Performance Measurement for WWP

Performance Measurement for WWP Introduction Performance measurement has been described as a key tool in the achievement of TQM (Total Quality Management) in all types of organizations. The traditional approach to performance measurement has been focused on the examination of financial performance of an organization. This has mainly focused on a performance indicator that is available through changes in either profits or losses.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Performance Measurement for WWP specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, researchers who work in this area indicate that cost accounting information does not avail a complete bundle of information to support quality journeys. This is because they do not consider a contingent of issues, such as improvements, seen by the customer. Furthermore, they focus on the examination of a stakeholder from the view of an investor or shareholder. This has presented a number of challenges for non-profit organizations with the main aim to serve a specific segment of the society. Furthermore, performance is best measured through an examination of all perspectives of an organization. Regardless of the industry, organizations have the responsibility to come up with strategies that make it easy for customers to not only know about their goods and services, but also have the desire to provide assistance with them (Armstrong, 2007). This feat is not easy to accomplish because of challenges businesses have to face. There is the issue of stiff competition from other businesses in the same industry, economic problems that hinder the customers’ willingness to buy some products, and the presence of several distractions, which have the potential to come in between the customer and the company’s products. These are just some of the challenges that managers have to deal with in their bid to reach out to the intended audience. Need For Performance Measurement Many organizations in th e todays business world recognize that there is the need to capture a complete picture of organizational performance. This has led to the incorporation of a whole cocktail of performance measurement tools in attempts to capture their organizations’ performances. It is within this perspective that the need to institute effective performance measurement mechanisms has attracted a host of organizations and researchers. General understanding is that through the entrenchment of a culture that takes cognizance of organizational objectives, a cocktail of benefits and efforts focused on better organizational performance can be implemented.Advertising Looking for proposal on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Kaplan and Norton (1992), the focus of these performance measurement initiatives should revolve around finances, internal processes, learning, growth and, of course, customers. In fa ct, empirical research on performance measurement shows that undertaking this process can help management with implementing the process that supports process improvement and development of a cost-effective product design (Turney, 1991), and avail managers with an integrative framework to manage organizational activities. WWP (Wounded Warrior Project) stands at a vantage position to meet the expectations of the stakeholders by examining the performance of the four major organizational perspectives i.e., learning and growth, customers, internal business processes and finances. The learning and growth perspectives â€Å"will be viewed as an attempt at promoting growth and development by creating an enabling atmosphere that supports change and innovation† (Amstrong, 2007). According to Armstrongs opinion (2007), this strategy should be boned in mind of any Chief Executive Officer of the organization in order to ensure an overall efficiency of the business process. This may be imp lemented through the modernization of the services or goods, especially through the employment of modern technology and replacement of obsolete equipments in order to cultivate and enhance better quality of services to clients’ satisfaction. Focus on infrastructure improvement should be paid cognizance to. The development of staff should also be carried out through creation of a learning organization and where organizational learning takes place at the same time as advocated for by Armstrong (2007). This should be carried out through the provision of avenues that promote learning, training, and development. It should be understood that while technology, products, and services can be replicated, knowledge cannot. In the global competition today, attention to the human capital has grown in bounds. To move forward and drive successful business, staff focus, engagement and involvement should be paid cognizance. Subsequent benefits would include better quality of services to achie ve total customer satisfaction, increase business, obtain lesser complaints, and a train a fully engaged workforce that is fully committed to its responsibilities.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Performance Measurement for WWP specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The internal business perspective, on the other hand, addresses issues related to how business processes are adopted to the needs of the customers and shareholders. This should be implemented through the creation of an internal infrastructure that supports high quality of services in time at a cost effective manner with registered benefits in overall businesses performance. Clients focus should ideally center on better service delivery and should reflect the company’s value attached to the customers (Armstrong, 2007). This should be applied through improvement of service delivery and creation of better efficiency in the delivery of services to the cl ients. Essentially, this should be geared towards timely and efficient services delivery to clients in a cost effective manner that ensures for sustained competitiveness. Ideally, the management should embrace strategies that ensure the delivery of high quality service and integrity, development of products that really match with the needs of the clients, ensure value for money spent and devise mechanisms that make it easier to do business with the clients. Finally, the financial perspective addresses how WWP wishes to be viewed by the stakeholders. The management can implement this though several initiatives. The first one would be the establishment of a price control that would allow for significant improvements in investment in the services that ensure better advantage. WWP will create strategy maps highlighting the areas it want to measure. This will act as the overall architectural framework specifying the critical elements and associated linkages for the overall strategy. This , in essence, acts as a universal message presentation forum for the top executives towards specification and subsequent presentation of the envisaged destination, mapping of the route to be followed and communication mechanisms. Stakeholder Analysis and Recommendation for Participation With the mission to honor and empower wounded soldiers, WWP consists of a number of stakeholders whose interests and views must be given cognizance in performance measurement program. These include the wounded soldiers, donors, families of the wounded soldiers, the government, and social welfare organizations. This is because for WWP to achieve its objectives, it must develop links with other industry players and enlist the support of its stakeholders.Advertising Looking for proposal on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Ideally, the focus on well defined performance dimensions should require that the development of specific measures to be done, that helps to effectively monitor and progress in the articulated dimensions (Armstrong, 2007). As Kanji (1997) has noted, the dynamics of the operational environments dictates that the changing needs of all the stakeholders be captured in the performance measures. Consequently, it is important for WWP to examine performance from an internal as well as external perspectives, listen to customers, suppliers and other stakeholders, and not fall into the trap of building a self-centered performance measurement system. It is therefore necessary that WWP develop an ideal system that leads to the development, which supports learning and innovation. This should be the essential and final aim of a good performance measurement system that captures the interests and expectations of the stakeholders (Kanji, 1997). The complexity of an organizational management entails t he need for managers to view performance in a holistic manner, where several areas are captured simultaneously (Kanji, 1997). This should be structured around the tenets of several factors that provide performance of a multi and interrelated perspective, and is linked to organizations’ values and strategies. Furthermore, WWP’s performance measurement should be based on critical success factors or performance driver, valid, reliable, and easy to use, one that facilitates comparisons to be made and progress to be monitored, that is linked to the rewards system and encourages the appropriate behaviors and finally, one that highlights the improvement areas or recognizes the opportunities and suggests improvement strategies. As it can be deduced form the above presentations, it appears that the approach to performance management needs to be holistic, inclusive, and systematic. Essentially, a good performance system should present the combined effect of measuring different a spects or dimensions that are interacting or interrelating with each other. SWOC analysis of WWP A SWOC analysis is a major way to examine the position of a business and examine areas of weaknesses and challenges it needs to focus on and areas of strengths and opportunities it needs to explore. A SWOT analysis simply means looking at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges to the business in order to achieve its strategic intents (Hill and Westbrook,1997). WWP has several strengths, a couple of weaknesses, several opportunities, and a small number of challenges. For example, WWP has the capacity to attract highly trained personnel from a large pool of wounded soldiers it seeks to serve. Furthermore, WWP has a well-established knowledge base, makes use of technology in its programs, and has extensive contacts with its clients. However, it is encompassed by a number of weaknesses that hinder to strive towards meeting its objectives. These include possible lack of moti vation and low reputation. This because WWP is still in its formative years and as such, has not developed extensive networks and attain reputation of high status. On the other hand, WWP has a number of opportunities, thus it can ensure that it lives up to the expectations of the stakeholders. These include availability of technological innovations to reach larger donor bases and increasing levels of understanding and empathy shown towards wounded soldiers. A number of challenges that reduce its capacity for competence can also be pointed out. WWP relies on donors for support and as such may suffer from the challenge of adequate resources to undertake its programs. Furthermore, it must be subjected to a number of government regulations that may limit its scope in soliciting funds and operations. Performance Measurement Performance management (PM) refers to the assessment of progress at different organizational levels, toward achieving predetermined goals, as well as communication an d action in response to actual progress (Bourne, 2003). Within this perspective, it is fundamental to recognize that PM is not merely a tool for operational management. On the contrary, it is, at its best, an overall, integrative approach, linking operational activities to strategic outcomes. Organizations in the business world employ some type of strategic planning in the development of objectives or initiatives. It has been advanced that the key to achieving success in the organization’s performance is an accurate and insightful linkage of the organizational visions and daily activities within the organization. Empirical evidence would however paint the picture that is not always easy or attainable (Armstrong, 2007). One of the chief bottlenecks has been cited as the use of poor performance measures (Kaplan and Norton, 2007). Several researchers have buttressed this point and pointed out that the lack of appropriate measurement tools as positively correlated to organization ’s failure to attain envisaged goals (Kaplan, 2007). For example, Armstrong (2007) in his study on organization’s use of performance measures has concluded that a majority of organizations fail to link their firms’ strategies with the performance measures. In the opinion of Kaplan (2007), the failure to encapsulate the strategic intents in performance measures has proved to be a major headache to many managers. This is particularly worrying when an effective measurement system provides the managers with an ample tool that can be employed in the assessment of whether activities occurring within a facility, division or department are in support of the attainment of the firms overall objectives as stipulated in the vision and missions of the firm. Brotherton and Hacker (2006) have pointed out that what is missing out in most management strategies may not be the planning aspect but rather the implementation. In their opinions, the implementation should encapsulate a n effective measurement system in order that the actions and plans are appropriately linked and are in tandem with the envisaged corporate objectives. This should ideally present an accurate presentation of where WWP is now and where it intends to be. A salient limitation has conversely been cited as the failure to link other aspects of organizational activities such as internal business organization, employees’ development, learning and organizational growth and customer relations in performance measures and the sole reliant on financial assessments of organizational performance. As Kaplan (2007) has pointed out, â€Å"over 70% of CEO failures came, not as a result of poor strategy, but the inability to execute.† Indeed, the departure from traditional financial measures as the anchorage on which organizational wellbeing is grounded has been pointed out as the reason for the invention of the Balanced Score Cards (Kaplan, 2007). According to Brotherton and Hacker (2006) , putting the organization vision and linking this to the strategy of organizations is the key ingredient to success in performance measurements, and thus, the strategic planning process should ideally encapsulate the strategic intents of the organization. This, to the authors opinion should be the starting point in effective measurement system. Essentially, the vision of the organization needs to be translated into specific, measurable objectives or initiatives. This is because by quantifying the vision through measurable objectives, an organization is able to determine whether it is on the right track. This will enable WWP to assess the rate of progress towards the attainment of the stipulated objectives. Unfortunately, majority of organizations appears not to pay heed to these sentiments (Armstrong, 2007). Armstrong (2007) has pointed out that performance measurements at their broadest forms that should involve the setting up of performance goals and the subsequent measurements o f the organization’s attainment or lack of such goals against a set criteria (Brotherton Hacker, 2006). Towards this, performance metrics are developed for each level and function within the organization, structured around the frameworks in order to facilitate the attainment of the envisaged goals and objectives. Thus, while the specific steps and verbiages may vary among the performance management methodologies and systems, the general bearing is essentially the same among the multitudes of organizations that claim to measure their performances. Kanji (1997) has observed that accounting figures alone do not provide a clear direction or an emphasis on whether the particular elements under scrutiny will result in good or poor financial results. This is because these financial measures may not pay cognizance to the need for improving customer satisfaction, quality, cycle time, or even employees’ motivation. Indicators of the Achievement for the Projected Outcomes As it has been stated above, performance measurement has been described as a key tool for the achievement of TQM (Total Quality Management). The main indicator for the achievement of the projected outcomes of the performance measurement in WWP will be the attainment of TQM constructs. These include leadership, management, and empowerment. In essence, TQM attainment in WWP as a non-profit organization calls for the inclusion of all stakeholders in decision-making. Total quality management (TQM) has been considered an important theme in business and management studies over the years due to its capability of influencing the desired outcomes of individuals and organizations alike (Kaplan, 2007). Various definitions of TQM have been used in numerous studies and no general definition of TQM exists in today’s literature. So far, the concept of TQM has different meanings to different individuals. Dale (1999) states that TQM refers to the overall participation of organizational members to e ffectively make use of their business processes and generate the products and/or services necessary for accommodating the needs and desires of customers. Meanwhile, Yang (2005) defined TQM as â€Å"a philosophy and a set of guiding principles that represent the foundation of a continuous improving foundation.† TQM can also be described as a continual process that aims at providing excellence by developing and maintaining the proper skills and characteristics among organizational members, so they can generate satisfaction among their customers (Lakhe and Mohanty, 1994). Similarly, Yang (2005) believes that TQM is a set of practices that promotes improvement, frequent evaluation of results, as well as long-term planning. Though there have been different definitions for TQM that have been mentioned above, the concept’s general principles and values are still described in each of them (Yang, 2005). TQM’s philosophy of management is centered on customers that encoura ges members of a TQM organization to efficiently facilitate the improvement of their company through the active involvement of employees. Within WWP, the individual concepts of process control, service quality, and quality improvement are all integrated into the TQM approach. Conclusion and Recommendations Many organizations in the business world today are recognizing that there is a need to adopt performance measurement tools that present a complete picture of organizational performance and are mushrooming towards effective tools in their performance measurements. WWP stands to reap a cocktail of benefits through the initiation, development, and implementation of effective performance measurement mechanisms that have the capacity to enhance its performances levels. As it has been stated above, critical organizational perspectives that should emphasize on this program include finances, internal processes, customers, growth and learning. These may be adjustable providing particular o rganizational contexts in terms of the number and perspectives. WWP is best placed to create strategy maps highlighting the areas they want to measure. This will act as the overall architectural framework specifying the critical elements and associated linkages of the overall strategy. This in essence acts as a universal message presentation forum for the top executives towards specification and subsequent presentation of the envisaged destination, mapping of the route to be followed and the communication mechanisms. The philosophy behind this step is developing a measure that goes beyond just financial performance. The advantages are that the manager can adopt a holistic view of the organizational performance, a cohesive and ongoing assessment is also possible, a focused connection of the top level and mid levels strategies is established, and it improves the organizational performance reporting system. The benefits of adopting performance measurement program outweigh its limitatio ns, chief among them the fact that the process of design and implementation is all-inclusive. While being a top down approach, the strategic intents still have to involve the mid level and floor employees. The key to success are therefore reliant on proper planning, implementation, and follow up and the performance measurement tool must have the capacity to present a more holistic approach to the organizational performances that would essentially encapsulate all the key elements of performance. References Armstrong, A. (2007). A hard book of human resources management. Kogan Page Publishers: London. Bourne, O. (2003). The balanced scorecard: translating strategy into action. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Press. Brotherton, L and Hacker, L. (2006). The golden rules for implementing the balanced business scorecard. ,Information Management Computer Security, 45 (3): 12-25. Hill, T. Westbrook, R. (1997). SWOT Analysis: It’s Time for a Product Recall. Long Range Plannin g, 30 (1): 46–52. Kanji, Y. (1997). Total quality management and the performance measurement barrier. The TQM Magazine, 10 (2): 45-63. Kaplan, R. and Norton, D. (1992).The balance scorecard-measure that drive performance. Harvard business Review: Harvard. Lakhe, R.R. and Mohanty, R.P. (1994). Total quality management concepts, evolution and acceptability in developing economies. International Journal of Quality Reliability Management, 11 (9), 9-33. Turney, K. (1991). Essays on performance measurement models, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Australia. Yang, C.C. (2005). An integrated model of TQM and GE-Six Sigma. International Journal of Six Sigma and Competitive Advantage, 1 (1), 97-105.

Zombie Spice and Drakulas Blood The Halloween Happening [Interview]

Zombie Spice and Drakulas Blood The Halloween Happening [Interview] Halloween is coming! This year we decided to break the rules of usual Halloween posts and make them in the more interesting format. We want to find out how different people from different universities, even countries, celebrate Halloween. And the best way to find it out is to ask them share their stories. Today the interviewee is Katy Gilroy, a 19-year-old student from University of Chester, UK. She studies Journalism and Creative Writing. Apart from studying, she also has her personal blog, writes and publishes poetry and is a massive fan of Shakespeare. We decided to start from the most general question to find out Katys attitude to Halloween: How do you feel about Halloween and everything related to it? I love Halloween! I think its one of those occasions that everyone can get involved the way they want to, and it brings people together in such a fun way. Even if its something as simple as having a bowl of sweets next to your front door, theres an aspect of Halloween for everyone. Right! Its good to hear that a person from UK loves Halloween, which is considered primarily US holiday. How is Halloween observed in Britain? I do think Halloween is a more American tradition; it is celebrated a lot more over there than it is here in Britain. For example, in US I know people have decorations up right the way through November, whereas in Britain we tend not to put our pumpkins out until a few day before Halloween itself. So you do celebrate Halloween. Could you tell more about your Halloween traditions? Which of them do you find interesting? I think one of the best traditions is trick or treating. When I was younger, my mum would take my brother and I out along with a few friends, all of us dressed in weird and wonderful costumes anything from a princess to a kitten to a pirate, but nothing too terrifying! I loved shouting TRICK OR TREAT at whoever answered the door and seeing them pretend to jump back in horror. Now that Im older I love answering the door and seeing how excited all the kids are. Thats lovely! Youve mentioned weird costumes you had on Halloween celebrations. Which costume was you favourite? Ive dressed up for Halloween almost every year as far as I can remember, and Ive had such a huge range of costumes. Two of my favourites have been dressing as a dead school girl, and as a zombie princess. Theyre simple ideas but with a bit of imagination you can make anything look really extravagant. Now, that you are not a school girl any more, what costume would you like to wear for Halloween party and why? Id love to find a group of friends and dress up as a zombified version of the Spice Girls! Id be Baby Spice because Im blonde. Zombie Spice Girl is an awesome costume idea! You should definitely try that. Now lets move from dressing up to the actual celebration. Can you think of some fun Halloween parties youve been to? When I was younger my aunty and uncle used to have a party to celebrate both Halloween and Bonfire Night we called it Bonoween. There was always fancy dress, fireworks and food so much food. Last year at my university house we had a big Halloween party with all of our friends. There was 18 of us living there, and we each invited a few people. Our house was full of students dressed in really amazing outfits (one of my friends came dressed as Elmo!), all having fun and mingling with people they wouldnt otherwise have met. Speaking about parties.You definitely have organizing skills, as youve organized charity music festival. So, imagine that you have to organize Halloween party for your friends and fellow students. What would you like it to be like? If I was to organise my own Halloween party, Id make it a massive occasion and call it The Halloween Happening. Ideally I would hire out a venue, and cover it in fake cobwebs, paint splatters on the wall to resemble blood, and pumpkins EVERYWHERE. I think I would want to make it a party that both children and adults could enjoy, so that nobody would have to find a baby sitter or miss out on the fun. There would definitely be loads of Halloween themed food: cupcakes decorated to look like eyeballs, green jelly to look like toxic goo, and red punch to look like Draculas blood! There would definitely be no fancy dress no entry rule, and a prize for the scariest costume. Great! I am sure that would be a party of the year. So, costumes - check, party - checkwhat else is associated with Halloween? As for me, several things I associate with Halloween are: pumpkins, trick or treating, fake blood, toffee apples and witches. Pretty spooky combination (especially those of blood and toffee apples). But Halloween is meant to be a spooky fest. Lets add some more horror with your favourite films or horror stories. I absolutely love horror films, and one of my favourites is The Possession, in which a little girl becomes possessed by a demon from inside a wooden box. I also really enjoyed The Hills Run Red, which not many people have heard of! Despite being a book worm, Ive not read any books within the horror genre unless you count Frankenstein, which is a wonderful classic story. And the last question Do you think Eat, drink and be scary is the main idea of Halloween? Or should it be anything else behind the celebration? I think eat, drink and be scary is a perfect way to sum up Halloween; I dont think there is or should be any deeper reason behind the celebrations. If people are having fun and not causing any harm to anyone else then what could be wrong? Thanks for sharing your amazing Halloween story with our readers, Katy! Hopefully, you will have the unforgettable Halloween celebration this year! We wish you to keep inspiring people around with your creative ideas and radiance. Have any questions for Katy? Or want to share your unique Halloween story? Feel free to leave your message in the comments below. Also, read the interview The Secret Life of a Real Halloweener with our next guest, Jonathan Wojcik.

Global Market Entry Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Global Market Entry Strategies - Essay Example Ultravac started manufacturing the 'portable asthma pumps' under the brand name 'purepumps', when there was no other company in the Australian market, manufacturing such pumps. Two other companies were marketing these pumps by importing from Europe. Company assessed a huge market for the local product. In order to meet the Australian legal and medical regulations, Ultravac ended up investing heavily in the 'purepumps' venture, which saw huge cost overruns. On the other hand the two competitors, importing the pumps, made good use of economies of scale and were able to keep their customer base intact on account of the critical nature of the product; it being a medical aid product, customers appeared somewhat reluctant to use a new and unproven product. This forced the company to think about alternatives. The strategic alliance with Pharmacare, an Australian pharmaceutical chain, proved helpful for the company in that it offered a readymade market for asthma pumps through pharmacies, doctors' surgeries, hospitals etc. and company was able to increase its market share. The complex conditions of agreement between Ultravac and Pharmacare, did not allow the company to enter into partnership with other companies in the domestic market, which proved to be a serious setback for the company. Eager to come out of the alliance with Pharmacare, the company started winding up the p... Company was able to provide a dependable aftersales service support to the customers, which helped the company in gaining customer's confidence Eager to come out of the alliance with Pharmacare, the company started winding up the production of asthma pumps. But the strategy backfired on at least two counts. One, the factory workers were up in arms against the sudden decision of closure, which forced the company to shell out a hefty $850 000 in order to calm down the agitating workers. Secondly, customers became apprehensive about the service and repairs. In addition Pharmacare too slapped a legal suit on Ultravac. All this resulted in adverse publicity for the company and the once national fame started translating into national shame. Finally, Ultravac had to enter into out of courst settlement with Pharmacare by paying a good undisclosed amount in addition to assuring its customers that the company will indeed keep looking after the customers for repairs and maintenance. Ultravac had to reinvest huge amounts in brand building exercise to gloss over the damage done by the problematic tie-up with Pharmacare. The company continued to serve domestic as well as international markets for the next couple of years, but preferred to go for a change of brand identity once again, using it as a tool to tide over the bad publicity. Key external factors faced by Ultravac in the international arena include; Company entered into strategic alliances with supplies and distributors from abroad. On the one hand company entered into agreements with suppliers of component parts, guaranteeing unhindered flow of components for its asthma pumps market. On the

The Reluctant Workers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Reluctant Workers - Essay Example In any institution, there must be administrators who oversee day-to-day operations of the organizations and ensuring that things go on smoothly. Therefore, administrators perform very useful roles by ensuring that institutions achieve set goals. In the case study, Aston claims that the accounting department manager does not want an employee in that section to shift to project management section (Kerzner, 2010). This is despite confession of the employee of his interest in project management. The manager seems interested in achieving his departmental goals at the expense of the overall goal for the company. Thus, the boss of the worker who had interest in project management kills his interest and dream, and this might lower morale and appreciation of the employee. There is also poor communication between the workers and the managers. Moreover, Phil Davis, the director of project management seems not interested in solving issues raised by the project manager, and this constitutes poor administration (Kerzner, 2010). Therefore, effective administration and communication is vital for the success of any organization.... Thus, the boss of the worker who had interest in project management kills his interest and dream, and this might lower morale and appreciation of the employee. There is also poor communication between the workers and the managers. Moreover, Phil Davis, the director of project management seems not interested in solving issues raised by the project manager, and this constitutes poor administration (Kerzner, 2010). Therefore, effective administration and communication is vital for the success of any organization. Proper planning Planning entails the process of thinking as well as organizing activities necessary for the achievement of a given goal. Proper planning is required in carrying out and implementing activities that lead to the attainment of the goal. In the case study of reluctant workers, planning is a challenge. For instance, Aston asserts that in the week that the test was scheduled, some departments and individual workers planned different activities. The customer’s t op management planned on flying specifically for firsthand observations. Moreover, two members of his team had planned program vacation for the week and could not participate in the test (Kerzner, 2010). The scenario clearly indicates poor planning of events and activities in the company. Poor planning can lead to underachievement of the set goals and targets. 2 .Analyze the way in which Tim Aston, the young project manager, was exercising his skills with respect to his project staff and the functional managers. Discuss Tim Aston's effectiveness in light of the three core skills you identified. Tim Aston was exercising his skills quite properly with regard to project staff as well as with functional managers. First, he organizes a meeting with

Language Use in Kaskus Essay Example for Free

Language Use in Kaskus Essay A. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Computer-mediated communication refers to any form of communication enabled through the use of computers. In the computer-mediated communication literature, the term generally refers to communication modalities dependent on computer-based networks or meta-networks, particularly the Internet and commercial online services. Language plays an important role in the communication activities in the computer-mediated communication. The language itself is used by people as a communication tool. Specifically, as i mentioned above that computer mediated communication (CMC) is about anything(communication) that use computer as a media to transfer information, to talk with other persons, to discuss issues or something like that. While we know that on CMC, for right now internet with its world wide web (network) is the only tool and the only way to get connected with others, i don’t see any alternative beside internet. In internet there are many people with different language background, different social background and of course different culture and manners. What’s become my curiousity is how people with these so many differences talking and discussing to each others, how can they understand each others without being rude to others. But i’m not going to conduct a linguistic research of language use in the internet generally globally, because there has been a lot of research on this subject. But, what becomes my interest is how indonesian people with different social and culturul background talking and disccussing a topic in Kaskus, one of the biggest and largest online forum in Indonesia. Kaskus, with more than two millions users from all over indonesia is a populer online service to discuss and to sell products. Kaskus has an easy  peasy access, has a discussion thread about almost everything like computer, books, entertainment and many more. Kaskus user are from all over indonesia which have different culture and social background, in this case sometimes user doesn’t pay attention to the forum rules, nettiquette and sometimes being sarcastic, i’ve found this several time in kaskus. This case indicating that some of user do not know the nettiquete and language rules used in kaskus forum. So why i’m here try to observe and doing a research on how kaskuser (kaskus user) use the language, what style are used, and what kind of expressions in kaskus forum that is used to show respect, manners, and and self expressions like anger, happy etc. B. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM From the title and the background of the study i formulate the research questions as follows : 1. What are the general forum rules applied in kaskus? 2. How far kaskuser pay attention to the forum rules in discussion thread? 3. What are the form of languages style used in kaskus? 4. What are the meaning of those language expressions/style? 5. Who use the language? The gender, the age. C. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY This research is aimed to gather information about the language use in kaskus forum, especially how those language are used to express manner and ethical relations between the kaskuser. D. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The significance of this research is to bring a data to enrich the linguistic analysis in indonesia especially in computer-mediated communication subject. This research is also will be useful for those who use internet as a communcation tool generally and for kaskuser who love to join discussion in kaskus so they are will never again feel worried about being rude to others, bacause this research will bring them information how to use the language properly and how to communicate ethically to others E. SCOPE AND LIMITATION The research is limited only on the language use, the style and the way kaskuser interact with others, the researcher will not analysis where the language comes from and how the language changed. CHAPTER II THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK A. INTERNET Internet, according to Merriam Webster Dictionaries is an electronic communication network that connects computer networks and organizational computer facilities around the world. B. KASKUS Kaskus is an Indonesian internet forum site which claims itself as the largest Indonesian online community. It ranks as the top 10 most popular website in Indonesia (weasel words), positioning at 241 worldwide according to Alexa.com. It was established on November 6, 1999, by three Indonesian students (Andrew Darwis, Ronald Stephanus, and Budi Dharmawan) in the United States. In August 2012, Kaskus has more than 4,000,000 registered accounts and more than 650,000,000 total posts. In August 2005 and September 2006, PC Magazine Indonesia voted Kaskus as The Best Indonesian communities twice (2005 2006). Registration is required for new users to participate in the community, and every registered member has access to more than twenty regional and subject-related sub-forums. The community runs on the vBulletin forum software. C. NETTIQUETE Cyberspace contains many different cultures, which some writers have called virtual communities. Each of these communities has its own rules and customs. But many rules apply throughout almost all of cyberspace and the rules of internet is called nettiquete. Nettiquete comes from word Internet and Etiqutte. Virginia Shea Stated that The word etiquette means the forms required by good breeding or prescribed by authority to be required in social or official life. Etymologically, it comes from the French word for ticket. If you know the etiquette for a particular group or society, you  have a ticket for entry into it. (Virginia Shea,1994) D. COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION 1. Computer mediated communication (CMC) involves exchanges of information in textual, audio, and/or video formats that are transmitted and controlled by the use of computer and telecommunication technology. It must be noted that CMC is the basis of interpersonal interaction via groupware systems. An interesting definition of CMC is given by December (1997): Computer-Mediated Communication is a process of human communication via computers, involving people, situated in particular contexts, engaging in processes to shape media for a variety of purposes. 2. Chrispin Thurlow, laura lengel and Alice Tomic (2004) define Computer Mediated Communication into 3 cores : a. Communication While trying to ground CMC into a proper understanding we have to know what exactly is communication. * Communication is dynamic, One of the most well known ways of thinking about communication is the idea of a sender, a message and a receiver, in computer terms, might be regarded as an ‘information-processing’ perspective. Instead, communication is better understood as a process which is much more dynamic. The meaning of messages does not reside in words, but is much more fluid and dependent on the context, shifting constantly from place to place, from person to person, and from moment to moment. * Communication is transactional, Even though people still sometimes like to think of communication as the exchange of messages between senders and receivers, communication is really about the negotiation of meaning between people. Individuals are both speakers and listeners and these roles switch back and forth all the time in any one conversation. Once again, this also means that communication is constantly changing as two (or more) people interpret each other and are influenced by what the other says. In other words, it’s a transaction between them. Most theorists would agree that communication simply cannot happen outside human social interaction. It is really only when someone recognizes and/or responds to something you say or do that communication can be said to have occurred. * Communication is multifunctional, Consciously or unconsciously, communication serves many different functions and usually  serves more than one function at any given time. For example, communication may be used to influence people’s behavior or attitudes, to inform people, to seek information, to exert control over people, to befriend or seduce people, to entertain and please people, and so on. Although for the sake of analytical convenience, scholars do sometimes distinguish between the interactional (or relationship-focused) and informational (or content-focused) domains of communication, it’s usually impossible to separate the two. Think about famous chat-up lines like ‘Can I buy you a drink?’ or ‘Do you have the time?’ Although both appear to seek information, the intention is clearly relational! * Communication is multimodal, However important it may be, language is of course just one of many ways we have of communicating. Verbal messages always come packaged with other messages (or ‘metamessages’) formed by different ways of making meaning – what are usually called nonverbal modes of communication. In fact, more often than not it is these other modes of communication which are relied on more than the verbal mode. The best example of this is when someone is lying to us: ‘Look me in the eye and tell me you didn’t do it!’ The range of nonverbal codes is vast and accounts for much of the social information we glean: vocal (e.g. tone of voice, accent, volume, pauses), movement (e.g. facial expression, gestures, posture), physical appearance (e.g. height, weight, skin colour), artefacts (e.g. lighting, dà ©cor, fashion), and use of space (e.g. body orientation, touch, distance). b. Mediated Depending on how much we already know about human communication, we will more than likely know that all communication is mediated to some extent or other. According to Chambers’ Twenty-first Century Dictionary, the verb to mediate means to convey or transmit something or to act as a medium for something. In turn, a medium is something by which, or through which, an effect is produced. In other words, mediation is simply the process or means by which something is transmitted – whether it’s a message, a feeling, a sound, or a ghostly apparition! In the case of communication, we’ve already indicated that communication is always channelled by, and dependent on, its context for meaning. Communication is therefore mediated through our interactions with people and by means of any number of different verbal and nonverbal  modes. Communication can never exist in a vacuum.We will probably have heard about the phrase ‘channels of communication’. These can be social (or cultural), psychological (or mental), linguistic (or symbolic) or material (or technical). It’s in this way that scholars usually identify several layers of contextual variables which influence – or mediate – communication. Broadly speaking these fall into three main categories : psychological, e.g. our perceptions, mental maps, and prototypes; social, e.g. our relationships, stereotypes, and individual experiences; cultural, e.g. the myths and ideologies of whole societies of people. c. Computer Having confronted the relative complexity of the terms ‘communication’ and ‘mediated’, it may disappointing to know that even the term computer cannot be taken for granted. Almost everything nowadays involves computers in some way or other, and, consequently, almost everything we do is in some way or other mediated by computers. Think, for example, of the digital technology which drives our telephone exchanges, brings television channels into our homes, tells us the time, and so on. What’s more, with such things as video conferencing, webcams and voice recognition, technological changes are taking us nearer and nearer to the kind of face-to-face (or just FtF) communication we’ve been used to all along. It’s in this way that the computerization, which drives so many areas of our lives, is becoming more and more invisible. Indeed, Pixy Ferris (1997) previously proposed that CMC should also be broad enough to include office automation, â₠¬ ¢ (Chrispin Thurlow, laura lengel and Alice Tomic :2004) CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY A. RESEARCH APPROACH AND DESIGN The reseacher use qualitative discriptive aproach. Qualitative research refers to inductive, holistic, emic, subjective and process oriented methods used to understand, interpret, describe and develop theory on a phenomenon or a setting and is a systematic, subjective approach used to describe life experiences and give them meaning (Morse Field 1996:199; Burns Grove 1998:35). Brink and Wood (1998:335) cite Benoliel’s (1984) description of qualitative research â€Å"as modes of systematic inquiry concerned with understanding human beings and the nature of their transactions with themselves and with their surroundings†. Leininger (1985:5) defines qualitative research as the methods and techniques of observing, documenting, analysing, and interpreting attributes, patterns, characteristics and meanings of specific, contextual or gestalt features of a phenomenon. B. DATA COLLECTION 1. Data Source The data is mainly taken from discussion thread in kaskus, like discussion thread, results of observations etc. 2. Instrument of Collecting Data * Doing observations * Interview (By Chating and PM or Private Message) * Making a Poll or Voting * Taking screenshot/ image * Questionaire C. DATA ANALYSIS The data will be analyzed using Miles and Huberman Theories where there are 3 Steps in ana lyzing the data : 1. Data Reduction. The data that has been collected from observations, questionaire and interviews are selected and sorted. The data that can represents the theme of the research will be analyzed. 2. Data display The data will be displayed after getting a summarizing. In data display the data that have been reducted then will be compressed, organized without risking the loss of information. 3. Drawing and veryfying conclssion The reasons for reducing and displaying data are to assist in drawing conclussions. While drawing conclussions logically follows reduction and display of data, in fact it takes place more or less concurrently with them. Thus possible conclussions may be noted early in the analysis, but they may be vague and ill-formed at this stage. They are held tentative pending further work, and have been analysed. Conclussions will be in the form of  preposistions, and once they have been drawn, the data need to be verified. D. EXAMPLE OF DATA SAMPLE 1. Red Font Colour 2. The Using of Capital Letters 3. Kaskus emoticon 4. Kaskus Terms Like Agan, Bata, Cendol, Sundul REFERENCES * http://kaskus.co.id * Creswell, J. W. 2003. Research Design: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. SAGE. Thousand Oaks. USA. * Thurlow, Crispin. Lengel, Laura. Tomic, Alice. 2004 Computer Mediated Communicatio (Social interaction and The Internet). SAGE. Thousand Oaks. USA. * Shea, Virginia. 2004. Netiqutte. Albions Books, USA

Apacolypse Now :: essays research papers

The movie â€Å"Apocalypse Now†, directed by Francis Coppola, is based on Conrad’s novel The Heart of Darkness. The movie has to do with survival, obsession, and finding ones self. The inclination of this paper is to let the reader get a better understanding of how Captain Willard (the main character) goes through survival, obsession, and courage while trying to hunt down Kurtz.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Captain Willard is on a mission into Cambodia during the Vietnam War to find and kill an insane Colonel Kurtz, as he experiences his journey of horror. In the past, Kurtz was an officer and a sane, successful, brilliant leader. Now he is insane after being corrupted by the horror of war and the cultures he met. People used to look up to him and speak highly of him. Now everyone knows he is just a man who after fighting for his country became a crazed lunatic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Captain Willard is constantly trying to survive throughout this mission. He has to float in a boat through Cambodia during the Vietnam War. He runs into some natives along the way and has some encounters with them. For example, the captain of the boat is killed by a spear, which is thrown, by a native. When he reaches the land that Kurtz has taken over, he strives very hard to survive. The fist images that you see are hanging dead bodies over the water, dead bodies along the shoreline. It is an island filled with mass murderers and cold-blooded natives. The natives there are so very much under Kurtz’s power that they are willing to kill Willard in a heartbeat.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Captain Willard develops an obsession for trying to find Kurtz. It is not only a mission anymore, it is more of something that Willard must do for himself. Willard is stalking Kurtz in the movie, this kind of portrays Coppola stalking himself, raising questions which he feels compelled to answer but cannot. Because of his passion to find and kill Kurtz he becomes a marvelous leader. Everyone aboard listens, and goes to him. They are all risking their lives for Willard to get where he has to go.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kurtz is another example of leadership. He is obsessed with the power and leadership he has over the natives. You have never seen such stronger leadership over an entire population, as you see in this movie. Kurtz reigns over these people as if he is God.

China Market: Analytical Report Essay

As we will be entering into the business world in China in the upcoming months, we have prepared a report on common business etiquette to be used when dealing with Chinese businesses. There are many ways in which we can unintentionally ruin relationships with China, so it is important to choose your words wisely. The following ideals will help us to present the company in a favorable light, and to avoid jeopardizing any potential relationships with Chinese businesses. According to Williams (n.d.), Before you approach a civilian of china, be prepared to do the proper greeting first. Proper greetings in china are generally a smile, good eye contact, politeness and a proper bow. The deeper the bow is, the more respect the Chinese believe you possess towards your acquaintance. These are considered a means of sincerity in their culture which will allow you to engage in further discussion with the business people you are making business with. Avoid informal greetings like â€Å"Hey, how are you?† instead use a formal greeting like â€Å"How do you do?† or â€Å"Glad to see you† as they seem like improper and disrespectful in their culture. When referring to someone of importance in China, you usually use their professional title rather than a Mr. or Miss. For example, use Chairman Freeman, rather than Mr. Freeman. This is important because it addresses your target with respect and shows that you acknowledge his or her position in the company. (Executive Planet. China n.d.). Typically, before any serious business discussion can happen, casual conversation is encouraged to relate to the person to whom you are writing. Good topics to include are those through which you can relate, such as the  weather, climate, and the geography of China. (Leung, 2008, p.21). Educating yourself on these subjects beforehand is very effective, as it will reflect well to your recipient that you have a good initiative in learning more about Chinese culture. However, there are some subjects to avoid discussing such as the history of China and Taiwan territory. (Executive Planet. China n.d.). Williams (n.d). has stated do not try to mention nor talk about religion in china. Even though China does have some basic religions like Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism, they do not worship as much as other countries do such as the USA and Japan. It is important to respect their culture and not engage in a conversation which would include speaking about their religion in any way. If you go out to eat at a restaurant with a possible customer or future employee whom is Chinese, there are some table manners that differ from that of westerners. For instance, a round table is more popular than the basic square table which is known in the western hemisphere. Make sure that the guest of honor is always seated to the right of the host (I.E. the employer or employee). Make sure you seat your guests and invite them to enjoy their meal and sitting the guests next the where the dishes are is disrespectful. Serving soda while on a business meeting is considered disrespectful to your guests. Ensure that you serve something more elegant like tea or distilled water, with the occasional beer and it’s important that you pour all your guests a cup of tea as it is not expected of the guest to pour their own tea.(Williams n.d). When writing the sales letter you should stay away from using colors because they can send a negative message. (Cimasko, 2010). It is important to make sure you keep your sentences short and concise and avoid using slang. It’s important to bring a minimum of at least 20 copies of your sales letter as it shows that you are well prepared. (Executive Planet. China n.d.). When it comes to composing your sales letter, it is more common to take the indirect approach. For example; in the Chinese culture, it’s more respectful  to use the words try or maybe instead of directly saying no. (Cimasko, 2010). Since the Chinese typically do not trust outside information you really must convince them that making business with your company would be in their best interest. Keep in mind not to offend anyone in your letter because embarrassment of a potential business partner would mean loss of that business. (Executive Planet. China n.d.). Recommendation Focus on how the job would be useful in China and avoid using slang or big words that would confuse our potential partners. Don’t make the sales letter too flamboyant or colorful because that might seem disrespectful. Resources De’Edra Williams. China. Retrieved from: http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/china.htm Executive Planet. China. Retrieved from: http://www.executiveplanet.com/index.php?title=China Leung, C. (2008). Saving face time. Canadian Business, 81(21), 21-22. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Tony Cimasko. (2010, April 25). Writing for a Chinese Business Audience. Retrieved from: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/676/01/ Harmon, M. M. (2006). Business Research and Chinese Patriotic Poetry: How Competition for Status Distorts the Priority Between Research and Teaching in U.S. Business Schools. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 5(2), 234-243. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Wilkinson, T. J., Thomas, A. R., & Hawes, J. M. (2009). Managing Relationships With Chinese Joint Venture Partners. Journal of Global Marketing, 22(2), 109-120. doi:10.1080/08911760902765908

English as Global Language Essay

The phenomenal rise in use of English has mainly taken place over the last two decades. English has reached high status world-wide because of several factors; as the mother tongue of millions of people all over the world, as the language that millions of children learn at school and the language that is used in international relations, for global communication and as the major media language. The importance of a global language has become major, in some contexts such as communication, e.g. international web-pages on the Internet, English is the only language used. In addition, English is used to establish and maintain connection and relationship between people with different backgrounds from different cultures. In this discursive essay, I will discuss the different aspects of a global language and how it will affect cultures, minority languages and communities all over the world. Disposition of body †¢ Definition of Lingua Franca †¢ Do we need a global language? †¢ Should English be a global language? Why/Why not? †¢ Which standard will be the Standard? / Strict or loose standards? †¢ Will native speakers take advantage? †¢ What will happen to minority languages and communities? Method Before I started to write the essay, I read relevant literature. David Crystal’s â€Å"English as a Global language† contains a lot of useful information, and so does â€Å"Sociolinguistics† by Peter Trudgill. In order to retrieve I want different aspects on the subject, I also used the Internet for research. I was also interested in average people’s opinion, therefore I asked approximately 40 people of different backgrounds, age and gender what they think of English as a global language. 1. Definition of Lingua Franca Many people do not know what a lingua franca is, therefore I will start by defining the term Lingua Franca and also tell a bit about its history. 1.1 Lingua franca is Latin and means â€Å"French language†. The first text written in a lingua franca is from 1353, but a simpler form of it appeared in the 11th century. The origin of this term is from the modern era when French became the language mostly used in commerce and diplomacy between the European countries. Not only French serves as a lingua franca, several European languages had the same status; e.g. English, Greek, Latin and German. The term lingua franca became so common that it continued to be used for any â€Å"universal† language. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingua_franca 2005) 1.2 A lingua franca can be any language which is used for communication among people who have no native language in common. In many of the former European colonies in Africa, French or English are used as the language of communication in trade and business. (Trudgill 2000:132) In some parts of Africa, other African lingua francas, such as Swahili and Hausa, are used. These languages are indigenous in some countries and have become used because of political reasons. When a language is used as a lingua franca, it undergoes a certain amount of reduction and simplification. The simplification often refers to getting rid of irregularities and grammatical gender in the lingua franca. This happens because adults are, unlike children, generally not good language learners, and therefore need a simplified version of the language. (Trudgill 2000:165) Should English be the Global Language? People in general have different opinions on English as a â€Å"global† language. There are positive as well as negative aspects of this. Do we need a global language? Why do we need it? Why should English be the best option? 2.1 Translation has always played a central role in interaction between people with different languages and language skills. Thousands of years ago, monarchs, ambassadors and merchants had to rely on someone to translate. But the more linguistically mixed the community got, the less they could rely on individuals to ensure their communication. Most of these problems have been solved with a lingua franca or a â€Å"pidgin†. A pidgin is a language created, usually spontaneously, from a mixture of other languages as a means of communication between speakers of different languages Pidgins have simple grammar and few synonyms. The prospect that a lingua franca might be needed for the whole world is something that has arisen in the twentieth century. Sin ce the 1950s, many international organisations have come into being e.g. the UN and the World Bank. Also political groupings e.g. The European Union and The Commonwealth have come into being. The pressure to make an agreement concerning one language has become urgent, but it is a sensitive issue. (Crystal 2003: 12-13) The need for a global language is mainly appreciated by the international academic and business communities, but also by individuals as the world becomes more and more global. (Crystal 2003: 12-13) 2.2 Why English has grown as much as it has, and why it might be seen as the best option for a global language have more than one answer. One is the geographical-historical reasons, and another is the socio-cultural. The geographical-historical part explains how English has reached its position and the socio-cultural explains how and why it remains that way. (Crystal 2003: 29) 2.2.1 English came to England from northern Europe during the fifth century and started to spread around the British Isles. (Crystal 2003: 30) The historical movement of English around the world began with the expeditions to Asia and America and continued with the colonial developments in Africa and the South Pacific. When many colonies became independent during the mid-twentieth century, they kept English as their official language or semi-official language. This led to a major step forward for the English language; it is represented on every continent and on islands in the three major oceans, making the label â€Å"global language† a reality. (Crystal 2003: 29) 2.2.1 The socio-cultural aspect looks at the way people in many ways have become dependent on English for their social life and for their economic well-being. English is the language of many business and political domains and also the language of entertainment such as television, the film industry, the music business, communication (internet, telecommunication and computers) and safety. (Crystal 2003: 29) 2.2.2 Today’s status of English has mainly two reasons; the expansion of the British colonial power and the emergence of the economical power of the United States. The latter is what scientist argue explain the status of English in the world today. (Crystal 2003: 59) 3. Positive and Negative Aspects on English as a Global Language 3.1 Positive aspects of English as a Global Language According to Buck (2005), English has, without doubt, reached the top position in the language hierarchy. Almost 30 % of the population are already â€Å"reasonably competent† in English. As the language of commerce, economy and politics, knowledge of and fluency in that language is helpful when participating in these fields. The economic power houses, the political bodies and commercial organisations also use English as their language of communication. More than 85% of the scientific, technological and academic production in the world today is performed in English. By using English you are able to communicate with people in almost all countries all over the world. English is the most widely spoken language with regards to number of countries, even though Chinese, Hindi and Spanish have more native speakers. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language 2005) The case might be that even in countries where one of the other languages is spoken you will be able to communicate wi th the inhabitants, using English as a lingua franca. It is often taken for granted that one speaks English and when someone does not, one might be looked upon suspiciously. I asked approximately 40 people from different backgrounds, different age and with different nationalities which language they would prefer as a global language and the majority answered English. The following reasons were given: It is the language you hear and read every day; the younger generations have learned it in school and it would be the best global language because it is the most spread all over the world. The people, who disagreed, said that Spanish would be the best global language, because it has more native speakers than English. 3.2 Negative aspects of English as a Global Language Even though there are many positive aspects of having a global language, there are negative aspects as well. How would it be possible to carry through a global language? Are there any dangers with having a global language? A global language might cultivate an elite class with native speakers, who take advantage of the possibility to think and work quickly in their mother-tongue. If this was the case they might manipulate it to their advantage at the expense of those who has another language as their mother-tongue and in this way create a linguistic gap between people. (Crystal 2003: 14-15) English has a history, sometimes cruel and violent with colonialism and war, and introducing English as the global language might be seen as a threat of future dominance. Perhaps a global language will make people unwilling or unable to learn other languages and make other languages unnecessary. (Crystal 2003: 15) One of the â€Å"risks† having only one language is that the chosen language may become very technical and â€Å"impoverished† for non-native speakers, e.g. the Eskimos, who have several words for snow, because they need it. They would probably not be able to express themselves properly if they only had one word for snow. And Swedish people would not be able to use the word â€Å"lagom†, a word which says a lot about the Swedish society and people. Many of the people who answered my question about â€Å"English as a Global Language†, expressed a worry that if we only had one language, they would feel â€Å"poor† when it comes to expressing feelings and emotions in a language that is not their mother-tongue, that they would not know enough words to be able to really express how and what they feel. 4. Standards – which standard should be used? Strict or loose standards? English is the mother-tongue of millions of people in different parts of the world. If English were to become a global language, which standard of the language would be the global standard? Perhaps the standards would become looser. 4.1. Standard English is the English that is usually used in print. It is also the English which is normally taught in school and to non-native speakers learning English. This is also the standard that is spoken among educated people and used for news broadcasts. (Trudgill 2000: 5-6) Historically, the British Standard developed from the south-east part of England (the area around London). These dialects were spoken in court, used in law and by the government. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_English 2005) Standard English has a widely accepted grammar, and an accent that comes with this standard, the British English accent, also known as the â€Å"Oxford English†, is the accent that is taught is schools. (Trudgill 2000:6-7) Furthermore this English has a major cultural influence, especially on the languages in the former Commonwealth countries, e.g. South Africa, Australia, and India as well as the European Union. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_English 2005 ) 4.2 We often hear about â€Å"American-English†, â€Å"South African-English† or other â€Å"Englishes†, but no such terms really exist. The different types of English are based on the British English but have developed grammatical and vocabulary differences because of influence and â€Å"loanwords† from other languages.(Trudgill 2000:6-7) 5. Minor Languages and cultures What will happen to minor cultures and languages if we introduce a global language? An introduction of a global language might lead to discrimination of other languages. Losing a language equals losing identity. The language is much more than just a tool for communication. According to Trudgill there is an intimate relation between language and culture and a large homogenisation of culture might lead to a shift in language where native people adopt another language and eventually the old language may die out. There is a difference between â€Å"language death† and â€Å"language murder†. Language death is when a language disappears naturally; its speakers are leaving it voluntarily, but â€Å"language murder† means that the killer language actively discourages use of other languages. Minority languages may be removed from the media and educational systems. English is referred to as a â€Å"killer language†, which means that it is a dominant language learned subtractive, at the cost of the mother tongues, rather than additively. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_language 2005) In the United States there have been a few â€Å"English Only† movements, the first one in 1803, when they banned the speaking of French among the population in Louisiana. After that, several attempts to remove Spanish and French have taken place. English is declared as the official language in several states in the US. The English-Only movements have been rejected by linguistics; they mean that a language does not create political unity, it takes more than that. The use of one single language in a community is no guarantee for social harmony or mutual understanding. This has been proven several times during the history, e.g. American Civil War, Spanish Civil War and former Yugoslavia. (Crystal 2003:16) 6. Conclusion This essay has shown that the creation of a global language has numerous advantages and disadvantages. Mutual intelligibility, great career opportunities and reduced administrative costs are some of the advantages a global language would give. The disadvantages are that English is closely linked to the British and the American cultures and history and is therefore not a â€Å"neutral† language. Perhaps a language with less historical and cultural connections would be a better option? We are in need of an international language for communication, politics, trade and security, but at the same time we are worried about language death, the advantages native speakers will have and all the disadvantages non-native speakers will face. English is growing, it is a strong language, and its future seems bright. My opinion is that if there will ever be an international language, English is the best option. It is a strong, well developed language with millions of speakers. Even if a global language might be important, different languages are of importance for their culture and for the development of their native speakers. Languages make the world more interesting and more alive.

A Beginners Guide to Delphi

A Beginners Guide to Delphi Our  Delphi Programming site proudly presents free online programming courses for (beginner) Delphi developers! Quick Launch Turbo Delphi Tutorial: For Novice and Non-ProgrammersThis series of tutorials is oriented to those who want to take their chance in the world of software development, it is designed to teach the complete beginner (read: non-programmer) how to become a programmer using Delphi.Delphi for BeginnersThis free online course is perfect for beginner developers as well as for those who want a broad overview of the art of programming Win32 applications with Borland Delphi. Focus on Delphi 6.Delphi Database Programming. You can take this as an Email CourseDevelopers will learn how to design, develop and test a database application using ADO with Delphi. This course focuses on the most common uses of ADO in a Delphi application: Connecting to a database using TADOConnection, work with Tables and Queries, handle database exception, create reports, etc.Learning Object Oriented Programming with DelphiExplore the true power of Delphi OOP: learn how to create your own classes, instantiate objects at runtime, use association, composition and other OOP topics. Using the TDBGrid componentContrary to most other Delphi data-aware controls, the DBGrid component has many nice features and is more powerful than you would have thought. The standard DBGrid does its job of displaying and manipulating records from a dataset in a tabular grid. However, there are many ways (and reasons) why you should consider customizing the look and feel of a DBGrid...Creating Custom ComponentsEverything about creating custom controls and components in Delphi. The ultimate source. From tutorials for starters to more advanced materials.Introduction to COM ProgrammingCOM stands for Component Object Model. It allows you to create COM objects that are not specific to any language, and in some cases, even platforms. For instance, COM objects can be ported to a Unix system. COM also allows you to create COM Objects that will be instantiated on a different machine across the world if you so desired.(Fast Forward to) Delphi for .NETHeres a series of articles designed with o ne goal in mind: to provide a quick and dirty introduction to the world of .NET programming with Delphi. If you are looking for what you need to know about Delphi for .NET - search no further! ASP.NET Web ProgrammingDevelopers will learn how to design, develop and debug ASP.Net web application using Borland Delphi for .Net. The chapters will cover the fundamental elements of creating Web applications (working with Web Forms, Web Services, and User Controls) using Delphi, including the Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and the Delphi for .Net language.Windows API (no VCL) SeriesThis free online course is perfect for intermediate Delphi developers as well as for those who want a broad overview of the art of Windows API programming with Borland Delphi.

Five Ages of Man in Greek Mythology According to Hesiod

Five Ages of Man in Greek Mythology According to Hesiod The classic Greek Five Ages of Man came from an 8th century BCE poem written by a shepherd named Hesiod, who along with Homer became one of the earliest of Greek epic poets. He likely based his work on an unidentified older legend, possibly from Mesopotamia or Egypt. An Epic Inspiration Hesiod was a farmer from the Boeotian region of Greece who was out tending his sheep one day when he met the Nine Muses. The Nine Muses were the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (Memory), divine beings who inspired creators of all kinds, including poets, speakers, and artists. By convention, the Muses were always invoked at the beginning of an epic poem. On this day, the Muses inspired Hesiod to write the 800-line epic poem called Works and Days. In it, Hesiod tells a Greek creation story that traces the lineage of mankind through five successive ages or races including the Golden Age, the Silver Age, the Bronze Age, the Heroic Age, and the present (to Hesiod) Iron Age. The Golden Age The Golden Age was the mythical first period of man. The people of the Golden Age were formed by or for the Titan Cronus, whom the Romans called Saturn. Mortals lived like gods, never knowing sorrow or toil; when they died, it as if they were falling asleep. No one worked or grew unhappy. Spring never ended. It is even described as a period in which people aged backward. When they died, they became daimones  (a Greek word only later converted to demons) who roamed the earth. When Zeus overcame the Titans, the Golden Age ended. According to the poet Pindar (517–438 BCE), to the Greek mind gold has an allegorical significance, meaning the radiance of light, good fortune, blessedness, and all the fairest and the best. In Babylonia, gold was the metal of the sun. Silver and Bronze Ages During Hesiods Silver Age, the Olympian god Zeus was in charge. Zeus caused this generation of man to be created as vastly inferior to the gods in appearance and wisdom. He divided the year into four seasons. Man had to work- plant grain and seek shelter- but a child could play for 100 years before growing up. The people wouldnt honor the gods, so Zeus caused them to be destroyed. When they died, they became blessed spirits of the underworld. In Mesopotamia, silver was the metal of the moon. Silver is softer with a dimmer luster than gold. Hesiods Third Age was of bronze. Zeus created men from ash trees- a hard wood used in spears. The men of the Bronze Age were terrible and strong and warlike. Their armor and houses were made of bronze; and they did not eat bread, living mainly on meat. In Greek and older myths, bronze was connected to weapons, war, and warfare, and their armor and houses were made of bronze. It was this generation of men that was destroyed by the flood in the days of Prometheus son Deucalion and Pyrrha. When the bronze men died, they went to the Underworld.  Copper (chalkos) and a component of bronze is the metal of Ishtar in Babylon. The Age of Heroes and the Iron Age For the fourth age, Hesiod dropped the metallurgical metaphor and instead called it the Age of Heroes. The Age of Heroes was a historical period to Hesiod, referring to the Mycenaean age and the stories told by Hesiods fellow poet Homer. The Age of Heroes was a better and more just time when the men called Henitheoi were demigods, strong, brave, and heroic. many were destroyed by the great wars of Greek legend. After death, some went to the Underworld; others to the Islands of the Blessed ones. The fifth age was the Iron Age, Hesiods name for his own time, and in it, all modern men were created by Zeus as evil and selfish, burdened with weariness and sorrow. All manner of evils came into being during this age. Piety and other virtues disappeared and most of the gods who were left on Earth abandoned it. Hesiod predicted that Zeus would destroy this race some day. Iron is the hardest metal and the most troublesome to work. Hesiods Message The Five Ages of Man is a long passage of continuous degeneration, tracing the lives of men as descending from a state of primitive innocence to evil, with a single exception for the Age of Heroes. Some scholars have noted that Hesiod wove the mythic and the realistic together, creating a blended story based on an ancient tale that could be referenced and learned from. Sources: Ganz T. 1996. Early Greek Myth. Johns Hopkins University Press: Baltimore.Griffiths JG. 1956. Archaeology and Hesiods Five Ages. Journal of the History of Ideas 17(1):109–119.

Vincent Van Gogh and Andy Warhol Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Vincent Van Gogh and Andy Warhol - Essay Example The paper "Vincent Van Gogh and Andy Warhol" compares the artworks of the two artists, Vincent Van Gogh and Andy Warhol. Andy Warhol was charmed to popularity and became one of the significant figures to pop art in the United States, in which he uses manufactured materials as his source for creating exceptional artworks. Despite their individual approaches and influences to art, both have the passion in painting as the primary and fundamental medium in doing their artworks. However, Andy Warhol gained popularity in the art, advertisement, and entertainment industries because of his usage to different mediums in creating artworks, such as filmmaking, carving, sketching, cartooning, and photography. In contrast to Vincent van Gogh, he was more on the usage of different methods of painting in order to capture a fleeting result of hue, value, and intensity within his artwork. However, his approach was criticized by other artists because he neglected the importance of outlining the partic ulars and carried on directly to putting of colors in his paintings. In addition, Warhol and van Gogh have their similar way of presenting their artworks, but they differ on the techniques being used. For example, van Gogh’s famous painting is the â€Å"Starry Night,† which portrays stars illuminating the city at night. In this artwork, van Gogh painted the lines in a horizontally calm direction, but with a texture that seems to be crude in a manner to present a foreground and background structure for the viewers.