects on consumers?
• Should Big Banks in Canada introduce  'tellerless' branches as people can do transactions in ATM (Automated Teller Machine)?
• Will 3D food change the food sector?
• Can electric cars replace traditional vehicles?
• Is Artificial Intelligence (AI) a threat to business?
• Should users be concerned about their privacy on social network platforms?
• Will the Metaverse be relevant five years from now?
• Should publishing companies shift to digital e-books?
• Will NFTs be a useful technology in the future?
• Will Tesla lead the North America EV industry in the future?

Real Estate

• Should Canada implement measures to target 'house-flippers'?
• Should foreigners be allowed to purchase property in [Country]?
• Should government regulate the housing market?
• Is the empty-homes tax unfair?
• Is becoming a real estate agent a good career choice?

Travel & Tourism

• Should airlines allow travelers to board planes with pets?
• Are travel agencies doomed to extinction?
• Does the AirBNB business model spell doom for the hotel industry?
• Is being a tour guide a viable career?
• Will fully automated hotels leave hoteliers unemployed?

Workplace Productivity Topics

• Should social media be banned in the workplace?
• Do smartphones have a positive effect on workplace productivity?
• Does peer pressure in the workplace benefit workers?
• Can employees be productive when working from home?
• Should employers allow napping in the workplace?
• Should employers limit smartphone use in the workplace / Do smartphones increase worker productivity?
• Do open-office plans increase productivity? / Should companies adopt open space plans?
• Should companies incorporate the practice of mindfulness in the workplace?
• Is a highly competitive environment beneficial for workers?
• Does art or workplace decor have a positive effect on productivity?
• Should 'quiet quitting' be normalized in the workplace?

-- Argumentative essay topics compiled by Matthew Barton, Creator of Englishcurrent.com (copyright) | Last updated: Q2 2024

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• ESL Conversation Questions