Nonverbal Communication Across Cultures Cultural Studies Essay

Nonverbal Communication Across Cultures Cultural Studies Essay Carl is you typical Filipino teenage who luckily wins an opportunity to be part of a youth conference held abroad. He meets many teenagers, just like him, who comes from different parts of the world. Upon interacting with them, he finds some cultural practices to be somewhat weird and uncomfortable for him. Likewise, he also feels that the other teenagers feel the same way about him; he doesnt know why. To make matters worse, his roommate is of Middle Eastern background. Carl cant quite understand why his roommate talks too close to him and that his roommate frequently breaths right in front of his face. Not knowing what to does, he just politely gestured to go out and then he eventually did. With a lot in his mind, he decided to grab a drink. Upon arriving at the refreshments corner, he met the Iranian girl which had recently given a wonderful presentation earlier. Hoping to make friends with her, Carl gestured her with the thumbs up hand signal for a job well done. Expecting a smil e or a thank you from her, Carl got the complete opposite; a humiliating slap to the face. The world now is getting smaller and smaller; this is made possible because of globalization and technology. Individuals from all over the globe are now given the opportunity to meet and understand other individuals whose cultural background may be different from theirs. Because of this, misunderstandings might arise. In order for this not to happen, individuals must be very good communicators. One way of developing excellent communicating skills despite differences in background is by learning and mastering nonverbal communication and its different interpretations around the world. In this paper, one will be given an overview about what nonverbal communication is in general and a lot of examples and scenarios on how different cultures interpret these nonverbal cues. Statement of the Problem This paper aims to give readers an overview of what nonverbal communication is and its importance in the communication process, particularly in the cross- cultural setting. Also In this paper the discussion of the interpretation of the different cultures of the various nonverbal cues is also presented. Particularly, this paper first discusses what communication is and how communication happens nonverbally. The distinct properties of nonverbal communication from the verbal communication is then discusses along with the functions of nonverbal communication afterwards. Next to this, the different nonverbal cues are then each thoroughly discussed so as to give the reader a general knowledge about the topic. After achieving this, the importance of nonverbal communication in inter-cultural interactions will then be discussed. Afterwards, common scenarios of how different cultures perceive each nonverbal cue will be given so that the readers will be made aware of how diverse each nonverbal cue is interpreted. This is also to equip them with an important knowledge which they will surely find useful and applicable in their day to day lives. Lastly, the paper will then discuss practical applications of the knowledge of nonverbal communication and its interpretation in different cultures all around the world. Significance of the Problem The study of nonverbal cues and its interpretation around the world is beneficial to all. Here are just some specific groups of people and the benefits they can achieve by harnessing the full potential of the use of nonverbal communication. To the migrant workers, the knowledge of the nonverbal ways of communicating, particularly in their host country, is essential for their survival. Its thru the knowledge of the nonverbal cues in which they can become more effective communicators. And by becoming effective communicators, they are able to avoid misunderstandings and be able to express themselves more easily and effectively. To the professionals, by becoming knowledgeable in nonverbal communication, they can have an edge against others. Armed with this, it will be easier for them to climb p the corporate ladder or advance more quickly in their desired career path and also make business deals with foreigners easier. To the teenagers, by becoming aware of the nonverbal cues and its different interpretations across cultures, they become more culturally integrated. They then begin to understand others who are different form their own more intently and eventually learn to mingle cohesively with others. With this being achieved, world peace can slowly be materialized thru the efforts of the youth around the world. To the elderly, with the knowledge of the nonverbal cues across cultures they can become more aware of the changes around them. By doing so, they wont be shaken by the changes which might occur around them. Also this gives them the opportunity to know more about certain actions which may be, in their culture, rude or obscene but isnt for another. This is to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts. Scope and Limitations This study focuses more on the general overview on what nonverbal communication is and the common interpretation of nonverbal cues around the world. Nonverbal communication is still a budding research topic in the scientific community; hence, there arent that many studies yet that are conducted on the subject. Due to time constraints, this paper isnt able to discuss the specifics which revolve around the subject. The researcher was not able to know how each study was conducted by the person in authority. The researcher was only able to get the conclusions which were derived from these studies and experimentations. Also the aspect of communication in which this subject was based was on face-to-face interactions, not thru any other means. Another limitation is that only a fraction of all the interpretation of nonverbal cues around the world is discussed in the reason. As what was stated earlier, the interpretation of nonverbal communication across cultures is a relatively new venture i n the scientific community and only a handful of research has been conducted as of the moment. Another reason being that literatures and sources about this subject are still relatively new and that most of these are very hard to find or be obtained especially in our locality. Definition of Terms Nonverbal communication. A process whereby people, through the intentional or unintentional manipulation of normative actions and expectations, express experiences, feelings and attitudes in order to relate to and control themselves, others and their environments. Intrinsic codes. Communication In the books written by Griffin (1991) and Hayakawa (1990), it was stated that communication has no single accepted definition. But rather there are three perspectives in which it is understood. First is the Communication Behavior Perspective. It is defined based on the actions of the individuals involved meaning it can be either sender-oriented of receiver-oriented. According to the sender oriented definition, communication happens if the sender has the intention to send a message with the use of a language. It is irrelevant to know if ever the receiver gets the message or not. On the other hand, the receiver-oriented definition holds that communication as the response of an organism to a stimulus. The second perspective is the Communication Process Perspective. It looks on communication as the collaborative effort of two or more individuals. Therefore, according to this perspective, it is wrong to assume that communication is happening between two people if only one is involved in the process; regardless is he/she is the sender or at the receiving end. There are three definitions of the Communication Process Perspective. First is the bilateral definition which assumes that the sender must intend to send a message and that the receiver must interpret that message. Second is the Interaction-oriented definition which holds that communication happens if two individuals are both sending and receiving messages. And lastly the shared-meaning definition holds that communication happens only if the message is essentially, although not precisely, interpreted as what it was suppose to. For purposes of understanding Nonverbal Communication it is recommended to use the last communication perspective is the Communication Code Perspective. It emphasizes that communication is possible thru the use of communication codes. First type of communication code is the intrinsic codes. These are codes which we have even before birth. These are biologically shared codes among humans for communication purposes. Next are iconic codes which are learned in which the outward appearances are used to deliberately to communicate with others. The last communication code is the arbitrary code which is a learned signal system which is socially constructed and it uses symbols to convey messages. Nonverbal Communication Importance of Nonverbal Communication In an article by the Oklahoma Panhandle State University, it was noted that that Hickson Stacks (1985) defined nonverbal communication as A process whereby people, through the intentional or unintentional manipulation of normative actions and expectations, express experiences, feelings, and attitudes in order to relate to and control themselves, others and their environments. Moreover, Wertheim mentioned in his article that a large percentage of the meaning derived from communication is from the non-verbal cues. Moreover, in a study conducted by Professor Albert Mehrabian called Mehrabians communication study attests to the fact that indeed nonverbal communication plays a crucial part in the communication process. Mehrabians concluded the following from the experiments he conducted. He subsequently generalized that in all communication, 7% happens thru spoken words while 38% thru voice tone and 55% happens via body language, the two being nonverbal ways of communicating. Although the exact numbers may be challenged, the fact remains that a lot of communication happens nonverbally. The words of Remland (2000) in his book seem apt as conclusion to this part of the paper. He stated that, Overall, it pays to look good, wear an authoritative uniform, dress up, make eye contact, get close, and use light touch to the forearm or shoulder. Perhaps with additional research we may be able to add other nonverbal cues facial expression, speech accents, vocal qualities, posture and so forth that could also make a difference. It may surprise us to learn that seemingly trivial actions can play so prominent a role in our everyday interactions. Properties of Nonverbal Communication According of Leathers (2008), Nonverbal Communication has four distinct properties which differentiate it from Verbal Communication. These are the following: First property is that many nonverbal cues are universal. It is because of their survival value for our species. They identify us, protect us and facilitate courtship and mating. The next property is nonverbal communication is that nonverbal signals are sent and received spontaneously. We can always choose our words carefully, but nonverbal cues such as blushing, dropping our jaw and many more occur involuntarily. That is why nonverbal messages are more believable because of the cause-and-effect relationship. But it doesnt mean they cant be mimicked, it is just that many are tough to fake and most are hard to fake convincingly. The third property is that nonverbal communication resembles the things they mean. Unlike verbal communication which doesnt necessarily represent their referents, nonverbal cues always represent theirs. This characterizes much of what nonverbal communication is and it allows fostering of mutual understanding; even between individuals who speak different languages. The last property is that nonverbal signals can be made simultaneously, even as we use language. When we speak, write or sign, we must do it one word at a time. But in nonverbal communication we can use several nonverbal cues simultaneously like body movement, facial expression and the likes to express a message. Because of this, nonverbal cues can either be used to reinforce a single message or even send a mixed signal one. Functions of Nonverbal Communication Remland (2000), in his book, mentioned that nonverbal cues have four main functions, namely: First is the identification function. All animals have a distinct identity, including humans. Their identities must be able to be signaled to others. Because identities play a crucial role in the survival of the humans, they have become an integral part of the communication process. It is thru appearance and behavioral signals in which we are able to communicate to others many things. Many of these signals are inherent since birth, but humans have developed uncanny ways of altering these identities in order to communicate certain messages. The next function is the relationship function. It is the important task of getting along with others. Nonverbal cues help in the formation of relationships with others in order to survive. Many nonverbal signals are used in order show how intimate a relationship is and whos going to be in control. The third function is the emotion function. Nonverbal signals are used to let others know how they feel. These signals aid in adaptation to the environment and also it helps communicate intention to others. Most of these signals are belong to intrinsic communication codes but some display of emotions are more like public showings of what we want others to believe therefore they are classified under iconic communication codes. The last function of Nonverbal Communication is the delivery function. It involves the exchange of information about the outside world. In articles by Andrews University and Segal of helpguide.org, it was cited that under the delivery function of nonverbal communication, nonverbal cues are used to repeat the verbal message, accent the verbal message, complement or dispute the verbal message and may even substitute the verbal message. Nonverbal Cues and their Cross- Cultural Interpretation Kinesics Wikipedia.org quoted the definition of Kinesics from Ray Birdwhistell (1952) as the interpretation of body language; more formally non-verbal behavior related to movement, either of any part of the body or the body as a whole. Kinesics has many classifications, namely: The first classification under Kinesics is physical posture. The Management Sciences for Health, an organization blah blah , mentioned in an article of theirs about physical posture that in many cultures around the world, its impolite to show the bottom of the shoe. Thats why one should never sit with one foot resting on the opposite knee. Meanwhile in Argentina, standing with hands on the hips means anger or a challenge. Also in many cultures slouching is being disrespectful particularly in Taiwan wherein men sit with both feet firmly on the floor. The second classification is gestures. Matsumoto in his paper mentioned that David Efron was the pioneer in the study of gestures across cultures when he examined gestures of Sicilian, Lithuanian and Jewish immigrants in New York City. Matsumoto stated that his studies became the roots of the study of culture and gestures. As what Andrews University mentioned in their article, gestures are impossible to catalog. But they are needed to be studied upon because of the following reasons. First is that gestures can be acceptable in one culture but can be rude or offensive in another. Second is that if used improperly, the message might not be interpreted as it was meant to be. And third, without the knowledge of interpretation of gestures in a global context might lead to awkward situations. In the articles of Steve Darn of the Izmir University, by Andrews University and by the Management Sciences for Health, it was written that the following hand gestures are subject to different cultural interpretations such as the following. The perfect sign commonly means everythings all right, but in France it means nothing, in Japan its a symbol for money, in Germany it has a rude meaning and in Malta, Greece and Brazil it has an obscene connotation. The thumb up sign is also subject to careful usage. Dresser ( ) also attests to this when she mentioned in her book that it commonly means okay, but in Australia, Nigeria and even in most Middle Eastern Countries as well, it has a rude connotation. On the other hand, in Japan in means five and lastly in Turkey it means political rightist party. The next gesture is pointing. In the US, people point with their index finger, this in Japan is considered rude. They point with their whole hand. People from Germany on the other hand point with their little finger. The last gesture is the crooked finger. Dresser ( ) stated that in Japan it is an obscene gesture. In Yugoslavia and Malaysia, it is used to call animals. In Indonesia and Australia it is used to beckon prostitutes and in Vietnam, it is used to call inferiors or animals. And lastly in most cultures when this gesture is used between persons of equal status, it is considered as an act of hostility. Oculesics Andrews University defined Oculesics or commonly called Eye Contact as the meeting of the eyes between two individuals. Furthermore, honlulu.hawaii.edu and Management Sciences for Health both agree that eye contact is an important channel of interpersonal communication. The use of eye contact is vital in our day to day interactions and is a very powerful nonverbal cue. Studies have found that people use their eyes to indicate their interest. Matsumoto mentioned in his paper that Watson (1970) classified 30 countries as either a contact culture or a noncontact one. Contact cultures engage in more gazing while noncontact ones had less. Andrews University cited an example of this in one of their articles mentioning that Americans feel uncomfortable with the gaze associated with Arab or Indian communication patterns. Western cultures see direct eye to eye contact as positive. Arabic cultures meanwhile make prolonged eye-contact because in their culture it shows interests and helps them understand truthfulness. Dresser ( ) also attests that Japanese, African, Latin American and Carribean cultures on the other hand avoid eye contact to show respect.

Mariachi Music Essay -- Music Musical History Essays

Mariachi Music The origins of the word "mariachi" are not very clear. One theory, that the word came from the French word for marriage has been totally discounted. Many historians believed that the word originated when a Frenchman named Maximillian was the emperor of Mexico. Evidence of the usage of the word dates back much earlier than the arrival of Europeans, so the word had to come from somewhere else. Another theory states that the origin came from the name of the wood used to make the guitars or platforms on which the musicians performed. The most recent theory, however, dates the word back to the early 1500’s to the Coca Indian word for a musician (Ruiz, 2002). Today, the term mariachi refers to the musicians who play traditional Mexican music on streets, at celebrations, and in cafes. The history of the mariachi can be traced back to the sixteenth century and the days of the Spanish colonization. During this time, theatre was immensely popular. The instruments used in these theatrical productions included violins, guitars, and harps. It was to this time, and to these instruments, that the origins of the modern mariachi can be traced (Mexico, The Melting of Two Cultures, 1991). The modern mariachi ensemble originated in the Mexican state of Jalisco where traveling groups of musicians would play for hire in haciendas. During the Mexican Revolution which began in 1910, they were unable to perform in the haciendas as they had in the past and were forced to travel from town to town singing about, and thus carrying news about, the war. During this time, they would play for fees at celebrations or for tips in public squares and cafes (Collins, 2004). After the revolution, the music of the mariachi became a symbo... ...y.html. Mackey, C. Mucho Mariachi. Americas. (English edition). Washington: Jan 1996. Vol. 48, Iss. 1; pg. 2, 2 pgs. Mariachi History. El Mariachi.com. 2004. On-Line. Internet. http://www.elmariachi.com/library/history.asp. Mexico, The Melting of Two Cultures. Higgins and Associates. 1991. New York, NY. Ruiz, R. Mariachi – An Evolving Mexican Tradition. La Prensa. San Antonio: Dec 1, 2002. Vol. XIV, Iss. 22; pg. 8B. Sharp, J. Mariachi: From the Heart of Mexico. DesertUSA. 2004. On-Line. Internet. http://www.desertusa.com/mag04/apr/mar.html. AUDIO EXAMPLES REFERENCED Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan. â€Å"Guadalajara†. Serie Platino: 20 Exitos. U.S. Latin. 1997. Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan. â€Å"La Negra†. Serie Platino: 20 Exitos. U.S. Latin. 1997. Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan. â€Å"Las Maà ±anitas†. Serie Platino: 20 Exitos. U.S. Latin. 1997. Mariachi Music Essay -- Music Musical History Essays Mariachi Music The origins of the word "mariachi" are not very clear. One theory, that the word came from the French word for marriage has been totally discounted. Many historians believed that the word originated when a Frenchman named Maximillian was the emperor of Mexico. Evidence of the usage of the word dates back much earlier than the arrival of Europeans, so the word had to come from somewhere else. Another theory states that the origin came from the name of the wood used to make the guitars or platforms on which the musicians performed. The most recent theory, however, dates the word back to the early 1500’s to the Coca Indian word for a musician (Ruiz, 2002). Today, the term mariachi refers to the musicians who play traditional Mexican music on streets, at celebrations, and in cafes. The history of the mariachi can be traced back to the sixteenth century and the days of the Spanish colonization. During this time, theatre was immensely popular. The instruments used in these theatrical productions included violins, guitars, and harps. It was to this time, and to these instruments, that the origins of the modern mariachi can be traced (Mexico, The Melting of Two Cultures, 1991). The modern mariachi ensemble originated in the Mexican state of Jalisco where traveling groups of musicians would play for hire in haciendas. During the Mexican Revolution which began in 1910, they were unable to perform in the haciendas as they had in the past and were forced to travel from town to town singing about, and thus carrying news about, the war. During this time, they would play for fees at celebrations or for tips in public squares and cafes (Collins, 2004). After the revolution, the music of the mariachi became a symbo... ...y.html. Mackey, C. Mucho Mariachi. Americas. (English edition). Washington: Jan 1996. Vol. 48, Iss. 1; pg. 2, 2 pgs. Mariachi History. El Mariachi.com. 2004. On-Line. Internet. http://www.elmariachi.com/library/history.asp. Mexico, The Melting of Two Cultures. Higgins and Associates. 1991. New York, NY. Ruiz, R. Mariachi – An Evolving Mexican Tradition. La Prensa. San Antonio: Dec 1, 2002. Vol. XIV, Iss. 22; pg. 8B. Sharp, J. Mariachi: From the Heart of Mexico. DesertUSA. 2004. On-Line. Internet. http://www.desertusa.com/mag04/apr/mar.html. AUDIO EXAMPLES REFERENCED Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan. â€Å"Guadalajara†. Serie Platino: 20 Exitos. U.S. Latin. 1997. Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan. â€Å"La Negra†. Serie Platino: 20 Exitos. U.S. Latin. 1997. Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan. â€Å"Las Maà ±anitas†. Serie Platino: 20 Exitos. U.S. Latin. 1997.

Teaching From A Design Perspective Essay -- Philosophy Education

Teaching From A Design Perspective Developing a philosophy of education is more than asserting a love of wisdom in the theory and practice of teaching. It may be heartening to feel, but it lacks backbone. For a philosophy to have weight and merit, it needs truth, logical strength, and soundness. (Hughes 19) My philosophy of education asserts the following premises that if we teach: learning as relational; creativity as skill; and knowledge as design; then, we create an instructional approach that is cross curriculum. The logical strength of my argument is delivered after each premise has been explained, and the proof statements of each are proposed as truth claims. In doing so, my philosophy of education is a sound argument challenging the existing education paradigm that makes a distinction between required and elective courses. Currently, the Ministry of Education’s requirements for graduation weakens elective courses as having less academic credit, strengthens required courses as having more educational disc ipline, and subsequently, unequally distributes creativity into the curriculum. However, as Perkins points out in his article â€Å"Creativity by Design†: If all knowledge were presented and discussed from the perspective of design, education would yield a much more creative view of knowledge. (23) In my philosophy of education, I argue that teaching creativity is the most significant skill a student can learn, and is a cross curriculum attribute that has equal weight in every type of discipline. Thus, my philosophy of education supports an interdisciplinary curriculum where predominately elective subjects, such as technology education and fine arts, stand on equal footing with required subjects typically regarded as... ...pose cross-curriculum equality begins by removing the academic and social prejudices that exist between required and elective courses. Works Consulted Conference Board of Canada. Solving the Skilled Trades Shortage. 28 March 2002. Fischer, Gerhard. â€Å"Social Creativity: Turning Barriers into Opportunities for Collaborative Design†. 8th Conference on Participatory design (Toronto). 2004.152-162. Hughes, William. Critical Thinking. Peterborough: Broadview Press, 1996. Perkins, David. â€Å"Creativity by Design†. Educational Leadership. 14.1 (1984): 18-25. Petrina, Stephen. Advanced Teaching Methods for the Technology Classroom. Hershey: Information Science Publishing, 2007. Pollack, Sidney. Sketches of Frank Gehry. 2004. Reid, Anna, Peter Petocz. â€Å"Learning Domains and the Process of Creativity†. The Australian Educational Researcher. 31.2 (2004): 45-62.

Gulliver’s Travels is a series of four books about Lemuel Gulliver, a surgeon who has a group of adventures in four different areas

Gulliver's Travels is a series of four books about Lemuel Gulliver, a surgeon who has a group of adventures in four different areas. These adventures help him form a new outlook on humanity and society. The author of the book, Jonathan Swift, expresses his opinions about his society by satirizing the societies that Gulliver visits to suit his own. The task at hand is to compare and contrast Book one and Book four of Gulliver's Travels. I will compare and contrast this book in terms of setting, character, theme and plot. One more important factor to consider is the satires that were made in each of these books; as well as, Gulliver's mood in each and how his adventures affected him. The first point of comparison and contrast is the plot. In Book One, we see that Gulliver is the surgeon of a ship called the Antelope. The ship that he is in goes into a terrible storm where twelve of the crewmembers die. Gulliver and the remaining crew members board a rowboat to escape the wrecked ship. The rowboat then turns over and Gulliver has t o swim to shore in order to survive. He falls asleep on the shore and when he wakes up from his slumber he finds himself tied down. Gulliver gets introduced to the Lilliputians where he is welcomed by them later on in the book. He is taken to the Emperor and the Emperor was really entertained by Gulliver. After a long time in Lilliput, he is used as a ‘national resource' for Lilliput, used in the wars against Blefuscu. The war that was on between the Lilliputians and the Blesucuns was about the different ways of cracking eggs which is really a useless matter to argue over. Finally, Gulliver is accused for treason because he put out a fire in the queen's apartment with his urine. He would be shot ion the eyes but he convinces the Emperor to allow him to leave and the Emperor agrees. He goes to Belfuscu where he gets on a canoe and goes home. In Book Four, Gulliver is captain of a ship where his crew conspires against him and take him prisoner because they want to be the pirates of the seven seas. They drop Gulliver on a rowboat where he manages to row to an island. He decides to look for inhabitants or humans where instead he finds horses that treat humans like trash and only use them like slaves. He befriends a horse (they call themselves Houyhnhms) where he discusses his society to him and describes a lot of the characteristics of humans or yahoos in their language. The second point that should be mentioned in the comparison between Book One and Book Four is Gulliver's character in each of the books. In the actual books, Gulliver is a surgeon and the purpose of this is that surgeons, in general, are respected and trusted for the decisions that they have to make in the operating rooms; Swift makes Gulliver a surgeon so that he would be an expert in note taking and that he can make us believe and trust Gulliver. In the first book, we see Gulliver as a person who is just criticizing the government of the Lilliputians, and all he is doing is expressing his opinion. In Book Four, we see that Gulliver is an unreliable narrator as his views are extremely tedious and that the arguments that he makes about humanity are unfair and unjust. Heading back to book one, we saw that Gulliver was a peaceful man that made excellent critics of his the government of the Lilliputians. Through the books and leading all the way to Book Four, we realize his violent and aggressive nature, adding to the mistrust that we have for him. In Book One, Gulliver's violent nature was unnoticeable as the book was focused on the government and the living system of the Lilliputians. Gulliver's name suggests the word gullible; he does realize the ways in which he is being used in the books. In Book 1, Book Two, he is being exploited in terms of acts and behaviour. He had to fight a war that was between the Belfuscuns and the Lilliputians. In Book Four, we realize his gullibility by the exploitation of knowledge that does happen. This element of exploitation is obvious in the book as in the first few books it is in terms of material acts and items while in the last book it is the terms of the knowledge gained by the Houyhnhms. The last element in the character of Gulliver is the misanthropy that he develops at the end of the book. The cause of this misanthropy is view at the Yahoos in the island of the Houyhnhms. He couldn't stand Yahoos, even his own family, that he bought himself a horse and talked to him at the very end, â€Å"As soon as I entered the house, my wife took me in her arms, and kissed me, at which, having not been used to the touch of that odious animal. . The term odious that he describes his wife with shows how much he could not stand his own wife which is quite depressing really. He really wanted to stay with the Houyhnhms at the island. This contradicts the part in the first book where he wondered if he would ever see his family again and his children. Gulliver's character was deeply alte red through his travels, but mainly altered in the final book where he developed his misanthropy and the hate of the humans of the world, at the very end, he bought himself a horse that he talked to instead of his family and the friends that he might have had.

Product Launch

This essay will discuss the way to launch a new product onto the market. There are different aspects which need to be considered such as marketing, market research, advertising and market segmentation. This essay will show some pros and cons of these methods. When you want to introduce a new product onto the market, market research is important. This means to collect and analyse marketing data. There are different ways to get information about consumer preferences. An advantage of qualitative research is that you can get attitudes, opinions and observe behaviours of customers relating to a new product. I think that tasting is a good example. I could gather positive experiences with tastings. When I go grocery shopping I am sometimes able to try new products. It is a good way to get to know the flavours of new products. The quantitative research is also helpful to get numbers and statistics. In my opinion market research is necessary for product launches but it is also very time-consuming. Another aspect concerns market segmentation. Market segmentation is to divide a market into distinct groups of buyers. Market segments could be age, income, hobbies and family size. Each segment consists of people with common characteristics. The advantage of segmentation is that you can serve potential customers with the appropriate advertising activities concerning the new product. Marketing in general is highly relevant when your intention is to introduce a new product onto the market. Marketing is the management process involved in identifying, anticipating and satisfying the consumer requirements profitably. In marketing, the marketing mix is sometimes referred to as the four Ps: promotion, price, placement and product. Additions could be profit, processes and physical evidence. However, in any of these contexts the most important aspect is advertising. Advertising means to describe the product publicly and to try and to persuade people to buy it. The help of an advertising agency could be useful. An advantage is that they have resources such as knowledge about all aspects of advertising and advertising media. In addition, it consists talented advertising people who develop a media plan specifying which media – newspapers, magazines, posters, emails will be used and in which proportions. One possibility is to use advertising slogans to attract attention. In Germany it is popular to take English slogans (Come in and find out) or wrong grammar slogans (11880 – Da werden Sie geholfen). An advantage of these slogans is that you can keep the message, vision or jingle in mind. Other activities could be commercials on TV or radio, free gifts, Billboards along the road, print advertising like flyers or posters and banners on websites, are also popular mediums for advertising your product or service. To conclude, I have shown the most important activities relating to product launches. The message is that these activities are necessary to increase the level of awareness of new products. In addition I have demonstrated that product launches are very time-consuming and to evaluate in terms of success.

John Steinbeck Essay

Of Mice and Men (to now be referred to as M+M) is full of human suffering for a number of reasons. The foremost is that Steinbeck wants to paint a picture of the real life for men, and women, working in the unstable environment that was 1930s America. His book, although it is fiction, is based upon the reality of ranch life during the Great Depression. As Steinbeck released M+M in 1937, he would have had ample fact to base the novella upon truths. The book centres on the real tragedies of real men and the dream that was fantasised about and yet rarely achieved. By using reality as a base for his novella, Steinbeck allows the reader to empathise with the harshness and fear that is represented by ranch life. Although some parts of the book seem as though the characters have been through unbelievable scenarios, we must remember that to create the feeling of real human suffering, Steinbeck used a microcosm of all ranch workers. This is so we can see the full extent to which ranch life, the Dust Bowl and 1930s America, actually affected the masses. A main aspect of this suffering is the loneliness which all of the characters, bar George and Lennie, experience. In M+M Steinbeck has a small, yet effective, cast of characters, all of whom embody suffering in one way or another. The main characters are George and Lennie and Steinbeck uses them to express the longing for freedom. George is a victim of suffering in many ways. He suffers because he is bound to Lennie and must look after him. Although at points in the book, George expresses regret about having Lennie; he will not let him go for fear of being alone. George would rather look after Lennie than be on his own. â€Å"‘Cause I want you to stay with me. † George experiences the loss of jobs and therefore the loss of money through the Great Depression and also Lennie’s naivety, which often causes trouble for the pair, especially when coupled with Lennie’s strength. Reasons, for which, the pair was forced to run away from jobs in Weed. This, in turn, makes their lives harder as they struggle to stay financially stable and to find a place in which to live in relative comfort. George also suffers the loss of a dream. For a time, George has envisioned a house of his own in which he lives with Lennie. It has become a reassurance for the men, that everything will turn out right and that they should keep hope. It is the opposite of their suffering. â€Å"We’re gonna have a little house†¦ † When George shoots Lennie all of this becomes false. There is no longer a sanctuary for the men because without Lennie the microcosm, their microcosm, of the American Dream cannot, and will not, come to fruition. This is where George experiences the mental anguish and suffering at losing both his best friend and his hopes for the future. Psychologically the suffering overwhelms anything that George has felt before and Steinbeck shows us the fragility of life and the unpredictability of the ranch. For Lennie, the suffering is that of a different kind. Due to his mental disabilities, he isn’t affected by a fear of loneliness as the others are. To him, George will always be there. This does not mean that he feels no suffering throughout the story; in fact he perhaps suffers the most without realising it. Lennie is angry and scared when Crooks suggests that George might not come back. This is where Lennie suffers the most, he is victimised by Crooks and he doesn’t know what to do. Crooks chooses Lennie to attack because he cannot do it to anyone else. In this there is a certain irony, as it is Lennie’s innocence and naivety which lend themselves to Crooks in bullying him. â€Å"S’pose he gets killed or hurt so he can’t come back. † Lennie shares the same ideals as George, especially that of the dream home they could have. In Lennie’s case, he is more preoccupied with tending the rabbits than what the benefits of not working could bring him. â€Å"How I get to tend the rabbits. † Lennie suffers as a child suffers; this is because, mentally, he is a child, despite the fact that he is physically a grown man. We see evidence of this child-like suffering when he blames himself for what has happened to their jobs, when he hallucinates by the brush. â€Å"You do bad things† He suffers from grief when he kills his mouse and his pup by accident and he also suffers at the hands of Curley, although he fights back, he still feels scared and vulnerable, as a child would. George is the one who tells him what he should do. â€Å"Get ‘im Lennie!†¦.. I said get him. † It is easy to assume that George uses Lennie for his own ends but, as we see in the story, this is not true. In fact when it comes to the ultimate suffering, Lennie’s death, George makes it more bearable for Lennie and shoots him with mercy. Steinbeck is trying to show that although ranch life was full of suffering, there were cases where true friendships/relationships might occur. However, Steinbeck also uses Lennie’s death to mean that hardly anything survived life on the ranch, whether it were friendships or people themselves. Slim and Carlson do not have their own cases of suffering, instead they symbolise the average ranch workers’ life. They suffer from low pay, poor quality of life and loneliness. The hardships of the ranches are shown in Carlson especially, as he has no feelings for Candy’s dog or Candy, only that the dog is making his life worse than it already is. â€Å"God awmighty, that dog stinks. † Although Slim suffers from the same difficulties as Carlson; he reacts in a different way. He is calm and considerate, embodying those who were kinder in the harsh life of the ranch.

Improving Hospitality Industry Talents in Macau

Improving Hospitality Industry Talents in Macaw Introduction With the development of the Macaw economy, the local market requires more labor to satisfy its demand. However, Macaw's human resource distribution is not balanced especially for local professionals in the hospitality industry. Although the unemployment rate in Macaw has been around 2% during recent years, improving the whole professional level is the most important thing for the long term. (Government of Macaw Special Administrative Region, 2013) According to statistics, here is around 130 thousand non-local people work in Macaw in 2013.Since the booming development of the hospitality industry, there is no doubt that Macaw needs more qualified personnel in the future. Career Times has reports that â€Å"As business booms, the shortage of qualified personnel is becoming more acute and employers are starting to worry. † (2006) Therefore, it is essential that Macaw cultivates more hospitality industry talents in order to have a stable and sustainable development. This project proposal presents 3 recommendations to improve hospitality industry talents in Macaw.Problem Statement In the ideal situation, Macaw would have an effective and efficient educational system, cultivating sufficient professional talents to develop and maintain this city. In recent years, with the flourishing hospitality industry, Macaw needs more and more professional talents to manage the whole market. However, due to the defective educational system, the younger generations are not qualified professional. But in order to increase economic efficiency, the government has to hire more and more non-local people to meet the requirement.It is obvious that this situation threatens coal people's opportunity, livelihood and their developments even it will sharpen contradiction According to Macaw daily news (201 1), hotel and restaurant industries still have 5000 Job vacancies. Imbalance has occurred in the talents structure which als o drags on the development speed of Macaw's economy. Therefore, Macaw government should pay more attention to improve the Educational system, allocate the educational resource reasonably to improve the overall quality of local people especially for improving hospitality industry talents to manage this industry and push it too new high.Literature Review As the saying goes â€Å"Teachers are engineers of human souls†. Therefore, in order to improve educational quality, we need to attach great importance to a highly educated and trained workforce. (Corker, n. D. ) As mayor of Chattanooga in U. S. A, Mr.. Corker tried to hire the best teacher to the low performance school by providing extract bonus. (Improving Education in America, n. D. , Para 3) Finally, he have really great reward through this measure, the low-performance schools have better achievement than other school.In addition, he also supports the scholarship to help over housing Tennessee students afford their universi ty and reduce the loan interest. (Improving Education in America, n. D. , Para 5) Mr.. Corker's movement not only could increase the national talent quality, but also it could help the younger generation reach dreams. The United Kingdom has their own way to cultivate talents. Although their population is only 1 percentage of the world, they have issue 8 percentage of research paper to the world. Besides, Cambridge University cultivated around 60 Nobel Prize winners. Is, 2004) The reason why U. K has a strong educational system to cultivate lots of Allen's is they mainly focus on cultivate understanding in students. Not only are the educator imparts knowledge, but they pay attention on students' capacity for independent thinking and creative intelligence. Furthermore, they have a great educational tradition that Oxford University and Cambridge University have courses cross-training for broadening students' horizon. It is very important that they have those characteristic to face vari ous challenge of future lives.After the Second World War, Japan hospitality industry gradually became one of the most speeding expanding industries. Their service and management become more denaturized and scientific which approved by customers from all over the world. (L', 2010, Para 2) There is no doubt that their achievement and their education are inseparable. According to Lie, whatever Japanese colleges or training school, they all keep closed contact with the hospitality industry to get the newest information about this industry. (Para. 5) It is a wise measure to formulate the education plan to cultivate professional talents.Moreover, not only do they focus on the quality of education, but also emphasize the professional atmosphere, practical training and language skill to enhance the whole quality (Para 8) As is known to all, details determine success or failure, Japan apparently have cultivated lots of hospitality industry talents to strengthen their competitiveness in the w orld. Proposed Solutions It is recommended that the Macaw government pay an attention in hospitality industry training to enhance occupational temperament. As is known to all that Macaw has only two hospitality institutes which are I.F. T and M. IS. S. T. , not only could we focus on the professional knowledge, but also we are supposed to emphasize students' professional behavior. Since employees need to deal with human beings in this industry, so we could provide the etiquette class, social skill class languages class, world culture class as compulsory course to make students become more qualified. In addition, institutes are supposed to keep in touch with the industry in order to update the newest information to formulate the teaching plan.It is both important for students and the industry to improve the whole quality services. It is recommended that the Macaw government attach great importance to educator. It is known to all that educators are very significant to students to impr ove the whole educational quality, the government could measure a plan to reward educator, providing teaching bonus, housing allowance, traffic allowance, traveling allowance and so on to and attract and motivate educators.Paying more attention on education atmosphere, let educator and student get along with harmony to enhance the quality of education and get positive results. It is recommended that the Macaw government could extend the scholarship limitation and lower the loan interest to let student get further education. It is known to all that the higher education is not cheap at all so that some student would drop he class due to the expensive fee, and the limitation of scholarship strict. Therefore, the government could offer more scholarship quota to the student and lower loan interest to reduce their pressure.Government should provide financial support to let those who pursue studies could afford their course.