Saturday, March 14, 2020
Deconstruction of a Web Page Advertisement
Deconstruction of a Web Page Advertisement Since its conception, the media has been hugely influential in the development of the society. The media can be used to drive public opinion, report on current news and advance some social values. The media is at best a complex genre which may be broken down into a large number of sub-genres e.g. news stories, opinion columns, advertisements and horoscopes to name but a few. One of the key facets of the media is the advertising sub-genres.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Deconstruction of a Web Page Advertisement specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Croteau and Hoynes suggest that the heavy emphasis of advertisements in media is due to the fact that advertisers are the dominant sources of revenue for most modern media[1]. The influence that advertisements have on the people is colossal as can be inferred from the rise in sales for corporations that engage in large-scale advertisement. Most advertisements are therefore ke en to include messages that are beneficial to the advertisers. Texts represented in advertisement can signify a myriad of meanings apart from the very obvious message that the advertisement image purports to sell. An image can denote varying directions and be made to evoke deeper sentiments from the viewer and from simple image, one can build up an entire story. All this is in an attempt by the creator of the advert to persuade the consumer to think, feel or act in a predetermined manner. This paper shall set out to deconstruct and discuss a particular advert so as to show how it relates to a wider set of issues. This shall be in an attempt to articulate that advertisers normally embedded a lot of ideas and sentiments into an advert so as to manipulate the intended consumer into acting in some manner that is desirable manner. Description of the Advertisement Advertising is defined by Lester as any form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, good and services by an iden tified sponsor[2]. In this particular scenario, the advertisement is of a software application called ââ¬Å"The Boxâ⬠that allows users to make video calls over the internet. The primary objective of the advert in this case is to promote the sale of the product being advertised. The product is sold online in a website and therefore the advertisement will exist within the context of a website. The text analyzed consists of a rectangular bold lined frame which is surrounded by a faint shade of gray. Within the frame, there is an illustration of a box and an oval.Advertising Looking for essay on advertising? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The box contains significant landmarks such as the tower of Eiffel, the Statue of Liberty and the Big Ben clock tower. This is connected by gradually increasing size rings to an oval containing the image of a mother and two children looking on to a computer screen on the top lef t is written a short message Let them see who theyve been missing. The Deconstruction Process Lind and Brzuzy suggests that owing to the adverse effect that advertisements can have as they influence the opinions of people and sway peoples attitudes, being media literate is of importance[3]. Media literacy includes being able to actively deconstruct what is seen in the media and particularly pertaining to advertisements. The deconstruction process involves a breaking down of the complete whole into various components so as to enable a deep analysis and criticism of the text or image contained[4]. n the advertisement context, this shall enable one to understand the two levels of meaning i.e. the denotative meaning which is the obvious message that the advertisement contains and the connotative meaning which has to do with the symbols and the association of this symbols with some experience of knowledge shared by the targeted audience[5]. The first step in the deconstruction process is to recognize that owing to the fact that the media message, web advertisement in this case, was constructed, there has to be someone responsible for its construction. Hence answering the question who created the message? or ââ¬Å"whose message is this?â⬠is the first stage in deconstruction. In this scenario, I am the creator of the message and the message is meant to advertise a software application for making video calls over the internet. Having identified the creator of the advertisement, one can then positively identify the goal behind the creation. The goal for this advert is to elicit people to purchase and use the online video calls software product. The second phase in the deconstruction process involves identification of the target audience. This phase can be expansive since one has to look at various attributes of the target audience. This will include their age, ethnicity, profession, etc. In the Box advert, the targeted audience is people who have long distance r elations.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Deconstruction of a Web Page Advertisement specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The age group mostly covers young children and young couples. In the image presented in the advert, we see a young mother and two little children hinting that the ad might be targeting young families who have one of their relations at a long distance. The picture portrayed depicts an entirely white family which might infer that the ad might be targeting people of Caucasian ethnicity. The next step involves looking at the text of the message. This calls for a simple review of the words and images portrayed in the advert so as to confer the most obvious suggestions made. In this advert, there is a box containing various landmark features, an oval encircling a mother and her two children who are all staring at a computer screen and the words let them see who theyve been missingâ⬠. From the message contained in the advert, the following subtext can be inferred:- The box contains landmark features from London (the clock), Paris (Eiffel tower) and America (the Statue of Liberty). This suggests that the application being advertized possess the ability to interlink the locations that are represented by the various features despite the locations being far apart geographically. The theme of reconnection is also advanced by the wordings which suggest that the family in the picture is finally afforded a chance to interact with their distant relation as a result of the application software being advertised. Galpin suggests that when deconstructing a text, the primary objective is to draw attention to conflicting logic or to offer insight into what may not have been explicitly represented in the text[6]. The next step therefore involves trying to discover what the advert may have implied but not explicitly stated. The message suggests that from using the Box, the family will be drawn cl oser. This is depicted in the image of the mother and her two little children who are all in close proximity even as they use the product. The advertisement also suggests that the use of the products results in the happiness of users on both ends of the line. While the faces of the mother and her children cannot be clearly made out, a look at the computer screen reveals smiling faces which implies that the people are happy as a result of using the Box. Thomas Mickey asserts that one of the core aims of advertisements is to have the consumer identify with the product[7]. To this end, the image of the young family with the husband away for some length of time is one that most people prospective users can relate to. The advert portrays a modest lifestyle by its depiction of an average family.Advertising Looking for essay on advertising? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The images are not glamorized or highly classy and the family in the picture is young and average looking. The family is photographed under the background of neatly stacked rows of books and files. This is a study room setting that most people in the western world can relate to. This familiarity will appeal to the prospective customers who will mostly be middleclass families. In addition to the main objective of promoting a product, most advertisements express some values that may be held by the society or by the advertiser. Some of the values expressed in this advert are that being happy comes as a result of being connected with loved ones. However, this advert also expresses some values that have been deeply entrenched in our society. The media has over time been accused of propagating the patriarchal theme in the society. This has mostly been done by making the male figure play a dominant role while keeping others (women) in the shadows[8]. This advertisement in a subtle manner p lays this stereotyping role. The images presented show a mother with her two children which implies that the female figure is the one who is left at home to tend after the children as the male figure goes out to fend for the family. This stereotypical view of the female as the home maker is detrimental to the women empowerment efforts. Key to the selling of an ideal is the use of various tools of persuasion. Persuasion in advertisement makes use of knowledge or beliefs that the consumer holds. However, consumers have an idea about how advertising tactics work to affect persuasion and therefore subtle tactics must be employed for effectiveness[9]. The Box advert engages the use of a homely looking family. The setting is also not lavish or glamorous thus creating an appeal to a wider class of people. The wordings of the advert are also persuasive as they incite the viewer to reconnect with the person whom they have been missing by use of this particular product. The box in the advert is given a warm and engaging colour which suggests that using the product can indeed bring about a warm feeling to the person. This advert suggests that a family that is in constant communication is a united and happy family. While this may not necessarily be true, this is a positive message that is advanced by the advert. In addition to this, the advert show cases a health looking simple family thus suggesting that one does not require to be sophisticated so as to be happy. However the Advert fails to incorporate people of various racial and ethnic identities thus propagating the theme of racism. Neglecting of the other races is negative as it may lead to animosity amongst the other races who may feel sidelined. The final stage in the deconstruction process involves gauging the totality of the advert presented[10]. The Box advert fails to tell a conclusive story as there are various important pieces of information left out. From the advert, one cannot tell of how much the calls wil l cost or if there are any negative effects that may arise as a result of the usage of the software product. One could obtain more information on the product by visiting the website which will provide a more detailed description of the product. Conclusion Because of globalization and the ever increasing influence of media outlets in our lives, we need to possess the skills necessary to process and evaluate the constant barrage of media information that is presented to us. Deconstruction of advertisements presents an important front from which to initiate this critical assessment of the media so as to enable us to recognize and therefore avoid the negative influences and/or misinformation that media may cause. This paper set out to deconstruct an advertisement of a software product called The Box so as to critically analyze the advert and show how it relates to a wider set of issues. This paper has undertaken a detailed deconstruction of the advert and it has been observed that the a dvert can have far reaching messages embedded in that the lay person can detect. It is clear from the discussions presented that even a simple advertisement can have stereotypes and untruthful sentiments contained therein. From this paper, it can be authoritatively stated that media criticism empowers an individual and helps them to shun any negative influence that the media may present. These skills are especially relevant in todayââ¬â¢s world where newer technologies are continually widening the reach of the media therefore making us more exposed to advertisements than ever before. Bibliography Croteau, D Hoynes, W. Media society: industries, images, and audiences. Pine Forge Press, 2003. Galpin, R. Erasure in Art: Destruction, Deconstruction, and Palimpsest. 2008, viewed on richardgalpin.co.uk/archive/erasure.htm. Roman, A. Critical De-construction of Media Messages. 2008, viewed on fabc.org/offices/osc/docs/pdf/Critical%20De-Construction%20of%20Media%20Messages.pdf./ Media L iteracy. How to Deconstruct A media Message. New Mexico Media Literacy Project, 2007 Lind, A Brzuzy, S. Battleground: women, gender, and sexuality. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2008. Thomas, M. Deconstructing public relations: public relations criticism. Routledge, 2003. Leiss, W, Kline, S Botterill, J. Social communication in advertising: consumption in the mediated marketplace. Routledge, 2005. Haugtvedt, P., Herr, P Kardes, F. Handbook of consumer psychology. CRC Press, 2008. Lester, P. Visual communication: images with messages. Cengage Learning, 2006. Footnotes D Croteau W Hoynes. Media society: industries, images, and audiences. Pine Forge Press, 2003, p.70. P Martin Lester. Visual communication: images with messages. Cengage Learning, 2006, p.75. A Lind S Brzuzy. Battleground: women, gender, and sexuality. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2008, p.319. A Roman. Critical De-construction of Media Messages. 2008, viewed on fabc.org/offices/osc/docs/pdf/Critical%20De-Construction% 20of%20Media%20Messages.pdf. Ibid. R Galpin. Erasure in Art: Destruction, Deconstruction, and Palimpsest. 2008, viewed on richardgalpin.co.uk/archive/erasure.htm. M Thomas. Deconstructing public relations: public relations criticism. Routledge, 2003, p.53. W Leiss, S Kline J Botterill. Social communication in advertising: consumption in the mediated marketplace. Routledge, 2005, p.284. C Haugtvedt, P Herr F Kardes. Handbook of consumer psychology. CRC Press, 2008, p.556. A Roman. Critical De-construction of Media Messages. 2008, viewed on fabc.org/offices/osc/docs/pdf/Critical%20De-Construction%20of%20Media%20Messages.pdf.
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Obisity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1
Obisity - Essay Example 006) ââ¬Å"â⬠¦an estimated 8.1 million Filipinos ââ¬â nearly 10 percent of the countrys 85 million people ââ¬â were working and/or residing in close to 200 countries and territories.â⬠This is one of the many examples of people who have started migrating from developing areas to wealthy nations so that they can improve their stature in life. In modern times, this form of movement is better known as immigration, Rowthorn explains why immigration is encouraged ââ¬Å"â⬠¦ developed nations consist more of the ageing population and they require these immigrants to stabilize the economy of the country... also ensure a cultural diversity in the developed nations.â⬠There are proââ¬â¢s and conââ¬â¢s of any issue, and by far, immigration has undoubtedly shed light for the oppressed ones of the society. Fleeing the native land does not mean, one is not a patriot, nor has an inclination for westerners. Immigration is solely a personal choice, it is subjective, therefore must not encounter criticism. Immigration can serve to be beneficial for the wealthy countries where the population ages ay by day. The widespread use of birth control measures contributes to the low population of the developed than in the undeveloped and developing nations. These factors result in lower number of manpower and hence require someone who can take the vacant posts. Immigrants can take over these positions; help to improve the economy by producing outputs from their work, paying taxes to the government of the host country just like a native citizen, and providing the cultural diversity as mentioned by Rowthorn. As immigration is increasing all over the worl, , P d it is seen that an understanding of different cultures and religions has also increased simultaneously. People are able to immerse and adjust themselves with the new culture thus, providing an opportunity to exchange cultural point of views. Immigrant tends to speak the tongue one way or the other; they can also teach their own language to
Monday, February 10, 2020
Summary of Chapter, Pricing Strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5
Summary of Chapter, Pricing Strategy - Assignment Example The percentage of profit that company deems fit is added to set the final cost. The cost price strategy becomes viable for product only when defined sale volumes are estimated and met through effective marketing. This is a flawed strategy as it relies on sales volumes and if they are not met, the cost goes up and adversely impacts the performance of the company. It also totally ignores the customers who are increasingly become the major part of business strategy and marketing. Competitor based pricing primarily believes in the price strategy of its main competitor and follows the same regardless of its repercussion on its profitability. This is wrong because each has its own constraints and inputs that need to be considered in the pricing strategy. It becomes fatal when the competitorââ¬â¢s strategy is based on selling the product irrespective of loss. The market-led strategy is best described by setting oneââ¬â¢s pricing based on the pricing of its competitors. The pricing is either the same or lowered so that to gain market position. Sometimes, when value addition to the product provides it with unique features, firms can maintain their market position even when the price is raised. This is most prevalent in the contemporary environment of high competition. Glaxoââ¬â¢s Zantac had overtaken SmithKline Beechamââ¬â¢s Tagamet because it had fewer side effects in ulcer treatment. Thus, product pricing also influences customerââ¬â¢s perceived value of the product. Three techniques: tradeoff analysis; experimentation; and economic value to the customer or EVC are used for understanding customersââ¬â¢ perceived value of the products. The tradeoff analysis uses customerââ¬â¢s requirements for a product and adds or removes those properties within the product to make it attractive to the customers. Firms can raise the price despite heavy competition. Experimentationà tests the preferences of customers by placing the same product with varying prices at a different location.Ã
Thursday, January 30, 2020
The Impact of Technology Essay Example for Free
The Impact of Technology Essay The society we live in is completely integrated with technology, we are surrounded by and we live on technology. One of the definitions of ââ¬Å"technologyâ⬠given by Websterââ¬â¢s Third New International Dictionary is ââ¬Å"the totality of the means employed by a people to provide itself with the objects of material cultureâ⬠, and as a matter of fact, almost every little work we do can be considered technology dependent. Today we are all identified with the technological device we are carrying, which must be up to date. For many of us, living without technology I like living without airâ⬠. Many people donââ¬â¢t realize how much they are engaged to their gadgets and how much they affect our lives; I think that most of us would struggle to live without these little comforts while some researchers of the University ââ¬Å"La Sapienza Di Romaâ⬠concluded that most of the people, especially from 16 to 25 years old, feel lost when they donââ¬â¢t have their mobile phones with them. An excerpt from the telegraph confirms us what we previously affirmed: ââ¬Å"In an international study called Unplugged, volunteers at 12 universities around the world were asked to keep detailed diaries while spending 24 hours in a tech and information blackout. They found out that youngsters reported sickness and fidgety, they felt really uncomfortable and like if they had nothing to do. ââ¬Å"They kept looking for the phones, even though they werent carrying them. â⬠Technology has clearly become a huge influence on our lives, but how did we reach this point? Our addiction to technology probably started with computers taking over our society as we used to know it. Nowadays, everywhere you look, computers are making our life more comfortable since they are commonly used items in many areas. A PC is essential to people who run organizations or industries, but also the housewife who doesnââ¬â¢t know how to use a Personal Computer has to deal with one, since almost anything we know is run or made by a computers, most medical equipment use computers and also the most simple household appliance has a computer inside. Most of the professions today involve the use of PCs since also in a pharmacy you would have a hard time keeping track with what medication to give to a patient without that ââ¬Å"mechanical brainâ⬠that would be hard to live without. Its only when something goes wrong that we realize how necessaries they are, if we think about the world without computers we would realize that we havenââ¬â¢t done much more than using them in the past few years; researchers in the medical field wouldnââ¬â¢t have found a lot of cures to diseases since most of them were found with the help of processors. Movies like, Pixarââ¬â¢s Toy story, Avatar or 2012 would never have been made since they are based on computer graphics that cannot be emulated analogically. Counting votes would be much slower and space exploration wouldnââ¬â¢t be possible without the help of computers. Thatââ¬â¢s why, since most of our progresses in the recent past are a consequence of our use of computers, we call the recent past as computer revolution or digital revolution. The definition of revolution is based on the idea of something that rapidly changed and improved. This led to individuals that can transfer information freely and access to information is so easy compared to in the past. Recently, some social analysts defined our times as the ââ¬Å"information ageâ⬠. This condition of being always capable to get information started when computer microminiaturization started, because the fast evolution of technology in daily life permitted rapid global communications and networking to shape modern society. It can be said that this revolution started with the diffusion of the smartphones, which started many years ago but had a massive boost with the launch of the iPhone, an hybrid between a phone and a computer, something always connected to the world. This idea changed the technological market with many companies trying to follow Apple creatureââ¬â¢s steps, evolving into a new device that is far from what mobiles were ten years ago. They have become faster and more powerful just like computers but they can also be connected to the internet anywhere in order to: read newspapers, mail for business, be always able to make a research on the web or communicate with friends, which has proven to change everything. As a matter of fact people feel the need to be updated with what is happening around them. Big contributors to this are websites like Facebook and Twitter, which are supposed to bring, people closer together but they are actually doing the opposite. The information age can be separated into three general parts, which are information storage, information transmission, and computation. When the information storage phase occurred, the worldââ¬â¢s capacity to store data has seen a dramatic boost of from just 2600 terabyte in 1985 to 18 Exabyte in 1994, to over 55. 5 in 1999, and 400 in 2011 at the point that nowadays, as Mitchell Capor Said, getting information off the Internet is like drinking from a fire Hydrant. Not only there was an increase of the databases, but also technology is spreading to any family, any student, any common citizen since the cost of technology is decreasing day by day and today we can afford a really powerful desktop for a few hundred dollars and we can all access the internet with less money we spend on a night out. Internet, big contributor to the information age and all those changes is the Internet, which has obviously had a massive impact on society. The Internet is a fail-proof network because even if a large area is disabled, the information is rerouted to somewhere else. The Internet is the crucial platform for accelerating the exchange of information and it is also the main emerging form of media. Internet is, in fact, making some medias obsolete and is the reason why many companies are changing the way they relate to their clients, because it is a tough competition to newspaper and broadcaster offering most of the times a cheaper and vaster choice to anyone. The main example is the success of YouTube, which is now eroding the market share that television channels used to have by having, according to the company itself on the official blog, four billion videos streamed per day. New technology is affecting anyoneââ¬â¢s life also because is something that created millions of jobs but also took away a few at the same time modifying the economy of some sectors. It created jobs because the new technology needed to be repaired, designed, and used in many businesses. However, it took away jobs because some factory workers were no longer needed as more efficient machines were built to replace them. Out of all of the technology that has been produced during the last 30 years; the Internet has created the largest amount of jobs. Labourers must compete in a globalized job market instead of earning a living from what they used to do. Middle-class people of society are affected the most by the job change because they can either move up towards jobs that require a good education (such as engineers, scientists, journalists), or they can move down towards low-skill and low-wage jobs. About 30% of the modern workforce usually consists of the jobs that require a good education and good qualifications and the number ises exponentially if we just consider the really developed countries since, as we already proved, a useful worker in modern times also has to well know how to deal with computers. Technology has also had a big impact on language and culture since it helps the spreading and melting of different and distant worlds, favouring globalization. Our though processes have been changed by the revolution in technology, thatââ¬â¢s probably just the beginning of a new era. From all of the information that I have researched I have concluded that technology is having more and more impact on our lives because it is becoming more integrated into what we do. Nearly everything thing we do in our everyday lives is connected to technology and from what I can see, not many people would be able to cope without the technology that we have today. I believe that in the future, if our race continues to survive for an extended period of time, all life will either depend entirely on technology or not at all. Another reason that I have concluded for why technology is having more impact is that humans are adapting more and the technology is becoming more ââ¬Ëcompatibleââ¬â¢ with us and to our ways of thinking. We are becoming more connected to technology and we are being more influenced at the same time. A good example to support my conclusion is that if there were to be a new piece of technology that came out in the shops (such as a new type of iPhone) then many peoplesââ¬â¢ lives would be greatly affected whether it is their jobs, or language etc. that is affected. Our way of thinking has been completely changed and it is believe that humans as a race will probably never go back thinking like they used to. Revolutions will keep on occurring and the technology will keep on improving which will obviously keep on affecting our life in many ways which concludes my research paper on the idea of technology having impact on our lives.
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
A Room With A View by E.M. Forster and The Remains of the Day by Tovah
A Room With A View by E.M. Forster and The Remains of the Day by Tovah Martin 'A Room with a View' and 'The Remains of the Day' are two novels which involve journeys of physical and spiritual discovery. The main characters of the stories are dissimilar in gender, age and social status but both experience situations and encounters which challenge their perspectives and personal values. The authors of these books have both included references to nature and landscape to emphasize, mirror and reinforce the reactions and emotions of their characters. They have also used nature and landscape to highlight key events. 'A Room with a View' was written in 1908 and the opening chapters are set in Florence, Italy, a vibrant country, where the high temperatures and natural beauty can stir the emotions. Lucy Honeychurch, chaperoned by her spinster cousin, Charlotte Bartlett, is on a grand tour, and struggles to understand the unfamiliar emotions which are stirring within her. 'Lucy's rebellious thoughts swept out in words - for the first time in her life.' Suppressed emotions are released and she discovers a maturity, independence and strength of character which allow her to analyse and perceive individuals in a new light. She has the audacity to challenge Mr Eager, who finds it 'intolerable that she should disbelieve him.' Lucy and Charlotte face initial disappointment with the views from their rooms. They had been promised 'south rooms with a view' but had north rooms overlooking a courtyard. This dull, uninteresting outlook reflects Lucy's upbringing in rural England, where she has restricted freedom and a limited stimulation in a climate inclined to be damp and cloudy. This contrasts with her expectations for ... ...d leaving the reader with clear, reflective images of a bygone era in an English landscape which still exists. 'A Room with a View' has more dramatic contrasts and energy. The story begins in Italy and the descriptions are strong and powerful, reflecting the events and emotions which develop in the characters. The feelings of the people are passionate and full of vitality and the landscape and nature vividly echo and illustrate what is happening. England is changeable and blustery, gloomy and grey, illuminated by flashes of brilliance and beauty. The atmosphere contrasts with Italy as the plot changes pace and people re-evaluate and alter their course. This book contains romantic illusions to pastoral subjects and makes use of nature to support events and feelings, which brings the book to life and provides excitement and entertainment for the reader. A Room With A View by E.M. Forster and The Remains of the Day by Tovah A Room With A View by E.M. Forster and The Remains of the Day by Tovah Martin 'A Room with a View' and 'The Remains of the Day' are two novels which involve journeys of physical and spiritual discovery. The main characters of the stories are dissimilar in gender, age and social status but both experience situations and encounters which challenge their perspectives and personal values. The authors of these books have both included references to nature and landscape to emphasize, mirror and reinforce the reactions and emotions of their characters. They have also used nature and landscape to highlight key events. 'A Room with a View' was written in 1908 and the opening chapters are set in Florence, Italy, a vibrant country, where the high temperatures and natural beauty can stir the emotions. Lucy Honeychurch, chaperoned by her spinster cousin, Charlotte Bartlett, is on a grand tour, and struggles to understand the unfamiliar emotions which are stirring within her. 'Lucy's rebellious thoughts swept out in words - for the first time in her life.' Suppressed emotions are released and she discovers a maturity, independence and strength of character which allow her to analyse and perceive individuals in a new light. She has the audacity to challenge Mr Eager, who finds it 'intolerable that she should disbelieve him.' Lucy and Charlotte face initial disappointment with the views from their rooms. They had been promised 'south rooms with a view' but had north rooms overlooking a courtyard. This dull, uninteresting outlook reflects Lucy's upbringing in rural England, where she has restricted freedom and a limited stimulation in a climate inclined to be damp and cloudy. This contrasts with her expectations for ... ...d leaving the reader with clear, reflective images of a bygone era in an English landscape which still exists. 'A Room with a View' has more dramatic contrasts and energy. The story begins in Italy and the descriptions are strong and powerful, reflecting the events and emotions which develop in the characters. The feelings of the people are passionate and full of vitality and the landscape and nature vividly echo and illustrate what is happening. England is changeable and blustery, gloomy and grey, illuminated by flashes of brilliance and beauty. The atmosphere contrasts with Italy as the plot changes pace and people re-evaluate and alter their course. This book contains romantic illusions to pastoral subjects and makes use of nature to support events and feelings, which brings the book to life and provides excitement and entertainment for the reader.
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Dianaââ¬â¢s Disappointment Essay
What is the problem? Diana Gillen is the General Manager at the Cobb Street Grille who applied and is hoping to become the new District Manager. After being rejected from the first position 9 months ago, Diana was convinced that she had this current position under her belt. Unfortunately, she did not get promoted and she was left to feel upset and judgmental with how the applicants were chosen for this position. This case demonstrates how an individual must learn to express their emotions in an appropriate manner and be open to learn new and effective ways to be a leader. Why do these problems occur? In this case, Diana is not good at controlling her emotions and the majority of the time her emotions get the better of her. Emotions are psychological, behavioral and physiological episodes that make an individual feel the need to react without being aware. Dianaââ¬â¢s emotions are present at numerous times during this case. For example, she felt uneasy as she arrived at the Cobb Street Grille corporate offices along with feeling anxious and fear when learning what the outcome would be on her promotion. There were multiple times during the case where Diana showed physical emotions, such as bursting into tears and cringing when she found out that she did not get the position. These are all examples of Diana not having control over her emotions. She needs to be able to work on controlling her emotions in order to be able to react in situations like these. In this case, Diana shows a lack of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and express emotion, understand and reason with it, while being able to regulate the emotions found in an individual. There are four levels of the emotional intelligence hierarchy, which are self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. Self-awareness is the act of understanding and defining the meaning of yourà own emotions. Diana has a high self-awareness because she knows she wants to be a District Manager and she thinks she is the perfect fit for the position. Her values are to work hard and follow the rules that are assigned to her and she shows off her strengths of being able to manage a restaurant. Also, her motivation to become a district manager is present. Self-management is how well an individual can control his or her inner state. Diana is very capable of managing herself along with preparing for the role as a district manager. The down side, however, is that she sometimes loses her cool when trying to complete tasks or get certain jobs done. She is known to be a strict employee but is also very loyal and strives for her and everyone around her to do well. However, when she was told that she was not going to get the position she was hoping for, she let her self-management collapse and began to tear up. Social awareness is the ability of understanding the meaning of otherââ¬â¢s emotions. When it comes to being aware of the employeesââ¬â¢ emotions and feelings, Diana deeply lacks in this territory. She rarely pays attention to her employees when they have a request, an idea, or even just an opinion. What makes it worse is what the employees have to say about her. The title ââ¬ËIce Maidenââ¬â¢ is thrown around amongst the employees behind Dianaââ¬â¢s back. She believes that meeting her financial goals is the only objective she needs to follow, and because she exceeds these goals, Diana considers herself and her performance outstanding. The relationship the Diana shares with her employees is nothing more than a mechanical one. By not being social and working together with her employees, she does not know their needs and how they really think of her. The highest level of the emotional intelligence hierarchy is relationship management. Relationship management is being able to manage other peopleââ¬â¢s emotions while not letting your own emotions be influenced. Diana fails miserably at this level simply because she is not socially aware of her surroundings. Instead of inspiring her employees to try new things and influencing a bond between them, she leaves them to follow a repetitive schedule and no wiggle room for change. An example of this is when theà restaurant experienced high employee turnover. Diana fired three perfectly good employees because they decided to try a new customer service tactic. This proves that she is not in touch with her employees. Diana knows what she wants and understands how to manage herself along with a business, but when it comes to other individuals she does not perform in an effective way. When it comes to being socially aware and being able to build relationships, she fails, and this is one of the most important levels of the emotional intelligence hierarchy. How can these problems be fixed? Personality: Personality is the view in which individuals are agreeable and open to new things. Looking at the Five Factor Model Personality Theory, Diana extremely lacks in this section because she does not take any steps to build a healthy relationship with her employees. She needs to work on being more agreeable and open to new experiences in order to increase her success as a general manager. When one agrees on situations, it means they are being courteous, good natured, empathetic and caring. She lacks in this because she does not take the extra step to be closer to her employees. Openness to New Experiences: At this point, Diana follows the same rules and regulations, day in and day out. Instead of firing the three employees, she could have been open to a more creative approach and given the new customer service idea a try. In order to be open to new experiences, one needs to be imaginative, creative, aesthetically sensitive, and curious. Diana follows the same routine all the time and should be open to new, and creative ideas that are put forth by her team. Empathy: Empathy is when an individual is more open to others feelings, thoughts, and situations. Diana dictates how the restaurant is run along with any changes that may be made. She is so hell-bent with following the rules, that she is not being empathetic to her employees. If Diana opens herself up to understand how her employees feel, then she will gain miles into training individuals in a positive work environment. Accepting Feedback: In this scenario, employees seem to have many ideas and comments they would like to express to Diana but she does not listen or respond to them. By acting on comments made from the employees, she will make herself more accepted and a better restaurant manager. If she is open to accept positive and negative feedback, then she will indeed have a better chance at making herself more promotable. Lastly, Diana has shown that she is a great asset to Cobb Street Grille and losing Diana as an employee will impact the company in a large way. Recommendations that may be given to the company in order to improve employee relations and managerial skills are as follows: 1. An internal course can be provided to employees to help generate proper feedback that will lead to effect business practices. 2. Employees will be able to voice their opinions and concerns in a private area, which will then be brought up at the nearest staff meeting. 3. There will be open communication via workshops between the employees and managers, which will help build a stronger relationship amongst the two. These recommendations will help ensure that the concerns an individual may have will be taken care of before it arises. So what? In conclusion, the best alternative for Diana to promote herself and become a district manager is to accept feedback and be open to new ideas for the business. If this occurs, the employees will be able to express themselves creatively and Diana will be able to focus on making her business more successful and accepting. The importance of supporting, being open, and encouraging new ideas will be sure to improve the overall reputation of Diana by her employees. With the right future steps and goals, Diana will be able to gain the proper skills and emotional balance to be promoted as a district manager.
Monday, January 6, 2020
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