Planning and implementing classroom meetings Essay Example for Free

Planning and implementing classroom meetings Essay Class room meetings do provide a perfect forum for the establishment of a conducive learning environment in the school scenario. It does give the learners a perfect environment for them to practice their communication and socialization skills which are in cooperated in the teaching curriculum. The class meetings are meant to serve some purposes which are listed below. Purpose of the class meetings: The main purpose or major aim for class meetings is to try and resolve some key discipline problems that are encountered in the learning environment. The class meetings do therefore create the required environment for the teacher and learners to work together in trying to resolve some problems that are always encountered in the school scenario for example discipline problems whereby learners harass other learners in class or during play time, making noise that disturbs the learning environment negatively and other incidents. Through the class meetings, an approach is created whereby the teacher and the learners try to resolve the first few incidents of misbehavior before they do get out of hand. An example of a minor conflict that can get out of hand and become a major full scale discipline problem is the case whereby a given learner is constantly being bullied by other learners who happen to have bigger and stronger bodies as compared to him/her. If this kind of vice continues for some time then it is likely to lead that particular learner to a state of being depressed and feeling unwanted in that environment. Once the learner enters the state of being depressed then he/she is likely to start using drugs to escape the state of depression and sometimes it can lead the learner to dropping out of school. Therefore, when a meeting is held in the class, it serves a purpose of trying to guide and counsel the learners to avoid such vices and treat each other fairly with some equity in order to create a more conducive environment for learning. The class meetings do also serve a purpose of facilitating and creating a positive relationship in the learning environment. The meetings provide an opportunity for the learners and the teachers to be able to build some form of trust, respect and confidence in each other which leads to the creation of a warm and caring environment. The confidence created by the class meetings leads to the creation of an environment that is full of mutual understanding thereby enabling all the class members to make statements or state opinions freely without feeling unsecure. Classroom meetings do develop closer relationships between the learners and even between the learners and their teachers. This closer relationships come when the learners are discussing issues or are having conversations in a relaxed manner whereby they do talk of where they come from, about their families and there general background. This relationships end up creating a class that is manageable since the involved parties do get to know and understand each other accordingly. A good example is when a teacher holds a meeting with her kindergarten learners; at first the children are not so free with the teacher. They tend to create and keep a certain distance between them and the teacher. A teacher may ask them to respond to some question but they choose to be quiet and not that they do not know the response, but they could not be free with the teacher. But if she holds some meetings with them whereby she addresses them warmly then she is bound to break the communication barrier between her and the young learners. This ends up creating a relationship of mutual benefit between the learners and the teacher. (Marshal 2001). Through class meetings, learners do acquire important development skills. The skills include the ability to listen attentively and to have an understanding of each other. As the class meetings go on, learners discover that if they do not pay attention or listen carefully and attentively to what the others are saying, then they are meant to lose some key interesting points and some humorous contributions. ( Marshall 2001). Class meetings also have a purpose in enabling the learners to develop other skill for example reflecting listening whereby a learner is supposed to paraphrase what he/she had heard earlier on from a classmate. This skill enables the learner to listen with some form of understanding. A reflective dialogue also enables the learner to develop a clear and concise speech which is an important element in the art of communication. It enables the learner to know that if there speech is not clear then there point may not be understood properly or clearly and therefore they won’t be able to make their point or view known (Marshall 2001). Learners gain skills that enable them to be team players. When they are holding discussions in the class meetings, the various opinions that they give from their point of view and contributions that they make helps them in cultivating the team spirits. Objectives of class meetings. Classroom meetings do have some objectives that serve to improve the life of the learners and teachers in the learning environment. The objectives are meant to: Improve the general communication skills of the learners. The communication skills include the listening and speaking skills. When the learners are participating in the discussion of issues that affect them in school they not only nurture their speaking skills but also their listening skills which are an integral component in the learning environment. The listening skills enable the learners to pay close attention to what the others in class are trying to communicate. Provide opportunities for the learners to develop skills for insightful, creative and critical speaking (Marshall 2001). Classroom meetings provide a platform that enables learners to practice their speaking skills. When the learners are engaged in debates during the class meetings or when they are asked by the teacher to give their own views on some given issues, it does give them that opportunity that enables them to improve and even cultivate better speaking skills. Their creativity is improved when they are asked to give solutions and provide a way forward for some critical issues that affect their well-being in school. Create an opportunity for the learners to interact respectfully and promote their team work spirit. The interaction with each other in class meetings enables the learners to understand each other from all perspectives. Team work spirit enables them to be team players and to work together in resolving any problems and miss-understandings that they face not only in school but also in the outside world also where they meet bigger and tougher challenges. Foster social skills for example reducing shyness (Marshall 2001). Classroom meetings enable learners to interact positively through participating in conversations and debates in class which enable them to overcome their shyness as they become more confident in holding discussions. The more the learners participate in class meetings, the more they overcome their shyness. Classroom meetings build a trusting and caring relationship between the learner and the teacher. When the teacher holds a meeting to discuss with the learner issues that do affect them in a friendly way them the relationship between the teacher and the learner is bound to improve. The learners will free being with that teacher which is a necessary requirement for the learning process to be more effective. The learners will be free to ask the teacher any question which they do not understand and in turn the teacher will do what is required of him/her professionally. Agenda of classroom meetings. Agenda, from the view of class meetings is a term meant to refer to the different matters that affect the learners and are meant to be solved during meetings through giving suggestions, discussing them or using any other appropriate way to solve them. Class meetings are designed in such a way that they try to improve the learning environment and change it positively beginning with the students themselves. Teachers have their own agendas for classroom, for example the teachers use the meetings to gain some instructional objectives from the learners (Marshall 2001). Instructional objectives are obtained when the teacher asks the learners questions that pertain the class meeting or the lessons held in class. For example the teacher can ask the learners to give suggestions on how they could make the next lesson better than the present one. It gives the learners the opportunity to reflect in their minds and try to give suggestions that will help improve the next lesson. This kind of reflection also helps those kids who easily switch of from the current events to other ones that are not part of the class meetings. When they are asked to give suggestion concerning the betterment of the meeting then they are likely to linger on when that lesson or meeting is held since they gave a suggestion concerning it. Teachers can also have other agendas like setting up the tone of a class for learning. This is particularly an important agenda especially when a given class is a very difficult class to manage for example a class that is full of mischief from the learners. If a class meeting is held at the beginning of the learning process, then the teacher might be successful in implementing some rules that will be used through the learning exercise and set the right tone for the learning process from the beginning of that session to the very end (Marshall 2001). Having Class meetings can also have agendas that involve learners discussing on the right approach for them to use in doing their assignments and in reviewing them. For example they can discuss whether it is appropriate for them to hold discussions as a whole class in order to do review an assignment that they had done earlier on or it will be appropriate for them to do the assignments in smaller groups or it will be more appropriate for them to do them individually through research. Such an agenda enables the learners to find a better way of handling their class work, a way that will benefit them more. They also get to give reasons why they think a given approach will benefit them more than the other approaches. Also in the class meeting agenda, the way of dealing with minor problems should be spoken about or discussed. Dealing with class room misbehaviors should be an agenda. In some cases, especially when dealing with young learners of lower classes, a teacher gets complaints like â€Å"teacher this one is squeezing my hand†. Both the learners and the teacher should agree on what to do during such incidents. When the learners decide for themselves, it becomes a sure way of controlling some vices in the class room as they will be conscious of what they will be doing in class and will obviously try as much as possible to avoid getting into trouble. Formulating questions. The purpose, objectives and goals of the meeting should be clear to the teacher in order to enable him/her to formulate the right kind of questions that will enable him/her to achieve all the goals of the meetings. The teacher must formulate open ended questions. Open ended questions invite a discussion and are the best when holding a class meeting as they require more than just an answer. They let the learners to give explanations as to why they feel as they feel. (Marshall 2001). Closed ended questions are those that require simple answers only. They do not elicit any explanations from the learners. They require a yes or no answer. Such questions should be avoided at all times. They do not even play a simple role of nurturing the creativity of the learners. The open ended questions help a lot in improving the creativity of the learners as they give room for the learners to think widely and try to come up with the right solutions or answer to a given problem. The teacher should therefore formulate open-ended questions. An example of open ended questions is a question that begins with â€Å"Why? † or â€Å"How? †. This way, a justification is given by the student and at the end does show that the student did do some thinking or reasoning. The teacher should also formulate questions that seek for clarification. A learner should try to explain the reasons why they chose on a given answer. In other words, the learner should not only give a flat answer but also explain that answer and try to clarify it more. Some learners have a tendency of letting their minds wonder far off from the events that are currently taking place in class and once they are asked to answer a given question they ask their neighbors in class and give an answer that serves the purpose of redeeming them from some shame. If a teacher formulates questions that seek clarification then the learner’s attention will most likely be captured to end of the meeting. Length, time and frequency Length, time and frequency of a class meeting depends on the class and age of the learners, the nature of that group, the kind of interests that they have during the meetings and the type or nature of topic that is being discussed. Meetings for young children, for example those in kindergarten should be planned and held for around ten minutes while the one for older learners i. e. those in higher classes can be held for a longer time, about twenty minutes. (Marshall 2001). The meetings should always be held at the same time as planned or as in schedule. For example, some teachers do hold meetings before the class breaks for lunch, at the end of the period or when the day ends. Teachers, who handle middle and high school classes, hold meetings at the beginning of every class in order to discuss how the learners are faring on and to check on the progress of the class projects. These meetings that are held at the beginning of the class in co-operate the learners into the planning process which leads to increase in the learning processes even though only a few minutes are spared for a discussion. According to Marshall, the elementary classes should hold meetings on a daily basis as a way of keeping them in track. It checks on their behavior and if they are doing what they are supposed to do in school. Marshall also argues that if the middle and high school classes do not hold meetings on a regular basis then they will be depriving themselves of the so many advantages that do come with the meetings when they are held regularly. Physical environment. The physical environment should be created in a satisfactory manner. The kind of physical environment created should guarantee the meeting some quality. For example if a teacher decides to create a circle or to adopt a circle format for the meeting, then it is obvious that the meeting will have a high quality attached to it since the learners see each other face to face and are therefore able to read each other’s expressions as well as hear the words that are being spoken in a better way as compared to them being seated in rows and facing the teacher whereby the learners won’t be able to see the ones who are contributing from the back of the class (Marshall 2001) When the learners are seated in rows, they will squirm around to see the person contributing from the back. This leads to lack of concentration that is a necessity in the discussion. Therefore, teachers should adopt an environment that is more effective for the discussion to be of a greater success. A circle format for the sitting arrangement is the best for holding class meetings. Furniture. Desks are a barrier to open discussions in class. They should be moved in order to pave way for a circle. The learners should only use their chairs if the meeting is to be more effective. For the younger learners, those in lower grades, sitting on the floor will be more effective in that movement will be minimal from them. It will also save time for moving desks and chairs since they are young and do not know the value of time. (Marshall 2001). Role of the teacher. The major role of the teacher is to facilitate the meeting. For example, the teacher has to monitor the learners, pose the right questions and give the right answers to the learners. The teacher has to ensure that the right comments are made to every student who attempts to bring something into the discussion. If a teacher comments on only one learner’s contribution and ignores the other, then that student is bound to believe that his contribution was not worthwhile. The teacher has to conclude the meeting. He/she has to summarize all the points that have been discussed and to make sure that all the learners understand all that has been discussed. Role of the student. The student plays a role in implementing what has been discussed and agreed upon. If the meeting set an agenda on keeping silence in class, then the learner has to try and be silent. If they agreed on how cleaning of classrooms should be done then the learner has a role to play to make sure that all is a success. Closing the meeting. The teacher should give a summary of the whole meeting on what has been agreed upon. The teacher could also draw a consensus or just state the agreed solution in a problem solving meeting. It serves to reinforce the discussions of the meeting. Evaluation. At the end of the meeting, the teacher should ask himself or herself some questions that reflect on the meeting and are meant to improve skills. For example: are the learners expressing their own opinions? Are the students displaying any evidence of insightful thinking? (Marshall 2001). The teacher can also asses the level of participation of the learners i. e. if they all took part in the discussion. In conclusion, class meetings are an important part in the creation of a conducive learning environment. When meetings are held with the learners, they not only check on the behavior of the learners but also improve the relationship of the learners and the teacher which is an important aspect in the teacher student relationship. References. Marshall, M. (2001). Classroom meetings. .New York: Piper Press.

The Humor In Friends

The Humor In Friends Friends is the famous sitcom in the United States which was played at the NBC television since the 1990s. After entering the Chinese film market, The TV sitcom also have given Chinas TV viewers a new feeling, and attracted many fans of it. As one of the most popular sitcoms in the United States, Friends has been successfully completed 10 seasons. And more than 60 countries have its loyal audience. But, when the film was playing, I fount that most of the people seemed by no means to had laughed as might as perhaps had been anticipated in canned laughter. To explore the reason is people are unable to understand the humor of it. So they dont laugh. Therefore, this essay attempts to explore humor of Friends through the use of relevant theory and research. Definition and Classification of Humor Humor derived from the Latin whose original meaning is body fluid. And the extensive use of humorous is attribute to the British playwright whose name is Ben Jonson. The Every Man in His Humor which is created by him is remarkable for humor. Humor is a form of languages which through the art of processing and it is artistic language. Definition of Humor French writer named Degebola had given a definition of humor: Humor is an element in peoples laugh. Humor is what moves us. Humor is a smile in the eyes of wise man. This is a happy idea of an unsophisticated person. In fact, it is very hard to give a definition of humor for it belongs to a genius and inspiration. Humor will use the glows of wisdom to rout of the dark of life, and create the beaming smile. Lenin had said that: Humor is a beautiful, healthy quality. Maybe this is why some people have sense of humor as a manifestation of a persons maturity. So humor is the great wisdom, which is the ridicule and naughty after apperceive life. And this will be my definition of humor. Common Classification of Humor From the form of points, humor mainly including these types as followed: Transform Humor means to agree with this point firstly, and then worsened, and point out the different point of view. This humor can make both sides of this antagonism freed from the confrontation, and create a relaxed atmosphere. Lets take an example: Huxley actively supported and promoted Darwins theory of evolution, for which he had been cursed as Darwins bulldog by the church at that time. A debate, when Huxley went into the meeting, the religious leaders and some people who against the theory of evolution were shouting: Be careful, Darwins bulldog comes again! Huxley wasnt angry, and then he said to the detractors contemptuously: Yes, you are right. But the hounds are the most fearsome things of thieves! As a result, the attackers got much unhappiness, but Huxley and his supporters kept calm and happy. The character of Transform Humor is the objection after agreement, and it clarify their own point of view unexpectedly with the purpose to enable readers to understand thats witty sense of humor. Self-mockery Humor means that others tease you intentionally or unintentionally to send you into a dilemma, and then you can use the Self-mockery Humor to disengage yourself from adversity decently. Rockefeller who was the U.S. oil magnate was a little bald. Once at a public occasion, one of his opponents in a sarcastic tone said to him: Sir, you have made combing into an art form, because you have made an arrangement for every hair of your head! With a wry smile, Rockefeller said: In the past years, they are just a number. But now they both have their own names. Everybody got into laugh, and Rockefeller was also able to escape the predicament quickly. A real sense of humor is inseparable from self-involvement, which gives the humor to others, but also to themselves. People who lack of self-confidence can not humor himself. Therefore, the Self-mockery Humor is more need for self-confidence. Distortion Humor means the listener dont understand the meaning of each other, but apprehend from another aspect intentionally. And bring a sense of humor to make people laugh. Lets take an example to explain. Teacher: I hope all of students parents will come to attend on the parent-teacher meeting this Friday. Student: Excuse me, sir. Which should we call to take part in, farther or mother? Teacher: Its not important. Ask the person who is the head of a household to come. Student: That had to be me. The object that the teacher pointed was parents. But the student interpreted it as member of family. So, of course, he included himself. Distortion Humor is often expressed in the form of pun, similar sound and ambiguity. Sophistry Humor. Hegel once discussed sophistry like this: Sophistry usually means to make a false truth very nice, which like the real thing. Sophistry Humor means to make humor in a sophistic way. Of course, it should make sophistry emotional and extreme. Because it is the only way to make sophistry integrates with humor. Emotionality means to inject joking and ridicule factors into Sophistry. Extreme can make a person know it is false immediately, which avoid deceptive and damaging. Sophistry Humor is not the same as Sophistry Logic. Sophistry Humor let you see the flaws deliberately, and realize the humor in it. For example: The teacher discovered that Peter was sleeping in the class. Then she asked: Why do you sleep at class, Peter? Peter: Im not sleeping. Teacher: Why do you close your eyes? Peter: Teacher, I was reciting the concept. Teacher: Why do you nod you head all the time? Peter: Because your class is very nice, sir. Teacher: Why do you drool? Peter: Because it is full of relish in your class. Peter was sleeping in the class, but he refused to acknowledge. The words that he answered the teacher were all false, which like Hegel said: It is very nice, and like the real thing. The Humor Used in Friends Universal Humor means the way of humor which make different cognitive environment of readers understand easily. For example: Phoebe: Yeah. We dont speak. Shes like this high-powered ¼Ã…’driven career type. Chandler: What does she do? Phoebe: Shes a waitress. (Season 1:2) In this dialog the waitress does not like her twin sister clearly. First, the description of her sister makes the audience think of a high occupation immediately. But as the dialogue progresses, the audience know she is a waitress. Two kinds of script opposition (high / low status) make them have to understand the text again, and this processing has also got more contextual effects. Cultural Humor. Such humorous use the elements of knowledge which should be understood under a particular cultural context. In sitcom, it is often to use some movie stars or the name of a classic novel to get humorous effects. Therefore, the focus of such a translation is that we must notice whether the audience can understand the original knowledge and do some necessary adjustments before translation. Or it must result in failure. For example: Monica: Oh wait ¼Ã…’you know what ¼Ã…’I got it ¼Ã…’I got it ¼Ã…’pretend like you just woke up ¼Ã…’okay ¼Ã…’that will throw her off. Be sleepy. Rachel: Yes ¼Ã…’and grumpy. Chandler: What are you ¼Ã…’stop naming dwarves! ¼Ã‹â€ Season3:4 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is well-known story in the West. Sleepy and Grumpy are two of the small dwarfs names. Chandlers reply gives an additional contextual effect to the recipients. But in China, the more familiar calling is the first dwarf, the second dwarf, and the third And the Chinese audiences are unable to obtain the names of the dwarfs. The translation make interpreter pay more efforts, but received little of the contextual effects. So it is failure. Verbal Humor. Language humor (or named pun) is a word game to strive to achieve a humorous effect. When the two scripts appear in a scene simultaneously, they may be overlap or completely overlap, but the meaning must be opposed in certain degree. In translation, due to the coincidence of language, puns can also be reflected perfectly in the translated version by the way of literal translation. For example: 1)Joey: AH ¼Ã…’now Rachel ¼Ã…’these ah ¼Ã…’these little women. Rachel: Yeah. Joey: How little are they? I mean ¼Ã…’are they like scary little? (Season 3:13) Joy is going to read Little women which is recommended by Rachel. But he still comprehends in wrong way for his little reading. 2)Phoebe: Well ¼Ã…’I-I wasnt hopping mad ¼Ã…’you know. Frank: You hopped a little bit. (Season 3:5) Hop means light jumping. But the meaning of the text is very angry. This translation is very successful. However, such a language is rare and more of the status as flowed: 3) Phoebe: Oh. (They start kissing again) Ross :Wait ¼Ã…’wait ¼Ã…’wait. Phoebe: What? Ross: My foot is stuck in the pocket. Phoebe: What? Ross: No ¼Ã…’I cant get it out. Phoebe: Well ¼Ã…’thats not something a girl wants to hear. Ross: No ¼Ã…’come on dont start. (They start kissing again) Ouch! Phoebe: What? Ross: Stupid balls are in the way. (Holds up two balls)(Season 3:6) In this event, the translators can adjust at all levels to make the translation as similar as original interpretation. Humor Translation Theories Through the comparison of humor used in common environment and Friends, we know that humor can roughly be divided into the following two kinds of humor theory. General Theory of Verbal Humor The General Theory of Verbal Humor (GTVH) proposed by Victor Raskin and Salvatore Attardo in 1991 (an extension of the semantic script theory of humour, SSTH which Raskin proposed in 1985) identifies a semantic model capable of expressing incongruities between semantic scripts in verbal humor; this has been seen as an important recent development in the theory of laughter. The GTVH is one of the most mature theories which research the humor of language from linguistic humor. GYVH proposed the humor mechanism which is mad up by script oppo-sition, logical mechanism, situatio, target, narrativestrategy and language. Oppo-sition can be interpreted as overlapping and opposition of two or more of the script. Logical mechanism would mean that only works in a joke. Distorted and joking logic means the logical mechanism of combine two or more scripts. Situatio is the various props of joke: people, events and things. Target means the laughing-stock in humor. Narrativestrategy indicates that any sense of humor will adopt some sort of narrative techniques, such as general narration, dialogue, puzzles and so on. Language contains all the needed information and specific wording the text of the oral language of the text. Attardo think that the most important element of knowledge is that the inconsistent script which has determined the specific choices of other elements. So he point out that any humorous text must contain this factor. He also pointed out that when two humorous compare, the levels higher, the same less. (Attardo, 1994:183) So it is also a tool to compare the similarity of humorous. Relevant Theory of Humor Translation Relevance theory is used mainly to understand the problem and describe discourse.In the view of its founders Sperber and Wilson, the context in discourse comprehension is a very important factor. They suggest that it is necessary to understand the words in context. And its only need to activate in certain aspects of the context, but not all. The building of context doesnt progress in the bound of mutual knowledge for understanding the discourse, but try their best to build their own context to become communion. When people affiliating with each other, they continue to correspond and compromise, and be in accord at last. Relevance theory suggests that here are generally three situations about complementarity and expansion for interlocutors to cognize context: The first is encyclopedic knowledge in context, which the listeners add some necessary encyclopedic knowledge to expand their understanding context in their existing cognitive context. The second is context of knowledge. It means that the listeners can transfer related information from the short-term memory which provided by above text to expand their understanding of the context. The last is situational knowledge in context. It means that the listener must call the relevant information from the surrounding scene to expand their understanding of the context. When translating the universal humor, its important for readers to gain more contextual effects through the process of seeking the opposite script to pay extra effort. When translating the cultural humor, the translator should pay attention to that if the readers knowledge can understand the elements in the text. When translating the verbal humor, the translator can do some flexible adjustments within the allowable range. Analysis of Humor in Friends dialogues Through the above descriptions and argumentations between common humor and the humor in Friends, the following we will make a detailed analysis of the humorous dialogues in Friends. There are a large number of humorous dialogues in Friends. But not all these dialogues can be used in this paper. So, the humorous dialogue needs to be created in accordance with factors or the reasons for creating humor. Those that flout three maxims were chosen to be explained in details. Humor Produced by the Deliberate Flout of the Maxim of Quality By the maxim of quality, it means that in a dialogue we all make our contribution to one thing that is true or say things that are true. To keep to this maxim, we simultaneously observe two sub-maxims: we do not say what we believe to be false, and we do not say anything we lack adequate evidence. Joey: What are you talking about? Keep it! Phoebe: Its not mine, I didnt earn it. If I kept it, it would be like stealing. Rachel: Yeah, but if you spent it, it would be like shopping! Phoebe: Okay. Okay, lets say I bought a really great pair of shoes. Do you know what Id hear, with every step I took? Not-mine. Not-mine. Not-mine. And even if I was happy, okay, and, and skipping-Not-not-mine, not-not-mine, not-not-mine, not-not-mineà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Friends, 1994) This dialogue appears in this scene that Phoebe find there is 500 extra dollars appeared in her account. And every one advises her to keep the money, but she is unwilling. She wants to use them to buy something. She believes that if she used the money to buy shoes, shoes would blame her. Of course, she knows shoes can say nothing. She is saying something untrue and is thus flouting the maxim of Quality. At the same time, humor is produced by the shoes which are personified as a person having a voice. Her implied message is I should not keep the extra money. And I would feel guilty if I kept and used it. 2)Ross: Yeah, uhà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and then I figured after you win, we could all go out to the balcony and see a night rainbow with gremlins dancing on top of it! Ross: You know what, Im sure your wish is gonna come true, but, you guys-just in case, maybe a genie will come out if we rub this lamp! (Friends, 1999) Ross said that these two sentences, meaning that compare with his friends words someone see a night rainbow with gremlins dancing on top of It, the words a genie will come out if we rub this lamp is more convinced, to show he does not believe his friends would win. The humor here is expressed through the use of metaphor. Ross knows that it is hardly happen for the phenomenon what he said, so he is flouting the maxim of quality deliberately. The implicature that results is It is impossible for you to win. 3) Ross: If I hadnt let you talk me to go into the airport in the first place, I wouldnt have put my fist through the wall. Chandler: You put your fist through the wall? Ross: No. I miss it and hit the door. But it opened really hard. (Friends, 1997) Ross fails to persuade his girlfriend to stay with him. He says he put his fist through the wall to show how upset and angry he is. But, what Ross said is doubted by Chandler because Chandler knows Ross is too timid to put his fist through the wall. Last, Ross admits he just put his fist on the door. Here, the untrue words which said by Ross on purpose and so it flout the maxim of quality. This kind of humor is founded on hyperbole largely. Humor Produced by the Deliberate Flout of the Maxim of Relevance The maxim of relevance means that we make all of contribution relevant to the exchange in a dialogue. 1 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °Ross: So, I just finished this fascinating book. By the year 2030, therell be computers that can carry out the same amount of functions as an actual human brain. So theoretically you could download tour thoughts and memories into this computer and and and live forever as a machine. Chandler: And I just realized I could sleep with my eyes open. (Friends, 1995) Although Ross and Chandler are good friends, they are worried about different things due to their differences in character. When Ross is talking about high-tech, Chandler talks about sleeping with eye open in response. His reaction has nothing to do with the subject of Ross. Therefore, he is flouting the maxim of Relation. It is easy for audience to understand his sense of humor. That the subtext is: Im not interested in your topic. 2 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °Ross: I can ask her to live with me. Chandler: Are you serious? Ross: Why not? Chandler: Because youve only known her for six weeks. Ive got a carton of milk in my fridge, and Ive had a longer relationship with. Ross: Look, guys, I love her, you know? (Friends, 2001) Chandler: And I love the milk! But I wont ask some British girl to move in with me! Ross wants to ask his British Girlfriend to live with him. But Chandler disagrees. He thinks it is too short for them to live together. And this is reasonable. Later, he refers to the milk which is in his fridge. Chandler compares the time that he keeps the milk in fridge with the time that Ross knows his girlfriend. It is clear that there are no comparable kinds. Obviously, the thing said by Chandler is irrelevant to the matter of Ross. Thus humor is produced by his flouting the maxim of Relevance. Phoebe: Oh, hey, Mon, do you still have your like old blouses and dresses from high school? Monica: Yeah, I think I have some around here somewhere. Why? Phoebe: Well, its just that maternity clothes are so expensive. (Friends, 2003) In this conversation, when Phoebe is asked why she talks about Monicas dresses from high school, she answers maternity clothes are expensive which does not seem to answer the question. But in fact, she is suggesting that the blouses and dresses of Monica are big enough for a pregnant woman. Thus humor is produced by her flouting the maxim of Relevance deliberately. Humor Produced by the Deliberate Flout of the Maxim of Manner By the maxim of manner, it is meant that in a dialogue we all try to be perspicuous. In line with this maxim, there are four sub-maxims: 1) we try to avoid obscurity, 2) we try to avoid ambiguity, 3) we try to be brief, and 4) we try to be orderly. Phoebe: Ooh! Oh! (She starts to pluck at the air just in front of Ross.) Ross: No, no dont! Stop cleansing my aura! No, just leave my aura alone, okay? Phoebe: Fine! Be murky! (Friends, 1996) In this conversation, Phoebe tries to catch Rosss attention by the way of plucking the air in front of Ross. But Ross feels annoying, and he would like leaving alone. So he said: Stop cleansing my aura! Just leave my aura alone. Moreover, Phoebe doesnt use unhappy to describe the air around Ross directly. She uses murky. Here, both Ross and Phoebe use obscure expression and thus flout the maxim of Manner. But the humorous effect they create and the implicature of their utterance are obvious and accepted by audience. Emily: What did you decide? Does your uncle Nathan get an invitation or not? Ross: Oh, God! Nobody likes him. And hes so cheap. I mean hed never fly to London in a million yearsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Yeah, invite him. (Friends, 1997) Ross and Emily are deciding attendees for their wedding. When Emily and Ross discuss whether tell Ross uncle to attend the wedding, Ross does not answer yes or no briefly and directly. Instead, he says a lot of weak points of his uncle in the first place, but finally he decides to invite him so quickly. Therefore, it is clear that Ross intentionally express in a long way which create a sense of humor in the way of flouting the maxim of Manner. Chandler: Now it seems like all of a sudden, so much is happening. Joey: I know. Ross is getting married. Chandler: Phoebes making people. Joey: Everybodys doing stuff. Chandler: And we just sit here. I meant if I died, the only people know would be that I was here only by the ass print on the chair! (Friends, 1997) Chandler and Joey have a conversation talking about their recent life. Compared with the friends who are in dealing with some major events, they are wasting their lives. Chandler says these words to create a funny effect, and that is we just sit hereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦if I died, the only people know would be t hat I was here only by the ass print on the chair. This sentence could hardly be humorous if he just says directly and briefly we just sit here without doing things meaningful. Therefore, Chandler produces humor by the way of flouting the maxim of Manner. Conclusion This paper discusses some humorous conversations in the U.S. sitcom Friends. Humorous conversation delivers the meaning of a conversation situation in this case. Therefore, this paper, furthermore, is possible to explore the deeper meanings which are implied or hidden in humor. To some extents, this paper can help audiences better understand the method for humor, as well as the expression of humor, in particular, to improve their ability of understanding and using humor of American verbal because the humor in Friends is humor of unique American style. However, the researches in this field have not reached a mature stage, which are quite deficiency and lack of authority both in China and abroad. Because of the differences between different cultures, people in non-English speaking countries do not fully understand the English sense of humor sometimes. Friends is a classical and typical American sitcom which is full of strong elements of American culture. The way of Studying and discussing American culture is a great help for English learners to understand American humor. Therefore, a further study of humor in Friends can possibly make certain contributions for cross-cultural communication. Humorous language, as the main form to express humor, is popular in our daily life. It comes from our daily life while to some degree it goes beyond life reality. Humor is such a pervasive human phenomenon, observable in many aspects of life that it has been studied from a multi-disciplinary viewpoint, including fields like linguistics, rhetoric, aesthetics, philosophy, sociology, and etc. From this essay, detailed and Pragmatic Analysis of Verbal Humor in Friends can help English learners to better improve their ability of understanding and the appreciation of the nature of American humor. At the same time, it is illuminating for them to apply humor skill to mediate interpersonal relationships. References English Language Humor Appreciation. Mao Guirong. Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences Publishing House, 1993. Friends (File). Bright, Kevin (Director). 1994-2004. Pragmatic Analysis of Humor in FRIENDS. Chen Jin. South China Agricultural University, 2006. English Linguistics. Ling Zhenghua. Hunan Peoples Publishing House, 2006. The American Way of Comedy. Inga Walte. 2000. Linguistic Humor. Hu Fanchou. Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences Publishing House, 1987.

Australia: A Happy Place! Essay example -- Australia Essays

Australia conjures up thoughts in one’s head of a country, and a continent, where kangaroos and koalas roam freely, and where people are generally laid-back. This assumption of happiness of the Australian people is even supported by the World Database of Happiness Rank Report 2014, which ranks Australia’s happiness at a 7.3 out of 10, an extremely high number. One can only wonder, then, what does make Australia one of the happiest countries on Earth? Many factors can go into deciding what exactly makes the citizens of a country the happiest. In Australia’s case, however, location, size, and other various points help to create a country that is almost perfectly content. Australia is located in the Southern Hemisphere in the Pacific Ocean. Although Australia is near Indonesia and New Zealand, this continent is basically stranded in the middle of the ocean, with no other continents close. This large amount of space in between Australia and the other countries can lead one to believe that the location has a large amount to do with Australia’s happiness rating. Countries that are extremely close together, such as Zimbabwe, Ukraine, and Jordan, have a much lower happiness rating, according to the World Database of Happiness. Australia is not landlocked, which always has a great deal to do with the citizens’ happiness, seeing as though the majority of the population lives on the eastern and southeastern coast of Australia (â€Å"Australia,† n.d.). Weather is another factor that can greatly affect the moods of people all around the world. Australia’s weather varies greatly around the country, from tropical to Mediterranean an d even desert-like climates (â€Å"Australia-Geography and Climate,† n.d.). In the southeastern part, though, ... .... Retrieved October 9, 2011, from http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_United_States List of United States cities by population. (n.d.). Retrieved October 9, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cities_by_population Peen J., Schoevers R.A., Beekman A.T., Dekker J. (2009, July 13). The current status of urban-rural differences in psychiatric disorders. Retrieved from National Center for Biotechnology Information website: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19624573 Still healthy, wealthy and wise – but dropping in productivity. (2011). Retrieved from the Australian Bureau of Statistics website: http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mediareleasesbyCatalogue/5BD0CF73B112325CCA25792000141D51?Opendocument Tiffen, R., & Gittins, R. (2009). How Australia compares (2nd edition). Cambridge, GBR: Cambridge University Press.

Patterns of Knowing in Nursing Essay

Nursing education has evolved greatly over the years, in the mid-19th century, nursing was seen as a mothering and homemaking role; today nursing has a more scientific base (Peplau, 1986). Nursing is much more than following doctors’ orders and performing comfort care. Nurses must be able to apply different aspects of knowledge into their care in order to provide quality care to their patients. According to the American Nurses Association (2014), nursing is the protection, promotion and optimization of health and abilities; nursing includes the prevention of injury and alleviation of suffering through diagnosis and treatment, and advocate in the care of the individual, families and community. The purpose of this paper is to identify the four patterns of knowing and the importance of implementing them into patient care. According to Carper (1978), there are four fundamental patterns of knowing in nursing which are essential for the teaching and learning of nursing which involve critical analysis of what it means to know, and the type of knowledge that is most valuable in the discipline of nursing. The four patterns of knowing are empirics, ethics, personal knowledge, and esthetics. Carper (1978) defines empirical knowledge as being factual, descriptive and ultimately aimed at developing abstract and theoretical explanations. This type of knowledge would include the knowledge learned through theory and application of scientific evidence which is learned through textbooks and classroom settings. Knowledge that is gained through empirical description can by formulated and publically verifiable. The ethical pattern of knowing focuses on matters of moral obligation which goes beyond the knowing of norms or ethical codes of discipline; it includes voluntary actions which are deliberate and subject to judg ment of right or wrong (Carper, 1978). Ethical knowledge guides how nurses confront and resolve conflicting issues and requires application of ethical reasoning. Personal knowledge is the pattern of knowing which is concerned with encountering and actualizing of  the individual self. Personal knowing is concerned with becoming self-aware and having personal reflection when caring for the patient (Carper, 1978). Personal knowing is the most problematic and difficult pattern to master since it requires having the ability to analyze an event from the perspective of another through the use of reflection (Nursing Pedagogy, n.d.). Esthetic knowledge involves application of empathy, perception, and acknowledgement of the value of everyday experiences lived by individuals. Esthetic knowledge involves the â€Å"art† in nursing. Esthetic knowledge is gained through experience and includes the use of intuitions (Berragan, 1998). Application of the four patterns of knowledge is essential to the professional nurse in order to provide quality care. Empirical knowledge in nursing theory refines and enhances the structural foundation in the nursing curriculum thus enhancing the viewpoint of the science of nursing in a global perspective (Kalofissudis, 2007). Ethical knowledge for the professional nurse involves matters of moral obligation, the use of the ethical code of nursing, and application of social justice when caring for their patients. Nurses apply personal knowledge through personal reflection and are able to demonstrate to patients that the nurse understands what they may be going through and can help interpret some of their decisions and experiences in such a way that can aid in the patients understanding of a difficult situation (Nursing Pedagogy, n.d.). The aesthetic pattern of knowledge is considered the art in nursing as it is based on the skill of the nurse in a given situation and transpires in t he effectiveness of the nurse-client relationship (Peplau, 1988). Without a positive nurse-client relationship the nurse may face many barriers in attempting to care for their clients. Reflecting on how the use of aesthetic knowledge was used in my nursing experience I am able to realize how important having a positive nurse-client relationship is. I had a patient who was newly diagnosed with diabetes and according to his chart he was noncompliant with his diet and medications. In interviewing he patient I learned that he did not have a good understanding of what the diabetic diet entailed, he mentioned that he didn’t understand  why his sugar would be elevated if he was not eating that much and avoided candy. I sat down with the patient and we made a food log of what he had consumed over the last two days, he mentioned he would have a small breakfast which included bacon and white toast, he stated he usually would not have lunch and his dinner included fried chicken with macaroni and cheese. I explained to the patient how managing his blood sugar was not only avoiding sugar, but also balancing proteins and carbs and eating throughout the day. I gave him a booklet with diet recommendations and encouraged him to keep a log of what he ate. This patient mentioned how I was the first one to take the time to sit with him and explain how diabetes works. From then on his treatment was more effective and his hemoglobin A1c had decreased from eight to six within three months. I was able to use my intuition in acknowledging that this patient was not purposely being noncompliant but rather had knowledge deficit on how to manage his new disease. As nursing continues to evolve into a more autonomous field, nurses must be aware of, and be able to apply all four patterns of knowing into their practice. As mentioned by Idczak (2007), science provides the nurse with knowledge on which to base decisions but it remains for the arts and humanities to direct the nurse to examine the value of his or her practice. . References American Nurses Association (2013). What is nursing. Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/especialyforyou/what-is-nursing Berragan, L (1998). Nursing practice draws upon several different ways of knowing. Journal Of Clinical Nursing,7(3), 209-217 Carper, B. (1978). Fundamental patterns of knowing in nursing. Advances in Nursing Science, 1(1), 13-23. Idczak, S. E. (2007). I am a nurse: Nursing students learn the art and science of nursing. Nursing Education Perspectives, 28(2), 66-71. Kalofissudis, I. (2007). The theory of nursing knowledge. Health Science Journal, 1(4) Retrieved from http://www.hsj.gr/volume1/issue4/editorialkalof.pdf Nursing Pedagogy. (n.d.). Introduction to nursing pedagogy. Retrieved from http://nursingpedagogy.com/intro.html Peplau, H. E. (1988). The art and science of nursing: Similarities, differences, and relations. Nursing Science Quarterly, 1(1) 8-15. APA 6th Edition Checklist Review this checklist prior to submitting papers in NURS 300. Students are responsible for correct format. Review APA 6th Edition Manual or on the various websites, such as Purdue OWL: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/10/

Safe Dance Practice – Year 11 Dance

Safe dance practice is the guidelines and principles put in place to reduce risk of injury and help prolong a dancer’s career. We need an understanding of body placement, kinaesthetic awareness and coordination to perform to our full potential if wanting it to be successful. Dance as an art form is trying to communicate an idea or concept intent to an audience. The movement will partially communicate that, but it is how you express the movement that will tell a story. Our core performance choreographed by Miss McKellar to ‘A Woman’s Work’ expresses movements that relate to the lyrics of the song. These movements use various dance techniques and body skills to portray the concept intent. These dance techniques include body awareness, technique, body articulation, axial movement, locomotor movement, turns, falls, balance and kinaesthetic awareness. All these dance techniques enhance my performance of the dance by reaching out to the viewer so they understand the meaning of the dance. In our core performance, body awareness is the need to develop a full connectivity between the different parts of the body to be able to move with the utmost efficiency while taking risks and maximizing every moment. In the dance, we use body awareness all throughout the dance. An example of this technique is shown when on the floor, while my left knee is bent in a flexion movement our right leg is extending away from our body in a turned out manner. My torso is contracting over my extended leg while our arms are scooping the negative space around the shape. While in this shape, we need to be aware that our arms are not behind our body as this may cause us to lose balance and stability. In this shape, I try to keep a turned out position and weight placement correct. If not on balance I could disrupt the line of placement and fall over, causing the line of movement to be distorted. Body awareness refers to safe dance practice by referring to how I am aware of how my body and how it is aligned to perform safe dance movements. Another example of dance technique is body alignment. Body alignment is the stacking of bones to create alignment used for safe dance practice. It is the placement of bones in such a way that increases physiological effectiveness and health. An example of body alignment in our core performance is our starting position. Our starting position is where our knees are bent and on the ground, and our torso is hinging back. In this position I try to keep my cervical vertebrae, thoracic vertebrae and lumber vertebrae all in line to keep a flat back. If arched, it could end in possible injury to the lumber vertebrae. Body alignment refers to safe dance practice as it plays a major role in dance technique and enhances our concept intent in our major core performance. A locomotor movement is movement that travels from place to place, usually identified by weight transference on the feet. A turn is a move or a cause to move in a circular direction wholly or partly around an axis or point. Elevation is the action of fact of elevating or being elevated. It is the increase in the amount or level of someone or something. An example of a locomotor movement that involves the movement to turn and use elevation is the turning attitude leap in the second chorus of our core performance. When preparing for this jump I needed to make sure that my knee and foot weren’t misaligned as that could have ended in a possible twist of the ankle. Another misalignment that could happen is when preparing, I needed to ensure that my feet were aligned and not in an eversion. Whilst on the way down from the attitude leap, it was essential that I articulate my foot to land properly and safely. If I hadn’t landed safely it could have resulted in a knee or ankle injury. During this jump I could have used more elevation to reach my potential in jumping higher and getting my legs into a better attitude leap. When turning in the attitude leap, I need to spot quicker as I was disorientated when I started to move on to the next movement in the phrase. This shows safe dance practice as I go through the steps that are essential to execute the movement safely and properly. Balance is an even distribution of weight enabling me to remain upright and steady. Control is the ability to employ dance techniques to meet the needs of the core performance. An example of balance and control is after getting up off the floor from rolling, I go into an attitude pivot around myself. This movement requires a lot of control and stability as; if not on balance I could fall and injure myself by rolling in my knee or being completely off balance and falling over. During this movement I needed to ensure that I stabilised my supporting leg and used counterbalance of my bent attitude leg and diagonal arms to guarantee the safeness and on balance of the movement. Balance and Control are shown in the core performance and are connected to safe dance practice as they show variation from strong and rough to soft and controlled. A fall in dance is an action moving downward, typically slowly and controlled, from a higher level to a lower level. It is an act of falling or collapsing, all the while controlled and making it seem and look easy. An example of a fall in our core performance is when we hinge back and gracefully fall onto the ground. This movement occurs multiple times as it symbolises being weighed down. This movement takes place by my legs are in a flexion position at the knees and hinging my torso back in a straight line with my cervical, thoracic and lumber spine which creates a straight line from my knees to my head. I then bend my right knee even further and roll through my toes and land on my tibialis anterior and peroneus longus. This movement could cause an injury if I misalign my leg and land on my knee. This movement shows the techniques used to sustain a fall and is applied to safe dance practice by using numerous muscles to control the landing of a fall. Body articulation is the ability of the dancer to isolate and combine individual body parts to communicate a desired intent. Body articulation is another body skill. Body articulation refers to safe dance practice as I am performing and executing the movement safely. Axial movement is any movement that is anchored to one spot by a body part using only the available space in any direction without losing the initial body contact. Axial movement can also be called a non-locomotor sequence or movement as it does not travel from one location to another. In my core performance this body skill can be a movement at the start. Just after I get up off the floor and arrange my legs to an open parallel position on rise with my arms reaching to the diagonals above our head. In this position my arms and legs are reaching to the four corners of my shape. In this shape, if not on balance, I can fall or stumble. In my dance I found that I was a little off balance and I needed to fix it before I fell over. I used my arms and legs as counterbalance and reached up and out of the position so I wasn’t sitting in the shape. I found when I thought this that it helped more than I original thought. Axial movement relates to safe dance practice by using several muscles to prevent any unwanted stumbles and misalignments. During the course of the dance there were many other important dance techniques that were used to portray the concept intent. Strength, endurance, coordination and anatomical structure are more techniques used to enhance my core performance. All these dance techniques relate to safe dance practice as they all correct basic technique faults to move more safely and efficiently in my core performance. hOne important dance technique that is used to improve yourself and your dance includes strength. Strength corrects technique and rehabilitates any injuries that could have happened during the course of a time period. Strength also improves your performance by strengthening your muscles. In order for me to use this strength in my dance I need to work up to it. Various exercises are used to build up strength and over time it will increase your durability and overall strength. Endurance is another technique that is used throughout the dance. Endurance is the capacity of something to last or withstand wear and tear. It is the fact or power of enduring a difficult process without giving up or giving away. Developing endurance is important in my core performance for the reason in that it tries to avoid muscle exhaustion and the potential risk of an injury. Muscle exhaustion can be circumvented by performing repeated movements such as rising, bends, and repeating sequences for gradual improvement over a period of time. Coordination is the process or state of coordinating or being coordinated. It is having a sense of direction and to have control over many movements. In the core performance coordination is needed greatly as there were many different and rapid direction changes and quick steps and movements. Without a sense of coordination I would have been completely disorientated and possibly fallen due to me being confused and mixed-up with the directions. Flexibility refers to the range of motion possible at a given joint determined by the lengthening and elongation of muscles and fibres. Flexibility was required to do the core performance properly as there were many moments in the dance that required the flexibility of one self to properly execute the movement. Safe dance practice enhances my core performance dance by adding to the choreography dance techniques in order to personalise the dance. Safe dance practice is the guidelines and principles put in place to reduce risk of injury and help prolong a dancer’s career. Dance as an artform is how you try to communicate an idea or concept intent across to an audience.

IT-based management: Challenges and solutions. NTT DoCoMo Essay

NTT DoCoMo Introduction            NTT DoCoMo is one of the largest mobile communications companies in japan that has thrived for a long period. Despite of this factor, the company faces several challenges in terms of market saturation, competition from rival companies and rivalry in the mobile phone industry. NTT DoCoMo was found in the year 1992, a period when it was spun off by NNT (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone). Looking back at NTT’s history, it is noted that the company was privatized in 1986, but still the government of japan still held some shares of 46% and part of its equities in the year 2004. As a result of this, NTT owned 58% of DoCoMo’s equities.            Though DoCoMo poses great potential in terms of innovation, the company also faces competition, especially in the technology sector. Felica (part of DoCoMo) has over the years competed with Type A and Type B contactless IC technologies, where type A technology was mostly used in Europe, and Type being utilized in Japan extensively. With this type of competition, the company was able to form alliances with other stakeholders to come up with a technology (a chip tech) that would be utilized by credit card users.            DoCoMo’s strategy to pursue the wireless internet was achieved with the launch of i-mode. This is in consideration of the fact that i-mode technology enabled users to receive an incoming call while surfing the internet. The technology mostly targeted young consumers rather than business persons, in spite of the fact that business individuals would most probable use premium services of the product. Through this aspect, the various competitive advantages of the product are realized with its market limitations on the other hand. This concept introduces porter’s generic strategy into use, where one can increase profits through the reduction of costs while at the same time charging industry’s average price. Porter’s strategy (cost reduction strategy) also facilitates the increase in market shares through the lowering of prices, while at the same time making reasonable profits from the sale of each share. In consideration of the cost reduction strategy, DoCoMo Company was able to set up small transaction fees for its chip technology to its users. These transaction fees were on an average of about 2% to 3% for EDY services. Such a strategy poses a competition to credit card companies whose transaction fee run on an average of about 3% to 5%.            Porter’s generic strategy also incorporates the focus strategy, where a company concentrates on a particular market. This is usually through the understanding of the dynamics that exist in a particular market (understanding of the customer’s needs is one of the crucial factors to consider in this strategy). The main advantage of this strategy is that, customer loyalty is usually established especially when unique services are provided in a new market. Despite the DoCoMo’s extensive marketing strategies, the company was not able to utilize the focus strategy. Though DoCoMo’s success in Japan in the initial launch of i-mode, the company did not lay a strategic focus on the Japan market. Its foreign ventures especially in the USA and other countries also faced various challenges that were not considered prior to the venture. From the study, it is evident that DoCoMo’s partners also did not adopt i-mode technology, something that cont ributed to its disadvantages overseas.            In porters five model, four factors are perceived to have the capability of causing market rivalry. These factors are supplier power, threat of new entrants, threat of substitutes, and the buyer’s power (Hill & Jones,  2010). Through the analysis of DoCoMo’s market, it is realized that the company faces a high supplier’s power in its market, a factor that has made it loose its influence over the Japanese market. Government policies have also affected DoCoMo’s entrant to new markets, an element that has reduced the extent of expansion of the company.            Prior to taking any risk, companies and others organizations ought to come up with a model that will enable them to project the probable risk that is prone to affect their venture hence making it unsuccessful. DoCoMo is a company that has great ideas and innovations but the only issue affecting the company’s performance was the lack of well centered risk projection pattern or model. In a risk projection model, one has to identify the risk, analyze the risk qualitatively, assess the issues at hand quantitatively and finally come up with a risk response planning. With this model, DoCoMo Company would be able to come up with a solution to its market problem especially in the Japanese market. The model would also enable the company to choose selectively, the most appropriate countries to partner with (Grey,  2004). .            Competition is one of the problems that DoCoMo is facing. This problem can be addressed effectively through the implementation of a proper differentiation strategy. Product differentiation entails making once product different and more attractive than the competitors’ products. The extent of differentiation in this case will depend on the nature of technological products being produced by other companies in the market. In consideration of this concept, DoCoMo will be obliged to produce products that have more functionality, features and durability than the competitor’s products. I relation to this; i-mode (DoCoMo’s product) would have a higher competitive edge over its rival products (Joia,  2003).            Though DoCoMo tried to diversity its market extensively, the company was unable to come up with an effective focus strategy. By having a proper focus strategy, DoCoMo would be able to dominate in its market where the product supply would remain constant. In this case a proper focus can be achieved through the development of a uniquely low-cost and well-specified product market. Such a strategy would enable the company to create dominance over its market, hence establishing customer loyalty (Joia,  2003). Cost focus differentiation would also be an important strategy for the company to implement especially when attracting new customers. In consideration of all these factors that DoCoMo should consider in coming up with a solution to its problems. The management of the company is also expected to carry out a SWOT analysis of the company in order to solve its problems. A clear and well-set SWOT analysis would enable the company come-up with a measure to manage the s uppliers’ power and also the capability to reduce the buyer’s power. This would in-turn enable the company dominate its market and thrive in all its market ventures (Joia,  2003). Recommendation            From the study, it is realized that DoCoMo is a company that has been extensively to produce products that are of high innovation due to its mergers with other stakeholders. The company also faces problems in terms of competitors. As a result of all this, it would be recommendable for the company to set-up a proper management program. A program, that will be able to overlook all the necessary strategies that can enable the company thrive in both domestic and foreign markets. Implementation of both SWOT and porters five model would enable the DoCoMo thrive well in providing e-money services (Joia,  2003). References Grey,  S. (2004). Practical risk assessment for project management. Chichester: Wiley. Hill,  C.  W., & Jones,  G.  R. (2010). Strategic management theory: An integrated approach. Mason, OH: South-Western/Cengage Learning. Joia,  L.  A. (2003). IT-based management: Challenges and solutions. Hershey, PA: Idea Group Pub. Source document

How Factors in the External Business Environment Influence...

Using an organisation you are familiar with; explain how factors in the external business environment influence marketing strategies and outcomes ‘Betfair betting exchange processes more than seven million transactions a day- that’s more than all European stock exchanges combined.’(Betfair, 2011) With this sentence we can observe the magnitude and growth that an online gambling company like Betfair.com has achieved. To reach this point they have dealt with many issues in their external environment and they have overcome these problems through intelligence in their marketing strategies. Marketing is ‘the management process of anticipating, identifying and satisfying customer requirements profitably’ (CIM, 2011). Almost any company has to†¦show more content†¦What Betfair says is that these restrictions are against what customers want and that they lead to market failure. As Solomon et al (2009: 60) states ‘†¦global marketers must understand more complex political issues that can affect how they do business and their potential for success’. The German example is only one of the many different legislations which Betfair have to deal with, therefore when they market their products in one specific country they have to know perfectly what kind of services are prohibited in those countries to avoid legal issues with governments and consumers. When deciding on international expansion they also need a sensitive analysis of the legislation in that country as it might not be profitable to operate there if either their gross profit tax is very high, or if many products like online casino are banned, or if betting large amounts of money are prohibited. When Betfair segment their market they might do it by geography. 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PESTLE analysis Factor Current situation Implications Political/ Legal/ Environmental 1) Restrictions in marketing to children 1) ethical and legal aspects should be taken in marketing to children; damage to company reputation in case of offence Economical 1) Recovery after recession and economicRead MoreEnvironmental Analysis And Setting Strategic Goals1660 Words   |  7 Pagesneed to be aware of what is going on in their environments that might concern them, and more so, during the planning process. Diverse but overlapping environments ought to be monitored; the macro environment, the industrial environment, the competitive environment, and the organization’s internal environment (Ginter, 2013; Pfeiffer, 1986). At Rapha AL, my chosen organization, the environmental scanning will include distinct internal and external factors that would enable Rapha gain excellent understandingRead MoreSocial Cultural Factors : The Basic Beliefs And Values Of Consumers Essay1667 Words   |  7 PagesSocial-cultural factors outlines the basic beliefs and values of consumers. It is the forces that influences an individual’s way of thinking, lifestyles and behaviors. Marketers must take into consideration the various character istics of the consumers it is going to sell or target as this is vital in the development of marketing strategies, therefore, making the product or services appealing to customers. One important development is the changing and growth in racial and ethnicity, affecting theRead MoreCustomer Satisfaction And Cost Of Nestle Dairy Milk Essay1467 Words   |  6 Pagesnutrition food. Customer expectations- People expect food purity give 100%. People become accustomed to a certain taste and the comfort associated with it and they can tell immediately if something isn t quite right.. 1.2 Definition includes how customer expectations, satisfaction and cost, and cultural differences are balanced. Ans:-Customer expectation: In global markets the demand is so high. In some markets and in certain industries, the offer is higher than the demand and so companiesRead MoreStrategic Leadership And Decision Making1454 Words   |  6 Pageshas had several external environmental factors affecting their business including social, legal, economic, political, and technological forces that they have had to overcome and adapt to. Due to these factors, McCain has had numerous opportunities and threats that affect business strategy, philosophy, and initiatives. The volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity of strategic planning and decision making and how it affects McCain’s strategy will be discussed below to show how McCain is handling

Marketing - 1441 Words

Case study marketing ‘Yet another poor year’ reflected the senior executive of Mephisto Products.’ P r o f i t s d o w n b y 1 5 p e r c e nt , s a l e s a nd t u r no v e r s t a t i c i n a m a r k e t w h i c h w a s recko ned to be growing at a rate of some 20 per cent per annum. It can’t go on.’ These were the thoughts of Jim Bullins, and he contended that the company would-be out of business if the next year turned out to be as bad. Jim Bullins had been senior executive at Mephisto for the past three years. Ineach of these years he had witnessed a decline in sales and profits. The company produced a range of technically sophisticated electromechanical control devices for industry. The major customers of Mephisto were in the chemical†¦show more content†¦Again, Watkinson’s old philosophy still prevailed. â€Å" If they want the product badly enough, they will wait for it â€Å". and â€Å" Why offer discounts for large quantities – if they did not want that many they would not order them†. During the previous five years, from being a relatively successful company, market share for Mephisto Products dropped substantially. The market became much more competitive with many new entrants, particularly from EU Countries coming in to the UK Market, which had traditionally been supplied by UK manufacturers. Many of these new entrants had introduced new and updated products to the market, with such products drawing upon recent advances in electronics. These new products were seen by the market as being technically innovative, but the view taken byMephisto management was that they were faddish and once the electronics novelty had worn off, customers would come back to their superior products. Unlike many of his colleagues, Jim Bullins was worried by developments over the past five years, and felt that there was a need for many changes. He was aware that the more successful new entrants to the industry had introduced a marketing philosophy into their operations. Compared with ten years ago, it was now common practice for companies to appointShow MoreRelatedMarketing Analysis : Marketing And Marketing966 Words   |  4 Pagesreflect back over these last five weeks I now have a clearer view of marketing and how it affects not just the consumers of the world and the companies with their marketing managers, but how it affects me. Yes, I am a consumer who clips coupons, budgets my finances, and looks for sale items and this marketing class has taught me that marketing is more than selling or advertising. Marketing managers have a difficult job, as marketing involves identifying, meeting and satisfying the needs of customersRead MoreMarketing Analysis : Marketing And Marketing 1486 Words   |  6 Pagesthis day and age, marketing plays a pivotal role in the business environment. Marketing is dynamic, complicated and challenging. The basic concept of marketing is to identify the need of human and society, and research how to satisfy and create those need. According to American Marketing Association (AMA), defining that marketing is the processed activity which communicate and exchange valuable offerings to customers (AMA, 2013). To be more precise, the main mission of marketing is choosing targetRead MoreMarketing Concept Of Marketing : Marketing1651 Words   |  7 PagesMarketing concept Marketing plays a major function in any business organisation. The essence of marketing is about designing and managing a product and generating exchanges of value from where both the customer and the organisation can attain benefits. Marketing is the activity, set of institutions and processes for creating, communicating, delivering and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners and society at large (Solomon, Marshall Stuart, 2009, p.13). MarketersRead MoreMarketing Functions Of Marketing And Marketing1229 Words   |  5 Pagestrends, the marketing function is used as a measure in the business-to-business practice, to capture and place varied products in a market place (Kono, 2004). A typical market function provides details regarding the planning, information, product distribution, consumer support, risk taking, financing, and standardization and grading amongst other things (Makloof and Sundberg, 2006). In business a market function acts in respect to the corporate marketing, strategic marketing, field marketing and analysisRead MoreMarketing Concept Of Marketing And Marketing1413 Words   |  6 PagesMARKETING CONCEPT Marketing is an act of promoting and selling products or a service, this also includes marketing research and advertising. The marketing concept is the philosophy used by companies to analyse the needs of their customers so they can be better than the competition. As well as this they must also take into consideration the companies capabilities and the environment it is working in, as they can face the pressures of environmental changes. By using the marketing concept companiesRead MoreMarketing Orientation : Marketing And Marketing1450 Words   |  6 Pages A wide range of companies today prefer to adopt the marketing orientated approach to sell their new products rather than using product orientation before.In fact,marketing orientation also helps such companies to earn more profits in the long time.According to Jobber and Ellis Chadwick (2013),marketing orientation focuses on customers need as the primary drivers of organizational performance.However,this is not always the case. Product orientation still be used by some senior executives and thisRead MoreMarketing : Marketing And Relationship Marketing Essay1359 Words   |  6 PagesIntegrating Marketing With the shift in the external marketing environments, Apple has also shifted its marketing strategy. It personalizes marketing through experiential marketing and relationship marketing. â€Å"Experiential marketing promotes a product by not only communicating a product’s features and benefits but also connecting it with unique and interesting consumer experiences† (Strategic Brand Management, P. 181). Customers can easily experience a sense of community every time they walk in intoRead MoreMarketing Analysis : Marketing And Marketing1770 Words   |  8 PagesWhat is Marketing? A plethora of individuals seem to be misinformed about marketing. Several of these individuals believe that marketing is just advertising. Others will tell you that marketing is all about sales, insinuating that all marketers are just salesmen. Now these beliefs are both right and wrong. â€Å"How can they both be right and wrong at the same time?† you may be asking yourself. Well they are right, because marketing encompasses both advertising and sales. They are both wrong by assumingRead MoreMarketing Mix Of Marketing And Marketing1001 Words   |  5 PagesIn The cutting edge world of marketing dated back in the late 1950s, the four Ps were called the marketing mix, meaning that a marketing plan is a mix of four components. A company who has adopted 4P approach focuses on product, whereas company who has adopted the value approach focuses on value to the consumer. One of other marketing mix is the Value approach. This approach concentrates on delivering value to the consumers or customers, the 4Ps approach is evidently concentrated not on customersRead MoreMarketing Analysis : Marketing And Marketing1878 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction Marketing research is the process that associates the consumers, customers, and end users to the marketer through information — information used to classify and describe marketing prospects and problems; generate, refine, and evaluate marketing actions; monitor marketing performance; and development understanding of marketing as a process. Marketing research identifies the information required to address these issues, designs the method for collecting information, manages and implements