Communication Effectiveness in the Management of Virtual Teams

Introduction Various organisations currently operate at the global business interface that is characterised by intense competition, dynamic changes in consumer needs, emerging trends of new products, changing technology, and different cultures.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Communication Effectiveness in the Management of Virtual Teams specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Such businesses strive to maintain operations that are geared towards striking a balance between the influences of the above factors. Most multinational businesses usually establish subsidiary branches in numerous countries across transnational borders with a view of expanding their market bases by attracting international consumers. For this reason, implementation of virtual teams of different employees from culturally diverse origins becomes a crucial interplay in the involved businesses since they facilitate communication amongst diverse con sumers, employees, and subsidiary firms. Currently, many businesses are adopting virtual management whereby managers do not necessarily need to maintain physical contact with their employees. The research proposal aims at investigating effective communication and motivation techniques in the management of in virtual teams across transnational borders. Background According to Huang, Kahai, and Jestice (2010), virtual team management is a phenomenon that surpasses the limitations of time and space boundaries that are experienced in visual interactions. Misunderstanding of cultural differences, marginalisation, language barrier, team disunity, and mistrust are some of the issues that are associated with virtual team management. For instance, the GE Energy, an electricity management company in Atlanta recently faced an increasing number of diverse cultural workforces in its areas of operations. This situation led to the development of programs such as the GE Connect and WebEx to provide an insight into ‘Working in Virtual Teams’.Advertising Looking for proposal on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The GE Connect and WebEx software adds a phone tab to the GE WebEx connects. The system can command the computer to manage call dials, history, waiting indicators, media, and instant messaging among others. Employees who do not understand common communication languages such as English among other dialects can successfully interact with their colleagues using the system to improve their communication. This situation is an implication of a need to conduct more research on the techniques and solutions to the challenges that arise from the management of virtual transactional teams due then unavailability of a common language. Literature Review A virtual team refers to a group of individuals who interact using internet platforms and profiles rather than maintaining face-to-face communicat ion (Chen, Chen, Chu 2008). On the other hand, a transactional virtual team is an organised group of persons who carry out various activities that are related to trade despite time, boundaries, and space limitations (Chen, Chen, Chu 2008). Virtual teams have become increasingly important for transnational companies. They provide a framework for addressing challenges that result from modern rationalised organisations owing to the distribution of workforce. Capece and Costa (2009) posit that the advancement of technology and globalisation has led to an increased flexibility in organisations as they seek to gain competitive advantages over the rival companies. The premise of virtual teams is to address the location and accessibility of employees due to the unrelenting workforce demographics in the modern world. As a result, the embracement of such teams helps organisations to gain access to diverse expertise and quality-improvement systems whilst promoting workplace interactions.Adve rtising We will write a custom proposal sample on Communication Effectiveness in the Management of Virtual Teams specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In this proposal, qualitative methods such as interviews, focus groups, and participant observations were deemed suitable for the research in question. The interviews will be used to gather demographic information that will be used to design parameters such as the average age, level of the awareness of cultural diversity, and comparison statistics among others (Creswell 2013). The methods will be guided by respondent characteristics such as feelings, beliefs, perceptions, and ideas among others. Such aspects will guide the researcher to design appropriate interview schedules. Information concerning the communication techniques and patterns of the organisation will be gathered through textual analysis and archival research (Rawbone 2015). Both purposive and snowball sampling techniques h ave been deemed appropriate for the selection of the participants. Purposive sampling will ensure the maximisation of rich information while the snowballing technique will help the researcher reach the respondents by asking them to recommend their colleagues (Punch 2013). Regardless of the perceived effectiveness of virtual teams in the management of contemporary organisations, various problems have been identified. At the outset, the physical dispersion of persons around the world leads to the development of diversity issues that hinder smooth communication. Diversity management has been deemed one of the most significant challenges in running of organisations. Leaders who have been habituated to the outmoded organisational frameworks encounter a number of management difficulties. The organisation of the new teamwork also requires the leaders to assess the ability of the traditional management approaches to meet the necessities of the virtual programmes. This tendency to shift from the traditional to new forms of leadership poses an enormous risk to the organisation.Advertising Looking for proposal on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Overton, Hills, and Dixon (2007) also affirm that language barrier is a crucial problem that leads to communication shortcomings in the event of adopting virtual teamwork management. There is a tendency to interpret context differently as individuals perceive ideas, values, and beliefs uniquely. For instance, Overton, Hills, and Dixon (2007) reveal that the difference between high and low context cultures has been evidenced to interpret information differently. Embracing Effective Communication and Motivation in the Management of Virtual Teams A research conducted by Overton, Hills, and Dixon (2007) in the UK on the integration of effective communication techniques into organisational activities revealed that it significantly improved the delivery of a range of skills such as leadership, management, and understanding of foreign languages among others. It was affirmed that the techniques were applicable to the management of virtual teams to foster the learning of different languages for effective communication. According to Nash and Kallenbach (2009), effective communication tools can be used efficiently to ensure proper management of the virtual teams. This technique can also be used to increase outreach programmes to rural communities or places that are hard to reach within a given time such as companies with international branches. The only issue of concern raised in the study was that most of the adults were unaware of such techniques being embraced in current systems of management (Aragon Johnson 2002). Companies that support effective communication significantly lead to the improvement of employee motivation. Employees who strive to understand other languages make the use of effective communication and other resources that are based online. Literacy is among the key strengths that are created through electronic communication. The web can provide an excellent means of developing skills in the wake of digital technology (Mishan 2005; Wagner and Konzma 2005 ). According to Scott and Wildman (2015), most businesses use virtual teams to grasp larger market shares besides overcoming geographical barriers (Scott Wildman 2015). Bachmann (2006) attested that communication enables people of different cultural backgrounds to develop shared models besides creation of group identities. It is highly believed that collective perceptions of other people, living environments, information, or the world create a mutual understanding among the members of particular groups. A survey that was completed by researchers such as Yip and Dempster (2005) identified that communication via the internet compelled many companies to run virtual teamwork. These studies failed to mention the aspect of embracing cultural diversity and understanding among employees since it was limited to electronic communication (Davis, Fletcher, Absalom 2010). Technology plays a critical role in conveying information between individuals through virtual organisations (Siebdrat, Hoeg l, Ernst 2009). Virtual teams with diverse cultural backgrounds can be managed efficiently using robust cybernetic information channels with a view of diminishing the ethnic, racial, and/or geographical gaps that exist between the members of the teams. Dekker, Rutte, and Van den Berg (2008) recommended that companies should implement up-to-date technology with a view of establishing and maintaining virtual teams. Language complexities, cultural misunderstanding, and marginalisation always affect communication. Lockwood (2015) recommended a need for training staff in communication, leadership skills, and different cultural issues that affect the management of teams across transnational borders. Embracing Clear Understanding of Different Cultures for Coexistence in Virtual Team Environments Culture is a combination of values, norms, beliefs, and orientations that exist in a given society. They are transmitted from one generation to the next (Leidner, Alavi, Kayworth 2010). On the ot her hand, cultural diversity is a mix of people having different national and linguistic characteristics. According to Erez (2010), culture is a conception that is passed from one generation to the next. It comprises aspects such as beliefs, art, knowledge, laws, customs, and habits that are exhibited by a person within a particular society. Most people use culture as the backbone for communication and develop knowledge about particular attitudes towards life. Earley and Mosakowski (2000) posit that respect for cultural diversity brings about the appreciation of heterogeneity in the values and norms of people from different backgrounds. This situation brings people together either face-to-face or virtually. Wildman and Griffith (2015) mention that businesses are currently faced with challenges of virtual team management that affect efficiency. They recommend that leaders should be knowledgeable on tools for exploring cultural diversity. The leaders must be well conversant with inter personal cues, cultural differences and diversity inclusion. Lastly, they attested that virtual communication and mutual leader-follower relationships are paramount to the active contribution towards improved business performance (Wildman Griffith 2015). Globalisation has resulted in increased virtual teams across transnational borders. Intercultural communication and interaction are essential due to the ever-increasing globalisation that has led to the movement of labour across national, regional, and continental boundaries. Embracing management with clear communication technology has led to the emergence of virtual communities who share information on different cultural values, beliefs, norms, and languages among other characteristics (Zakaria, Amelinckx, Wilemon 2004). A research that was conducted by Alpaslan et al. (2004) revealed that poor understanding of other people’s cultures and languages accounted for inadequate performance in cybernetic communication. This situ ation led to misunderstanding and distrust amongst individuals and groups in the organisations. However, the creation of forums to educate the employees on embracing different cultures proved to be efficient in appreciation of virtual teams (Whatley, Zaitseva, Zakrzewska 2009).The study does not clearly indicate how communication should be implemented in such situations. Motivation, Good Leadership, and Trust Motivation is also a crucial factor that has been proved efficient in addressing issues that arise from the management of virtual teams. Individual enthusiasm is an aspect that enhances morale and liveliness in communication. Virtual interactions are enhanced through motivation with a view of alleviating glitches that arise from monotonous environments (Holton 2001). A deeper comprehension of subjective motivational factors should be considered because each person gets motivated in different ways. Different cultures also have features that derive individual motivation. Such fa ctors are paramount to the formation of sound virtual teams that are prepared with a broad base of knowledge about their cultures and those of other individuals. Cifuentes and Murphy (2000), posit that other factors such as attention, confidentiality, satisfaction, and relevance among others are components of the sources of motivation. If they are embraced appropriately, they can improve a person’s engagement in virtual discussions that close the gap between varying cultural teams. An individual belief in the ability to achieve personal goals is significantly improved where organisations encourage motivation and autonomy. However, the researchers have not highlighted communication as a crucial element for the achievement of such objectives; hence, it ensures that the individuals are satisfied and open-minded. Maintenance of enthusiastic workforce ensures relevance and improved confidence (Cifuentes Murphy 2000). This situation can be achieved through active involvement in le arning or projects that encompass the performance of employees from different cultural backgrounds. Both employees and managers should be encouraged to show enthusiasm for intercultural activities with a view of acquiring various competencies that practiced by diverse groups. However, communication is crucial for the achievement of such objectives; hence, the parties involved should be in a position to speak a common language (Cifuentes Murphy 2000). Leadership is another aspect that has underpinned efficient control and management of virtual teams. According to Malhotra Majchrzak (2004), virtuous leadership in an organisation ensures the definition of clear goals and role in an attempt to realise quality outcome. Shachaf and Hara (2006) revealed that virtual team leadership helped in the efficient management of employees in organisations where diversity inclusion was highly regarded. Another aspect of leadership is ensuring the provision of mentorship and clear definition of resp onsibilities amongst diverse team members. Collaboration refers to the engagement and participation of people in a group to solve an issue based on a mutual agreement (Bjà ¸rn Ngwenyama 2009). Miloslavic, Wildman, and Thayer (2015) have attested that virtual teams are becoming popular in work environments. They result in the development of new techniques that are in line with the demands of the global market. This situation leads to increased work efficiency. However, leaders are cautioned to consider issues that can arise due to cultural differences and to embrace collaboration among the members of virtual teams to get the success of the organisation. Communication is crucial in bonding the employees; hence, robust communication channels should be developed in various entities that embrace virtual team management (Miloslavic, Wildman, Thayer 2015). Shachaf and Hara (2006) posit that leadership and trust are two factors that must go together when handling employees in virtual tea ms. People have unique and vast views, cultural differences, and technical skills among other factors. The researchers have failed to show how leaders engage employees in commitment to instil a sense of trust. Therefore, leaders should ensure that individuals who are included in the virtual teamwork show commitment to duty by instilling a sense of trust in them with a view of winning their attention (Shachaf Hara 2006). Jarvenpaa, Shaw, and Staples (2004) also attested that trust that was built among virtual team members and their leaders led to efficient work processes and quality outcome due to improved motivation, collaboration, and collective problem solving strategies that dependent on trust. It was perceived that trust reduced indistinctness and doubt in social viewpoints. A problem of how the trust is build is evident from such comments since effective leadership and management must be embraced. Carter et al. (2015) in his article on Leadership for global virtual teams for t he facilitation of team processes attested that leadership through collaborative interaction is paramount to the efficient management of businesses at the global level. As a result, global organisations require the development of virtual teams through effective management. They have attested that technology in communication has been used successfully to link virtual teams through proper leadership. They have further mentioned the importance of understanding cultural background of employees, nationalities, team dynamics, and communication technology to address issues that arise from virtual team management (Carter et al. 2015). Carte Deines (2013) also attested that team leadership results in improved networking among individuals who are both within and outside the teams. Performance and team development are fundamental functions of decent leadership (Bell Kozlowki 2002). A primary challenge that virtual teams experience is the realisation of efficiency during the implementation of concerted goals. The researchers have not elaborated the realisation of efficiency can be achieved. A better way of ensuring that leaders accomplish such tasks is by the sound institution of self-management and performance standards among the various parties that are involved in teamwork (Hunsake r Hunsaker 2008). Effective leaders should ensure that trust exists together with increased and efficient goal setting techniques that take into account the expectations of employees. They should also give room for continuous feedback to allow competencies and encourage cultural appreciation. Furthermore, Gazor (2012) posits that wise leaders use physical meetings to solve various challenges. However, in situations where geographical differences hinder communication, teleconferencing, and videoconferencing offer the best solutions. In conclusion, the essay has reviewed various pieces of literature on the possible communication solutions to the issues associated with virtual teams in the ef fective management of organisations. Leadership roles are paramount to the appropriate handling of productivity issues that arise in diverse physical work environments. Communication has been seen as a crucial factor in the management of virtual teams across transactional borders. To ensure effective implementation of information communication and technology networks amongst employees in different physical locations, an understanding of diverse cultural values, consumer behaviour, and dynamic innovation is highly encouraged. Statement of the Problem Although virtual team management has ensured smooth running of global businesses, a plethora of challenges is still encountered. One of the primary challenges that are experienced is technology disparity. A sizeable gap is seen in the advancement of technology between the developed and developing nations. A research that was conducted by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (2006) explicated a number of ways such as stimulation of international technology transfer and learning among others than can be adopted by developing countries to narrow the gap. While many companies appreciate the introduction and embracement of virtual teams in their organisational systems, many questions have been left unresolved. How do individuals of different languages and from varied culture share a common goal, understanding, and knowledge without face-to-face meeting? How can such people develop trust among themselves? What kind of technology should the managers use successfully among these people? Such questions among others need to be addressed since they form the basis of the challenges that arise from the management of virtual transactional teams. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) encompasses communication equipment that is used in chatting sites, e-mail, websites, teleconferencing, and videoconferencing among others (Capece Costa 2009). The interconnection between various employee groups in diverse geogr aphical landscapes is greatly hindered due to poor communication and communication channels (Song Liu 2013). The world’s population appreciates the improved development of electronic information transfer that has ensured smooth organisation and distribution of duties (Cheshin et al. 2013). Improved technology has resulted in the development of robust communication means that have ensured quick response to various organisations, which have embraced decentralisation due to the existence of virtual teams. Nowadays, teams can conform and establish collaboration through electronic communications channels that are remotely located. However, there is still a need to exploit the varied opportunities that arise from international interactions. Although communication channels such as teleconferencing and videoconferencing among others means exist, other issues such as cultural diversity, understanding of different languages have not been fully addressed (Piccoli, Powell, Ives 2004). The contemporary world is characterised by fast development virtual teams with varied cultural, personal, and functional origins. If such topographies are not handled effectively, they can cause problems such as conflicts, disunity, and mistrust in organisations. The differences can be heightened due to the existence of geographical differences, poor communication, and lack of motivation, misunderstanding, and failure to appreciate the significance of cultural diversity and movement of labour across transnational boundaries (Piccoli, Powell, Ives 2004). Virtual teams can only perform well if proper management that embraces proper communication, motivation, appreciates cultural diversity, and creates collaboration based on the common goals of virtual teams among others. A majority of the studies have revealed that communication is the sole factor for the efficient management of virtual teams (Piccoli, Powell, Ives 2004). For instance, Taha, Ahmed, and Ale Ebrahim (2009) upheld such views by mentioning that advanced communication technology has enabled international business leaders to manage teams in distant work environments. The development of technology, especially in the twenty-first century, is a timely framework for the passage of information from one party to another by teleconferencing, videoconferencing, e-mailing, social networking, and online chatting. Although the aforementioned underpinnings are highly regarded, virtual team management requires a consideration of factors such as cultural diversity, respect, trust, and motivation among other aspects (Taha, Ahmed, Ale Ebrahim 2009). The researchers failed to mention how to incorporate such factors in communication to solve issues of virtual transactional teams. Incorporation of such factors in communication promotes the realisation of a common goal and understanding of the values, beliefs, and attitudes of diverse cultures. Another problem that should be addressed is how a company will ensure appr opriate handling of the above-mentioned communication factors. According to Geister, Konradt, and Hertel (2006), educating employees on the use of the videoconferencing or teleconferencing techniques alone is not satisfactory move towards the realisation of harmonious virtual teams. For instance, the existence of communication channels in organisations that embrace virtual teamwork does not necessarily mean that the employees have a common language that enhances the flow of information (Abbott, Gilbert, Rosinski 2013). In such circumstances, how does the company resolve the underlying virtual team issues? Other research works indicate that motivation among the employees results in the apt formulation of solutions in diverse work environments. Geister, Konradt, Hertel (2006) attested that group motivation is significant in the creation of collaborative workforce where individuals come from different cultural origins. This set of circumstances enables them to identify and appreciate various values, beliefs, and attitudes among other aspects of the cultures of their colleagues. The researchers limited their studies to virtual team motivation and never embraced factors such as effective communication and understanding of cultural diversity to solve problems of virtual transactional teams. According to Keller (2008), motivation encourages attention, confidence, relevance, and individual satisfaction. However, the research holds that enthusiasm only serves as a solution to managerial problems that are associated with virtual teams rather than examining the effects of other elements such as cultural diversity. It proofs that there is limited information on the methods (effective communication and embracing cultural diversity) to resolve the poor understanding of cultural differences that exist in virtual transactional teams (McArdle Anderson2001). Research Purpose The purpose of the study is to investigate effective communication, motivation, and understanding of cultural diversity to solve issues that arise from virtual team management across transnational borders. Hypothesis H0: Embracing effective communication, motivation, and understanding of cultural diversity do not help in solving problems that arise from the management of virtual teams across transnational borders. Main Research Question Does effective communication, motivation, understanding of cultural diversity solve the problems that arise from the management of virtual teams across transactional borders? Study Objectives To determine whether the proper implementation of effective communication, motivation, and understanding of cultural diversity solve problems that arise from the management of virtual teams across transactional borders To examine various motivational and leadership techniques that leads to collaboration among individuals of different cultural origins in the virtual teams Limitation of the Study The study will focus on the investigation of effective communic ation and understanding of cultural diversity to solve the problems that arise from the management of virtual teams across transactional borders. It will be limited to qualitative research design and analysis. The results will be used to illustrate a problem of communication, poor motivation and misunderstanding of cultural diversity in virtual teams to ensure that people understand the problem. The results will then be used to create awareness embracing effective communication and understanding of different cultures in organisations that practice virtual teamwork rather than the implementation of the plans. As a result, the findings will be based on the generalisation of the available information. Variables Various characteristics that will be measured include dependent variables such as the type of motivation, communication, trust, interactions, and leadership among others. The independent variables will cover the issues that are associated with virtual teams such cultural diversi ty among others. Methodology Research Design and Sampling plan Since the study focuses on investigation of effective communication, motivation and understanding of cultural diversity to solve communication problems in virtual teams across transnational borders, the research will entail a qualitative research design (Mahoney 2010). The nature of the research proposed guarantees investigation techniques thus its findings will be used to illustrate how effective communication can the understanding of cultural diversity in virtual teams are essential. It will be conducted in the various companies in the USA. Managers of the selected companies will be identified to seek contact information that will be useful in the facilitation of the research. Data will be obtained from the focus groups and interviews among other qualitative methods. Interview schedules will be subjected to the employees and managers of selected global companies that have organised virtual teams. Sample Size and Sampli ng Strategy 25 respondents will be selected randomly from each of the multinational companies. 20-percent of them will be from the managerial levels. The four companies to be included will be identified through secondary sources of data such as journals and articles on multinational co-operations based in the USA. The contacts their managers will be contacted using information available about their contact managers or phone numbers indicated in the secondary data. Research Instruments The interview schedule will be semi-structured to ensure detailed information capture. The respondents are expected to understand the both the instruments easily since they will be written in simple English (Cooper Emory 2002). Respondents’ feelings, beliefs, perceptions, and ideas will also ensure that the researcher uses the interview schedules. Some of the questions that will feature in the interview include the following. What do you understand by the term electronic communication? Does th e company embrace robust communication techniques? Does your company use electronic communication in educating virtual employees on common language for your business? Rationale for the Selection The USA was selected as the study area because the country has many multinational companies that embrace diversity inclusion and virtual team management. Rich information on the communication problems will be obtained from multinational companies that have established numerous subsidiaries in different geographic locations worldwide. This strategy will set a framework for studying the management of virtual teams in diversity. The chosen sampling design is also appropriate since the study will focus on the qualitative data. The research after evaluation will further analyse the implementation of motivational techniques and effective communication in ensuring effective communication among virtual teams. Data Analysis for Demographic Variables The demographic variables that will be considered in the study include age, education, virtual learning environment, blackboard usage, video and audio podcasts, and cultural background among others. The variables will be analysed using univariate analysis or tables. The results will be easily compiled using the SPSS version 21. The univariate analysis will indicate details about age distribution frequencies, central tendencies (mean, mode, and median), and dispersions such as range, standard deviation, and variance (Bradley, Curry, Devers 2007). Data Analysis for Study Variables Inferential statistics will be used to elaborate then inferences from the study. Tests that will be conducted include the t-test, Chi-Square test, and one-way ANOVA among other multivariate methods (Bradley, Curry, Devers 2007). Ethics for the Research This research will be conducted after seeking permission various multinational companies that will be selected for the study. The respondents will be issued with consent forms to participate willingly in th e study. Upon their acceptance, they will be engaged in the research (Miller et al. 2012). As aforementioned, the research will seek to investigate effective communication and motivation techniques in the management of in virtual teams across transnational borders. It will focus on seeking ways to alleviate the challenges that are encountered in the management of virtual teams with a view of increasing organisational efficiency. Review of Five Journal Papers relevant to the Topic ‘Leadership for Global Virtual Teams: Facilitating Teamwork Processes’ by Carter, Seely, Dagosta, De-Church, and Zaccaro In their article, Carter et al. (2015) posit that competition, complexities, and structures of organisations in the global scene have undergone tremendous change. However, with increased and sophisticated means of communication, linking virtual teams has become easier. This situation has resulted in effective management of business operations. Carter et al. (2015) further aff irm that managers must ensure a deeper understanding of cultural backgrounds, nationalities, communication technology, and team dynamics to resolve hitches the that arise from the management of virtual teams (Carter et al. 2015). ‘Structuring Successful Global Virtual Teams’ by Miloslavic, Wildman, and Thayer According to Miloslavic, Wildman, and Thayer (2015), teams have become paramount to efficient production in organisations. They further attest that teamwork results in increased the work handling capacity. It also provides new techniques that align with the demands of the global market. However, Miloslavic, Wildman, and Thayer (2015) posit that leaders should consider issues that can arise due to cultural differences. Resourceful collaboration among the members of virtual teams is required for the success of any organisation. However, communication is a crucial factor in creation and maintenance of bonds among employees. Robust communication channels should be deve loped by implementing advanced technological systems. Therefore, managers should ensure that methods such as videoconferencing and teleconferencing are implemented for success in management of virtual teams (Miloslavic, Wildman, Thayer 2015). ‘Leading Global Teams Means Dealing with Different’ by Wildman Griffith Wildman and Griffith (2015) attest that the current global business is faced with challenges that affect efficient virtual team leadership. Leaders must have the right knowledge and tools to explore cultural diversity with a view of alleviating challenges that are related to the embracement of virtual teams. Wildman and Griffith (2015) claim that leaders should be aware of interpersonal cues, diversity inclusion, and appreciation of the world’s diverse cultures. Factors such as virtual communication and mutual leader-follower relationships are paramount to the active contribution towards improved business performance (Wildman Griffith 2015). ‘Cu lture, Communication, and Conflict: A Review of the Global Virtual Team Literature’ by Scott Wildman Scott and Wildman (2015) view virtual teams as the most modern techniques used in various organisations to capture large market shares, meet vast needs of consumers, and overcome geographical barriers. In a research that was conducted prior to publishing of the article, Scott and Wildman (2015) found that the primary issues that dominated their findings regarding virtual information included cultural diversity, effective communication, and conflict management. Scott and Wildman (2015) mentioned that teleconferencing, video conferencing, and e-mailing were the feasible solutions for communication issues among the virtual teams. Understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity also play a critical role in the management of virtual teams (Scott Wildman 2015). ‘Virtual team management: what is causing communication breakdown?’ By Lockwood This article holds that flexibility in organisations and ICT improvement resulted in effective management of virtual teams in global businesses. Lockwood (2015), states that most executives experience management drawbacks due to language, cultural, and geographical barriers. Language complexities, cultural misunderstanding, and marginalisation are threats to the development of collaborative virtual teams. As a result, Lockwood (2015) affirms that there is a need for training staff in communication, leadership skills, and different cultural issues that affect the management of teams across transnational borders. Appendix Time Schedule for the Activities Based on 13-week project the following timeframe is scheduled for various activities Activity Time and Date Draft proposal to supervisor Early May 2015 Submission of the proposal Early May 2015 Approval of proposal End of May 2015 Delivering request letter to research office Early June 2015 Data collection and completion Early June to end of Ju ne 2015 Data analysis and completion Early July 2015 Review findings with supervisor Early July 2015 Review final draft report with supervisor Late July 2015 Submit final report to supervisor Early August 2015 References Abbott, G, Gilbert, K Rosinski, P 2013, Cross-cultural working in coaching and mentoring, John Wiley and Sons, Southern Gate, UK. Aragon, S Johnson, S 2002, ‘Emerging roles and competencies for training in effective communication environments’, Advances in developing human resources, vol. 4 no. 4, pp. 424-439. Bachmann, A 2006, ‘Melting pot or tossed salad? Implications for designing effective multicultural workgroups’, Management International Review, vol. 46 no. 6, pp. 721-748. Bell, B Kozlowski, S 2002, ‘A typology of virtual teams implications for effective leadership’, Group Organisation Management, vol. 27 no.1, pp. 14-49. Bjà ¸rn, P Ngwenyama, O 2009, ‘Virtual team collaboration: building shared me aning, resolving breakdowns and creating translucence’, Information Systems Journal, vol.19 no. 3, pp. 227-253. Bradley, E, Curry, L Devers, K 2007, ‘Qualitative data analysis for health services research: developing taxonomy, themes, and theory’, Health services research, vol. 42 no. 4, pp. 1758-1772. Capece, G Costa, R 2009, ‘Measuring knowledge creation in virtual teams through the social network analysis’, Knowledge Management Research Practice, vol. 7 no. 4, pp. 329-338. Carte, T Deines, S 2013, ‘Conflict, Leadership, and Performance: What Virtual Team Members Need to Know’, Proceedings of the Americas Conference on Information Systems, vol. 2 no. 1, pp. 851-860. Carter, D, Seely, P, Dagosta, J, DeChurch, L Zaccaro, S 2015, Leadership for Global Virtual Teams: Facilitating Teamwork Processes, Springer, New York, NY. Chen, T, Chen, Y Chu, H 2008, ‘Developing a trust evaluation method between co-workers in virtual project team for enabling resource sharing and collaboration’, Computers in Industry, vol. 59, no. 6, pp. 565-579. Cheshin, A, Kim, Y, Bos Nathan, D, Ning, N Olson, J 2013, ‘Emergence of differing electronic communication norms within partially distributed teams’, Journal of Personnel Psychology, vol. 12 no. 1, pp. 7. Cifuentes, L Murphy, K 2000, ‘Promoting multicultural understanding and positive self-concept through a distance learning community: Cultural connections’, Educational Technology Research and Development, vol. 48 no. 1, pp. 69-83. Cooper, D Emory, D 2002, Business Research Methods, Richard D. Irwin, Chicago. Creswell, J 2013, Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches, Sage, London. Davis, N, Fletcher, J Absalom, I 2010, E-learning, mixed mode and distance learning for adult literacy, language and numeracy: A case study of a polytechnic, Wellington, New Zealand. Dekker, D, Rutte, C Van den Berg, P 2008, Ã¢â‚¬Ë œCultural differences in the perception of critical interaction behaviours in global virtual teams’, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, vol. 32 no. 5, pp. 441-452. Earley, C Mosakowski, E 2000, ‘Creating hybrid team cultures: An empirical test of transnational team functioning’, Academy of Management Journal, vol. 43 no. 1, pp. 26-49. Erez, M 2010, ‘Culture and job design’, Journal of Organisational Behaviour, vol. 31 no. 3, pp. 389-400. Gazor, H 2012, ‘A Literature Review on Challenges of Virtual Team’s Leadership’, Journal of Sociological Research, vol. 3 no. 2, pp. 134. Geister, S, Konradt, U Hertel, G 2006, ‘Effects of process feedback on motivation, satisfaction, and performance in virtual teams’, Small group research, vol. 37 no. 5, pp. 459-489. Holton, J 2001, Building trust and collaboration in a virtual team, Team performance management: an international journal, vol. 7 no. 3, pp. 36-47. Huang , R, Kahai, S Jestice, R 2010, ‘The contingent effects of leadership on team collaboration in virtual teams’, Computers in Human Behaviour, vol. 26 no. 5, pp. 1098-1110. Hunsaker, P Hunsaker, J 2008, ‘Virtual teams: a leader’s guide’, Team Performance Management: An International Journal, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 86-101. Jarvenpaa, S, Shaw, T Staples, D 2004, ‘Toward contextualised theories of trust: The role of trust in global virtual teams’, Information systems research, vol. 15 no. 3, pp. 250-267. Kayworth, T Leidner, D 2002, ‘Leadership effectiveness in global virtual teams’, Journal of Management Information Systems, vol. 18 no. 3, pp. 7-40. Keller, J 2008, ‘First principles of motivation to learn and e3†learning’, Distance Education, vol. 29 no. 2, pp. 175-185. Lockwood, J 2015, ‘Virtual team management: what is causing communication breakdown?’, Language and Intercultural Communication, vol. 15 no. 1, pp. 125-140. Mahoney, J 2010, ‘After KKV: The new methodology of qualitative research’, World Politics, vol. 62 no. 1, pp. 120-147. Malhotra, A Majchrzak, A 2004, ‘Enabling knowledge creation in far-flung teams: best practices for IT support and knowledge sharing’, Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 8 no. 4, pp. 75-88. McArdle, B Anderson, M 2001, ‘Fitting multivariate models to community data: a comment on distance-based redundancy analysis’, Ecology, vol. 82 no. 1, pp. 290-297. Miller, T, Birch, M, Mauthner, M Jessop, J 2012, Ethics in qualitative research, Sage, Newcastle, UK. Miloslavic, S, Wildman, J Thayer, A 2015, Structuring Successful Global Virtual Teams, Springer, New York, NY. Moore, J, Dickson-Deane, C Galyen, K 2011, â€Å"e-Learning, online learning, and distance learning environments: Are they the same?†, The Internet and Higher Education, vol.14 no.2, pp.129–135 Nash, A Kallenbach, S 2009, Making it worth the stay: Findings from the New England Adult Learner Persistence Project, New England Literacy Resource Center, Boston, MA. Overton, L, Hills, H Dixon, G 2007, Towards maturity: Looking at the impact of effective communication in the workplace, e-Skills, London, UK. Piccoli, G, Powell, A Ives, B 2004, ‘Virtual teams: team control structure, work processes, and team effectiveness’, Information Technology People, vol. 17 no. 4, pp. 359-379. Punch, K 2013, Introduction to social research: Quantitative and qualitative approaches, Sage, London. Rawbone, R 2015, ‘Doing a Successful Research Project—Using Qualitative or Quantitative Methods’, Occupational Medicine, vol. 65 no. 2, pp. 169-170. Scott, C Wildman, J 2015, Culture, Communication, and Conflict: A Review of the Global Virtual Team Literature, Springer, New York, NY. Shachaf, P Hara, N 2006, ‘Team Effectiveness in Virtual Environments: An Ecological Approach’, Tea ching and Learning with Virtual Teams, vol. 1 no. 1, pp. 83-108. Siebdrat, F, Hoegl, M Ernst, H 2009, ‘How to manage virtual teams’, MIT Sloan Management Review, vol. 50 no. 4, pp. 63-68. Song, Z Liu, W 2013, ‘The challenge of wide application of information and communication technologies to traditional location theory’, Journal of Geographical Sciences, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 315-330. Stahl, G, Mà ¤kelà ¤, K, Zander, L Maznevski, M 2010, ‘A look at the bright side of multicultural team diversity’, Scandinavian Journal of Management, vol. 26 no. 4, pp. 439-447. Stahl, G, Maznevski, M, Voigt, A Jonsen, K 2010, ‘Unraveling the effects of cultural diversity in teams: A meta-analysis of research on multicultural work groups’, Journal of international business studies, vol. 41 no. 4, pp. 690-709. Taha, Z, Ahmed, S Ale Ebrahim, N 2009, ‘Virtual teams: a literature review’, Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences , vol. 3 no. 1, pp. 3. United Nations Economic and Social Council 2006, Bridging the Technology Gap Between and Within Nations, https://unctad.org/en/docs/ecn162006d2_en.pdf. Wagner, D Kozma, R 2005, New technologies for literacy and adult education: A global perspective, UNESCO, Paris. Whatley, J, Zaitseva, E Zakrzewska, D 2009, ‘Student Motivation in International Collaboration: To Participate or Not to Participate?’, Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, vol. 3 no. 1, pp. 1699-1718. Wildman, J Griffith, R 2015, Leading Global Teams Means Dealing with Different, Springer New York. Yip, G Dempster, A 2005, ‘Using the internet to enhance global strategy’, European Management Journal, vol. 23 no. 1, pp. 1-13. Zakaria, N, Amelinckx, A Wilemon, D 2004, ‘Working together apart? Building a knowledge†sharing culture for global virtual teams’, Creativity and innovation management, vol. 13 no. 1, pp. 15-29. This proposal on Communication Effectiveness in the Management of Virtual Teams was written and submitted by user Namor to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Chaco Road System - Southwestern Americas Ancient Roads

The Chaco Road System - Southwestern America's Ancient Roads One of the most fascinating and intriguing aspects of Chaco Canyon is the Chaco Road, a system of roads radiating out from many Anasazi  Great House sites such as Pueblo Bonito, Chetro Ketl and Una Vida, and leading towards small outlier sites and natural features within and beyond the canyon limits. Through satellite images and ground investigations, archaeologists have detected at least eight main roads that together run for more than 180 miles (ca 300 kilometers), and are more than 30 feet (10 meters) wide. These were excavated into a smooth leveled surface in the bedrock or created through the removal of vegetation and soil. The Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi) residents of Chaco Canyon cut large ramps and stairways into the cliff rock to connect the roadways on the ridgetops of the canyon to the sites on the valley bottoms. The largest roads, constructed at the same time as many of the Great Houses  (Pueblo II phase between AD 1000 and 1125), are: the Great North Road, the South Road, the Coyote Canyon Road, the Chacra Face Road, Ahshislepah Road, Mexican Springs Road, the West Road and the shorter Pintado-Chaco Road. Simple structures like berms and walls are found sometimes aligned along the courses of the roads. Also, some tracts of the roads lead to natural features such as springs, lakes, mountain tops and pinnacles. The Great North Road The longest and most famous of these roads is the Great North Road. The Great North Road originates from different routes close to Pueblo Bonito and Chetro Ketl. These roads converge at Pueblo Alto and from there lead north beyond the Canyon limits. There are no communities along the roads course, apart from small, isolated structures. The Great North Road does not connect Chacoan communities to other major centers outside the canyon. Also, material evidence of trade along the road is scarce. From a purely functional perspective, the road seems to go nowhere. Purposes of the Chaco Road Archaeological interpretations of the Chaco road system are divided between an economic purpose and a symbolic, ideological role linked to ancestral Puebloan beliefs. The system was first discovered at the end of the 19th century, and first excavated and studied in the 1970s. Archaeologists suggested that the roads main purpose was to transport local and exotic goods inside and outside the canyon. Someone also suggested that these large roads were used to quickly move an army from the canyon to the outlier communities, a purpose similar to the road systems known for the Roman empire. This last scenario has long been discarded because of the lack of any evidence of a permanent army. The economic purpose of the Chaco road system is shown by the presence of luxury items at Pueblo Bonito and elsewhere in the canyon. Items such as macaws, turquoise, marine shells, and imported vessels prove the long distance commercial relations Chaco had with other regions. A further suggestion is that the widespread use of timber in Chacoan constructionsa resource not locally availableneeded a large and easy transportation system. Chaco Road Religious Significance Other archaeologists think instead that the main purpose of the road system was a religious one, providing pathways for periodic pilgrimages and facilitating regional gatherings for seasonal ceremonies. Furthermore, considering that some of these roads seem to go nowhere, experts suggest that they can be linkedespecially the Great North Roadto astronomical observations, solstice marking, and agricultural cycles. This religious explanation is supported by modern Pueblo beliefs about a North Road leading to their place of origin and along which the spirits of the dead travel. According to modern pueblo people, this road represents the connection to the shipapu, the place of emergence of the ancestors. During their journey from the shipapu to the world of the living, the spirits stop along the road and eat the food left for them by the living. What Archaeology tells us About the Chaco Road Astronomy certainly played an important role in Chaco culture, as it is visible in the north-south axis alignment of many ceremonial structures. The main buildings at Pueblo Bonito, for example, are arranged according to this direction and probably served as central places for ceremonial journeys across the landscape. Sparse concentrations of ceramic fragments along the North Road have been related to some sort of ritual activities carried out along the roadway. Isolated structures located on the roadsides as well as on top of the canyon cliffs and ridge crests have been interpreted as shrines related to these activities. Finally, features such as long linear grooves were cut into the bedrock along certain roads which dont seem to point to a specific direction. It has been proposed that these were part of pilgrimage paths followed during ritual ceremonies. Archaeologists agree that the purpose of this road system may have changed through time and that the Chaco Road system probably functioned for both economic and ideological reasons. Its significance for archaeology lies in the possibility to understand the rich and sophisticated cultural expression of ancestral Puebloan societies. Sources This article is a part of the About.com guide to the Anasazi (Ancestral Puebloan) Culture, and the Dictionary of Archaeology. Cordell, Linda 1997 The Archaeology of the Southwest. Second Edition. Academic Press Soafer Anna, Michael P. Marshall and Rolf M. Sinclair 1989 The great North Road: a cosmographic expression of the Chaco culture of New Mexico. In World Archaeoastronomy, edited by Anthony Aveni, Oxford University Press. pp: 365-376 Vivian, R. Gwinn and Bruce Hilpert 2002 The Chaco Handbook. An Encyclopedic Guide. The University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City.

Reading Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 24

Reading Response - Essay Example The author presents practical advice to female students on how they can take responsibility in their lives. The practical guidelines of taking responsibility of one’s life presented by the author reveals the conviction that, if women fail to do so, then things can only get worse for them. At this point, it becomes unclear whether only women should take responsibility or whether the entire society should make concerted efforts in promoting the status of the women in the society (Rich 27). The second article considered is authored by Amy Richards and Jennifer Baumgardner and titled, â€Å"A Day without Feminism.† This article effectively helps the reader to imagine how the status of women in the society would still be if women in the past had not embarked on activism that led to increased freedom enjoyed by women. The authors paint a picture of different aspects of life that would have remained oppressive to women if feminism did not emerge. Totally agree with the views of the authors on how life would be without feminism. Moreover, it successfully reveals the patriarchal attitudes that would still define the society while women remained completely passive. According to these authors, women living in the 21st century and the new millennium have to exhibit gratitude to the women who depicted concerted efforts in campaigning for the rights of women (Richards & Jennifer 30). This marks one of the intriguing lessons that I learned from the text concerning how much modern women owe to the earlier feminists. This text is related to other outstanding texts concerning feminism, and the authors explore concepts similar to those explored by other feminist authors. One of the questions that may be posed is, â€Å"when will women stop claiming an education and start receiving it?† The second question would be, â€Å"How has feminism changed the lives of

Identifying Female Masquerading Through Film Essay

Identifying Female Masquerading Through Film - Essay Example Once spectators feel a comfortable disconnect from the women on screen, they are able to realize that the representations being presented to them on the big screen are exaggerated masks of femininity. An example of this concept in action can be seen in the iconic actress Marilyn Monroe. During her career, Monroe was known for her ability to infuse overt and blatant sexuality into all of her performances. While she quickly became famous for her figure and sexual nature, she was not a person with whom the average female spectator would identify herself with. This disconnect is what the female masquerade is based around. With female spectators subconsciously separating themselves from the women they are seeing on screen, they are able to step back and view how these women use excessive femininity to play a part or get what they want on screen. Although women may be able to take bits and pieces of this type of behavior back into their regular lives, actually infusing this into their dail y world is not something they would feel comfortable doing   - which is why the world of film allows female spectators to pretend to be someone else. The next concept of the imaginary signifier is defined by Christian Metz. This theory consists of tying cinema’s interlocking mechanisms of production, exhibition and the development of movies themselves to the audience response of fantasy, desire and pleasures. As Metz describes, imaginary signifiers are essential in film because their purpose is to have movies act as â€Å"good† objects for audiences.... An example of this concept in action can be seen in the iconic actress Marilyn Monroe. During her career, Monroe was known for her ability to infuse overt and blatant sexuality into all of her performances. While she quickly became famous for her figure and sexual nature, she was not a person with whom the average female spectator would identify herself with. This disconnect is what the female masquerade is based around. With female spectators subconsciously separating themselves from the women they are seeing on screen, they are able to step back and view how these women use excessive femininity to play a part or get what they want on screen. Although women may be able to take bits and pieces of this type of behavior back into their regular lives, actually infusing this into their daily world is not something they would feel comfortable doing - which is why the world of film allows female spectators to pretend to be someone else. The next concept of the imaginary signifier is define d by Christian Metz. This theory consists of tying cinema’s interlocking mechanisms of production, exhibition and the development of movies themselves to the audience response of fantasy, desire and pleasures (Pieto, 2010). As Metz describes, imaginary signifiers are essential in film because their purpose is to have movies act as â€Å"good† objects for audiences. These positive experiences connect audiences with pleasurable emotions and therefore create a draw which will leave film spectators wanting to return to the cinema to experience those same emotions again. This theory can be furthered upon analyzing how people develop the type of movie genres they enjoy. Ask any person what their favorite

Career Development Plan Part 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Career Development Plan Part 4 - Essay Example This paper analyses the new compensation plan at InterClean Corporation. A well structure compensation plan reduces employee turnover and increases corporate profits since it provides adequate incentive for an employee to increase their productivity. The old InterClean had a sales staff that got awarded a sales commission for the sales an employee obtained. This system force the employee to think about individual results, since the salesperson pay would increment based on his/hers achievements. Since the company offered simple product this was a viable strategy. This no longer applies to the new business model the company is implementing. Teamwork is now more important than ever and long term satisfaction of the customer is a strategic focus that must be pursed in order to achieve customer retention. In the solution based business follow up contracts with the clients generated a lot of income for the enterprise. There are two types of rewards systems that cam be used by a company. These two types of rewards are intrinsic rewards and extrinsic rewards. Intrinsic rewards are positively valued work outcomes that the individual receives as a result of work outcomes, while extrinsic rewards are positively valued work outcomes that are given to an individual or group by some other person or source in the setting (Schermerhorn & Hunt & Osborn, 2003). The total compensation plan the company will offer has to satisfy the needs of both the employee and the firm. The firm does not want to establish a plan that does not encourage professional development and teamwork. The new compensation plan the company will offer to its salespeople will be profit sharing plan with a group merit pay element as well as other individual incentives. In a profit sharing plan a company contributes a portion of its pre-tax profits to a pool that will be distributed among the eligible employees (Hr-guide, 2008). The profit sharing at InterClean will be calculated

Does Caribbean Poetry Reflect Our Shared History English Literature Essay

Does Caribbean Poetry Reflect Our Shared History English Literature Essay As a collective group, the Caribbean people celebrate an eclectic melding of the differences inherent in our ancestry with an appreciation of the influences wrought upon us by the history of the islands, and our development may be chronicled through an examination of the poetry and poetic styles of the poets who seek to give a voice to the diverse, yet collective identity of the Caribbean throughout our growth. The poetry of the region reflects the distinct composite factors which characterize the evolution of the people and the Caribbean islands: the difference is evident in the persons who composed the poems, the subject matter, form, style, the target audience, and the ideological interests which were served. Initially, in the eighteenth century, at one end of the spectrum there were poets who ascribed to the scribal traditions of the English verse as it had developed by that period. These poets hailed from the white master class and dealt primarily with a glorification of the adventure of colonization in the Caribbean. The target audience was the imperial Motherland England, and by extension the other European nations. The pattern of the poems followed the blank verse, pastoral modes, personification, and a poetic diction consistent with the European poets of the era, such as Milton. The subject matter praised an idealized notion of the natural beauty of the Caribbean islands as in Weekes Barbados (1754): When frequent Rains, and gentle Showrs descend, / To cheer the Earth, and Natures self revive, / A second Paradise appears! the Isle / Thro-out, one beauteous Garden seems; (Burnett [1986], 102). The poems therefore are typified by a grandiose, eloquent style, liberally interspersed wi th classical allusions which celebrated the supposed grandeur of the West Indies. Singleton, in his A General Description of the West Indian Islands (1767), illustrates this feature: There hollow noises, murmuring thro the vault, / Surprize the listning er; whilst from the deeps / The hoarse Cerberean yell dreadful ascends, / Three times full-echod from the distant hills. (106). Juxtaposed with the idyllic Caribbean scenes described, these poets, such as Weekes in Barbados (1754), represent in their works a form of superficial humane concern for the slaves, coupled with an acceptance of slavery as the ultimate lot of the slave: Close watch, ye Drivers! Your work-hating Gang, / And mark their Labours with a careful Eye; / But spare your cruel, and ungenrous Stripes! / They sure are Men, tho Slaves, and colourd Black; (102). The poems celebration of the grandeur of the tropics [italics mine] is really a celebration of the supposed grandeur of British colonialism in the Caribbean. In m ost cases the poems work to uphold the slave-based socio-political system of the West Indian plantation society. (Baugh, 227-228). At the other end of the spectrum, there are the anonymous, simple expressions of the black slaves their folk songs, ballads, chants and work songs which articulate their observations and emotions while enduring the slavery experience. For example, there is the poignant lament: If me want for go in a Ebo, / Me cant go there! / Since dem tief me from a Guinea, / Me cant go there! (3). In a frustrated tone, wracked with displacement and restriction of movement, the poem solemnizes the plea of the slave while voicing the collective strife of the slaves on the islands. Markedly contrasting with the poetry of the scribal tradition, the poetry of the presumably uneducated Negro slave appeared to be fresh, insightful and engaging in its simplicity. The poems celebrated the oral traditions of the Africans and were imbued with a creative potential which was forged from the melding of the English and West African languages. Thus, even though the poems were written primarily in English, there were distinct African qualities (for example, the folksong tradition), which was only enhanced by the combining of the European ballad tradition: Guinea Corn, I long to see you / Guinea Corn, I long to plant you / Guinea Corn, I long to mould you (4). Significant to note is that the poets focus is on the Guinea Corn of hie native homeland, and not on the sugarcane of the plantations which exploited his labour. Topically, the slave would not have thought to romanticize the natural beauty of the islands in which they now lived under such persecution. Rather, focal points of their poems may have been entrenched in the desire to retain their native identities and in finding ways of re-defining their identities in the new context of the Caribbean. While it stands to reason that the dichotomy shown here epitomizes the expected disparity of thought and should, in fact, highlight the distinctions among the Caribbean people, the evolution of the Caribbean towards the abolition of slavery gave birth to an innovative poetic voice, one which emerged as a spokesperson chronicling the debacle of the slave trade and the slave experience: Was there no mercy, mother of the slave! No friendly hand to succor and to save, While commerce thus thy captive tribes oppressd, And lowering vengeance lingerd oer the west? Yes, Africa! Beneath the strangers rodà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦From isle to isle the welcome tidings ran; The slave that heard them started into man: Like Peter, sleeping in his chains, he lay, The angel came, his night was turnd to day; Arise! his fetters fell, his slumbers flee; He wakes to life, he springs to liberty. (Montgomery [1807], 1-5, 76-77). This poetic voice also interwove the African oral tradition into the fabric of the European poetic form, creating a new composite form which, for the first time, attempted to bridge the gap between the Standard English language and the language of the slaves. In his pioneer attempt, Moretons Ballad (1790) is an example of this: Altho a slave me is born and bred, / My skin is black, not yellow: (Burnett, 112). With this initial foray into the experimental Creole art form, the fact that poets of Caucasian descent were willing to both pen and publish poems in this native dialect spoke loudly to the impending communal focus of poetry in the Caribbean isles, and by extension, the duality of distinct peoples writing for the same purpose: to record a shared history and to give a unique voice to Caribbean literary works. That is not to say that all poems written in this time period were imbued with a humane outlook on the Africans. Many poets who were members of the privileged class ventured into this field, using the local vernacular in their scribal works, however the intent of poets such as Cordle and Mc Turk was a humorous depiction of the everyday life of the African in an attempt to appease the target audience which was still predominantly European. A prime example of Mc Turks use of the vernacular to poke fun at the African people can be seen in his poem, Query (1899): Da Backra one fo go a hebben? / Da Backra one fo raise like lebben? / Da wa a-we po Negah do? / Make a-we no fo raise up too? (13). It may be noted however, that poets such as Mac Dermot, whose work displayed a Tennysonian sound and feel, as was inevitable due to continued reliance on European form, in Cuba (1950s), showed the redemptive power of Caribbean unity: But we like lovers twain / Are one in joy and pain, (132). The poets and poems of this era depicted, in essence, informative social history documents, however their depiction did not negate the fact that, inevitably, two distinct histories were being interwoven through the medium of the poetry which was written. Without openly acknowledging the fact, the poets became a part of the discourse of history that they shared with historians and travel writers (Baugh, 230). The veer towards the vernacular in poetry which still embodied European forms, and also now American forms in the writing, was extremely valuable as a reflection of social realities which no longer distinguished between the people who populated the Caribbean islands, but rather reflected the shared nature of the their heritage. This fact became more noticeable as the Caribbean and its people continued to evolve. The turn of the century was earmarked by poets such as Claude Mc Kay and Una Marson, whose poetic content highlighted the didactic shift towards a focus on black consciou sness and, in Marsons work, a predominantly feminist interpretation of the social relations of the era. Although his later works were penned entirely in Standard English and exhibited the lineage of Milton and Wordsworth, the protest sonnets of Mc Kay, such as If We Must Die reflected both the black United States American situation and the Caribbean situation of the time; the racial theme is engaged poignantly, connecting the Black diaspora and speaking for the Black community generally, rather than singularly from the Caribbean perspective: If we must die, O let us nobly die, / So that our precious blood may not be shed / In vain; then even the monsters we defy / Shall be constrained to honour us, though dead! (Burnett, 144). If one examines Mc Kays Creole poetry, there is, in contrast to earlier works by Cordle and Mc Turk in which the African man was patronized, a definitive consciousness of the black people: I born right don beneat de clack / (You ugly brute, you tun you back?) / Don tink dat Im a come-aroun / I born right way in panish Town. (Brown, 7). The new female consciousness presented by Marson was also linked to black awareness on a holistic level. This black awareness fuses with class consciousness in Marsons simple diction and syntax, while her rhyme draws heavily from the Blues tradition of the American poetic form: I like me black face / And me kinky hair. / I like me black face / And me kinky hair. / But nobody leves dem, / I jes dont tink its fair. (Burnett, 158). What was seen to emerge was poets working conjointly to produce a new West Indian poetic tradition. Thematically the poets wrote in the context of the changing sociopolitical consciousness, exhibiting a new level of seriousness, characterized by a nationalistic slant, an exploration of the social realities of the time, and profoundly proclaiming a search for a shared Caribbean identity. The poems which grew out of the early to mid-twentieth century gave more attention to the search for a unique voice and although typified by derivations from the modern English and American poets of the time, for example, Auden, Eliot and Pound, there was a decided split from the European tradition. Nowhere does this split show itself to be more evident than in the secular works of Louise Bennett. Written entirely in the Jamaican Creole, Bennetts work legitimized the Creole in a way that no-one elses had as yet. Employing the primarily dramatic monologue, interspersed intermittently with the short narrative form, and with heavy reliance on the oral traditions, Bennett engages the reader vicariously in the grassroots wisdom of her personae. Her sharply probing yet objective eye exposes the naÃÆ' ¯vetà © of the Caribbean people. Her tone which is sometimes chastising, is at all times, even in the midst of her reliance on comedy as a medium of exposition, satirical as she figuratively holds up a mirror to societys foibles. Her ideas dwell on the peoples articulation of self and their place in the history of the Caribbean. Distinguishing identity becomes an inevitable condition as the people define themselves. In her works, for example, Colonization in Reverse, the reader can see how Bennett acts as a reporter and commentator on an event of both historical significance and psychological interest to the Caribbean people the exodus of Caribbean nationals to England during the post-war period: Wat a joyful news, Miss Mattie, I feel like me heart gwine burs Jamaica people colonizing Englan in reverseà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Oonoo see how life is funny, Oonoo see de tunabout? Jamaica live fe box bread Out a English people moutà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Brown, 32). The delivery is characterized by a high degree of verbal and gestural expressiveness however the irony and counter-irony of the situation chronicle the poem. The dialect which is used as the medium of delivery serves mainly to highlight the unfolding drama of West Indian consciousness as the speaker debates the issue of a counter-colonization of England, and the West Indian nationals search for an identifiable history. To many of the West Indian poets such as Bennett, the tradition of English poetic form which was inherited as a part of our colonial history became progressively constrained and oppressive as the islands and their people moved towards self-realization. The need for a Caribbean poetry which encapsulated the essence of the Caribbean peoples shared history and drive towards progress and self-actualiaztion became the fore-runner of thematic influence for the poets topics. The desire for a poetry which spoke of, to and for West Indians was begun by poets like Bennett and realized in poets such as Derek Walcott and (Edward) Kamau Brathwaite. Their poems expressed a possibility for the creation of a new Caribbean world differentiated by its very divergence from Europe and America. Walcotts vision essentially delineates the social realities which have to be transformed in order for a new world vision to transcend into reality. His poetry reinvented the Caribbean landscape through the languag e which defined the qualities of the Caribbean life and people. The vision, which was also influenced by the plight of the Middle Passage extends to all races that comprised the Caribbean. Walcotts poetry did not highlight distinctions among the people, rather when he speaks of race he refers to all Caribbean people, and this vision further extends to embrace all human suffering and the need for survival. The Native Americans tragedy served only to deepen his concern for the Black diaspora, his outrage and lament not singularly focused on the Cherokee Trail of Tears nor the Gulag Archipelago, but a lament for the injustice of all systems of abuse and slavery which prioritized the financial gain of the enterprise above the inhumanities inflicted on the individual. Walcotts poetry can be said to subsume the whole history of grief inherited by the Caribbean people. History itself, for him, becomes a centrally comprehensive theme, such that the gnarled, sea-almond trees on any Atlantic- facing Caribbean coast represent for the poet the resiliency of the people, their capacity to endure, and to build a culture out of a common catastrophe: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦their leaves broad dialect a coarse, / enduring sound / they shared together. (Walcott, 23). Brathwaite shared Walcotts vision as he clearly established [a] single-minded pursuit of an alternative tradition for West Indian poetry. He grounded it in the retrieval and recognition of African cultures and of communal knowledge lost or submerged in the Middle Passageà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Baugh, 255): à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦memories trunked up in a dark attic, he stumps up the stares of our windows, he stares, stares he squats on the tips of our language black burr of conundrums eye corner of ghosts, ancient his- tories; (Brathwaite, 165). For Brathwaite, his poetry utilizes black musical expressions from both sides of the Atlantic and combines them with black vernacular and Standard English to re-enact or evoke significant moments of Black experience. His goal may be seen as to renew a sense of community and shared purpose among the dispersed African peoples. Brathwaites poems are simultaneously a lament and a celebration of the black diaspora, his heroes and speakers composites of all the changing faces and voices of the new Caribbean. Renewal and community emerge as the desired home out of a legacy of exile and fragmented identity. For both Walcott and Brathwaite, their representations of contemporary society resound with the understanding of the colonial legacy bequeathed to the Caribbean people. The latter half of the Twentieth Century heralded the emergence of yet another poetic voice. This voice was that of the West Indian feminist who sought to establish the importance of the contribution of the female figure in the West Indian community. Poets such as Merle Collins and Lorna Goodison spoke out forthrightly against male-dominated power structures and engaged questions of the womans role in issues of history, class and race. Goodisons poetry for example resonates with a deep sense of history, generates a sense of creativity and focuses on the multi-dimensional roles of women in the society, sharing with Brathwaite and Walcott that vibrant sense of identity evident in her works which characteristically display Caribbean and African-American people music within a social and native consciousness that this type of music includes: Mother, there is the stone on the hearts of some women and men something like an onyx, cabochon-cut, which hung on the wearer seeds bad dreams. Speaking for the small dreamers of this earth, plagued with nightmares, yearning for healing dreams we want the stone to move. (Goodison, 4). Poems such as this encapsulate the breadth of the female form, claiming the womans place as the cultural regenerator of the people. Also extending the range of artistic use of the oral tradition into the current century, infusing it with the urgency of new, deprived generations and speaking the language of the street, the poetry of poets such as Linton Kwesi Johnson gained new popularity as dub poetry, a poetry which could trace its lineage to the oral inventiveness of the tenement yards and ghettos. However, although the poetry is at times interspersed with impressions of violence, it affirms the deep cultural significance and identification of the Caribbean people with social protest: dem is awftin decried an denied dem is awftin ridiculed an doungraded dem is sometimes kangratulated an celebrated dem is sometimes suprised an elated but as yu mite have already guess dem is awftin foun wantin more or less dus spoke di wizen wans af ole dis is a story nevvah told (Brown, 274). The writers explored here are not all of one and the same generation. Nonetheless they identify in crucial ways the Caribbeans origins; their sense of location is creatively problematic and their postcolonial sensibility appears uneasily chronicled. However the idea of a divided immigrant to the Caribbean does not hold true. Rather, one can literally trace the development of the Caribbean, and its continuing development, through the voice which these poets give to their works of art. There is a specially defined relationship of the Caribbean national to his home and identity, however multi-faceted it may appear to be. His colonial redefinition is still incomplete but the process, however delayed, is inevitable. Poets of the West Indies, through their thematic content, their use of language, their adaptation of form and their ability to acquire a target audience which was, in effect, a locally appreciative entourage, all shared in the singular rhetoric which captured the shared experi ence of the Caribbean people and gave to the islands a unique form of identity. As Eric Roach notes in his poem Love Over-grows a Rock (1992), the hope for the Caribbean peoples future lies summarily in transcending insularity through a shared regional identity and dream: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦So, from my private hillock / In Atlantic I join cry: / Come, seine the archipelago; / Disdain the sea; gather the islands hills / Into the blue horizons of our love. (Rohlehr, 284).

Adolf Hitler Essay -- essays research papers

ADOLF HITLER ESSAY 8   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Defeat in WWI shocked the German people. Despair increased as the army returned to a bankrupt country. Millions of Germans could find no jobs. A weak republic had replaced the defeated empire.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the war Hitler returned to Munich and joined a small nationalist group called the German Workers’ Party. In 1920 this group changed its name to the Nationalist Socialist German Workers’ Party, which became known as the Nazi Party. The Nazis called for the union into one nation of all Germans, including those in other countries. They favored the creation of a strong central government and cancellation of the Versailles Treaty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hitler was a skillful schemer, politician, and organizer. He became a leader of the Nazis and built up party membership quickly. Hitler attacked the government, and declared that only the Nazi party could assure jobs for the workers and greatness for Germany. He also organized a private army of men who became known as Storm Troopers. They fought Communists and others who tried to break up the Nazi rallies. By Oct, 1923, the Storm Troops numbered 15,000 men, armed with machine guns and rifles. Hitler used brown-shirted uniforms and the swastika emblem to give his followers a sense of unity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On Nov. 8, 1923, at a rally in a Munich beer hall, Hitler proclaimed a Nazi revolution. The next day he tried to seize the Bavarian...

International Student Organization

International student organization. East Carolina University is a university with enrollment around 30,000 students; 299 of them is international students from 67 countries. When students choose to attend the university; they begin a new part of life. Many students go to study in other cities, and some students go to other countries. America is a very popular and high-class education that is valued all over the world, and of course a lot of students from other countries want to get a degree here.People in different countries behave differently: religion, ethnicity, geographic location and quality of life plays an important role in the behavior of people. Therefore, students that come to America from other countries have more difficulty than those who were born and raced here. Foreign students need time to adjust to a different culture, a different language, and many other things.A possible way for international student to deal with the complexities of ECU joins the International Stud ent Organization (ISA). The ISA help international students understand American culture and feel more like at home by having festivals, shopping and field trips and a lot of different events. The ISA , one of over 200 student organizations at ECU, is mostly composed of foreign exchange students, or students who were not born in America although. The meetings and club are open to anyone who wants to join.The main reason it was setup was to give international students an opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the American culture in part through a campus experience, and also to offer non-international ECU students, with an interest in one cultures, knowledge and experience in working with individuals from other backgrounds. It also allows international and American students to share experience and learn about other cultures at personal point of view.The ISA cooperating with International House provides a special orientation for international students through the â€Å"First f riend program† (FFP) so that new students do not feel lonely. International Ports O’Call stage of PirateFest The International student organization was involved in many activities and events. One of the biggest events in which ISA was involved in was the Pirate festival. PirateFest gives international students a chance to share their culture to help others understand them etter. This â€Å"annual event celebrates eastern North Carolina's rich history steeped with famous pirates, including the infamous Blackbeard and Greenville's own Pirates of ECU† (Mike Davis), and encourages people to wear pirate regalia-hats, swords, and eye patches. The festival is held over two days and is composed of different stages, each of which represents a different event. The event feature food, art and crafts vendors and also musical and stage performers.Historical trolley tours stage is a very useful and interesting part of the festival because it's a great way to move around the fe stival especially for international students who do not know the location of streets in the city. One of the most interesting stages for international students was the â€Å"International Ports O'Call† because includes music, food, and attractions from nations around the world, and it will definitely help international students to feel more like at home and make it hard to forget about their culture.For international students who are coming to study in another country it is hard to find friends. It is not easy to get used to the different behavior of people and be open to new acquaintances. Therefore, and in cooperation with ISA the international house created the program called â€Å"First friend program†(FFP). To be involved in FFP both mentor and mentee must fill out an application, which has questions that help determine the background, interests, preferences and other information needed to help decide the best mentee-mentee match.The FFP is really easy because by filling out an application you know that you'll meet someone who has same interests as you. The FFP helps international students to adjust to life at ECU as quickly and smoothly as possible, and also enhance satisfaction with their academic and social experience. This program is very useful for students because they will not feel lonely and homesick, they are able to meet new friends and also international students can learn the nuances of culture from the inside, as well as be more successful in learning.Besides homework, tests and grades, a student social life is fun, but it is not always easy to find entertainment that are always enjoy. Many international students don't have a car and therefore their possibilities are limited, but the international house â€Å"every Friday makes shopping trips†(William Mallett). Drivers take students where they want to go and take them back to residence after shopping. Also every Thursday students can go to greenway excursions. Playing sp orts and socializing in the fresh air, very useful and at the same time you can see new parts of the city as well as make new friends.Most people believe that studying in a different country is a privilege because they are able to experience other cultures, and learn from them. However, in the United States it is not as good as they thought because International students have much more pressure being in this country, and sometimes they cannot handle it very well. Therefore, in the United States the life of an international student is very unfavorable if people compare it to the life of an American student.International students have to learn a new language to study, they cannot work while studying, and their tuition is much more expensive. When people moves to the United Stated to study they imagine that it will be very helpful, and they believe that learning a new language will not be a problem. However, when they really start studying their major, they find out that it is not easy since people have to really understand and appreciate the language. International students have to really learn English, and they have to know how to write it in order to have success.Also, for them to have success in university they have to participate in class, and analyze an amount of readings, and because they are international students, it is very difficult to achieve since they believe that Americans are going to laugh at them or make jokes of them if they say something incorrectly. For example, some Americans do not realize sometimes how hard is for international students being in a different country, with different people, learning a new language, and experiencing different cultures, so some of them do not really appreciate the effort that international students put on being in the United States.It’s way more pressure for international students. They have to have good grades and work as hard as possible, because if not people back home going to put a lot of shame on them and their parents. Studying in different country it is always competition for international students, but if students choose right University where people care about international students and trying to help it shouldn’t be that hard.International student organization definitely helps students from other countries feel more comfortable and less homesick, so they can you do best in classes to compete with other student on the same level. Work cited. Mike,Davis. â€Å"Arrrgh you ready for Pirate Fest? † East Carolinian, 12 April 2012 . Web. 1 November. Mallet,William â€Å"International Student Organization. † 30 october. 2012 [email  protected] edu Personal page Office of International Affairs www. ecu. edu/intlaffairs/

Role Models essays

Role Models essays It is easy to answer some hard questions such as what does DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) stand for. One who studies in microbiology gets that answer in one second. For some easy questions, where does your character and personality come from? it is hard to answer such easy questions. One needs more time to get the answer. Psychologists may be concerned about ones childhood period and family environment. The character and personality is under the control of inherited genes but also is influenced by the environment. It is generally believed that the influence came from a family member during the childhood period and would spread to adulthood. To make a good character and personality for children, a family member needs to be a good role model. The essay An American Childhood by Annie Dillard is a good example of how a family member has influence on the children. This essay expresses her idea about her mother when the author looks back at her young age. Children will copy his or her character from the nearest person around them and develop this process until they mature. Family members would be the biggest influence to young children. A young girl imitates her mother and a young boy imitates his father, respectively. From the essay, Dillard said a lot about her mothers character and emotion in many points. Her mother is a strong and independent woman. The author says, She was an unstoppable force; she never let go(210). She means that her mother has strong energy to get something done and she never stops until it is accomplished. Her mothers character might differ from other ordinary women at the same time in the early 1960s. Her mother develops the seed of character and personality, which is the great impact and influence on her. For example, her mother questioned her about her assumption that Eisenhower would win the election. How do you know?(210) her mother questioned her. She...

RFID Tags essays

RFID Tags essays We all buy and shop in retail stores everyday and do not think anything of it. Know imagine walking into your favorite or local retail store and within seconds, a retail staff member offers you your favorite types of products from clothing to toothpaste. Not only does the staff member offer you your favorite types of products, but also your preferences. For instance, they offer you Scope mouthwash over Colgate because that is what you prefer. In addition, they know your pants size and style, that you buy a new tube of hemorrhoid cream every three months or so, which stores you usually shop in, your credit rating, and the number of miles currently on all four tires of your vehicle; and that is just the beginning (about.com, 2004). A sound like fiction right, but the reality is that there is a technology out there tracking consumers through the clothes and shoes they wear, and other products that we buy without us even knowing about it. The source of all that information lies within a new tracking technology known as RFID, which stands for radio frequency identification, which involves tags and readers (Kantor, 2003). RFID tags are microchips that range in size from as large as a grain of sand to as small as a speck of dust (about.com, 2004). Something this small would be hard to spot and can be placed on everything without the consumers knowledge, even in food products bought at the local grocery store (about.com, 2004). RFID tags are not to be confused with security tags or barcodes because they cannot identify products and detect them at long distances (about.com, 2004). RFID tags can work at close range levels, while others work at long-range levels. What this means is that a product can be traced at a distance 5-miles from the store or 20-miles or more from the store. How are these tags traced? They are traced by using an RFID reader that picks up signals coming from a products RFID tag. When an RFID tag gets...

Health inequalities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Health inequalities - Essay Example In relation to the NHS workforce, only 14% of the total employees come from the black community and other minority ethnicities (BME). At the top leadership level, only one percent of the chief executives came from the BME. The black staffs are also as twice disciplined than the white medical staff. The males from affluent England regions are less likely to suffer disability illnesses than citizens from less deprived regions. The mental patients die 20 years younger than the other general populations (Kureshi, 2014). There is also a big difference in the diagnosis, treatment and outcome of cancer, heart disease, liver disease, stroke and lung disease. Further, the lesbians, gays and bisexuals have a greater probability of getting anxiety disorders and depression (Kureshi, 2014). To address the medical inequalities, National Health Service (NHS) occasionally holds value summits to: deal with Equality Duty within the public sector by enhancing workforce developments and direct commissioning of leaders. The NHS also monitors the Equality Delivery System (EDS) to ensure the delivery of the specific and general duties of the Equality Duty by the public sector. The NHS also persuades the Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in adapting the EDS in meeting the public sectors Equality duty and publishing their own Equality Objectives. The NHS periodically engages all key stakeholders in evaluating the achievements and deficits of its strategic Equality Objectives (Lenard & Straehle, 2012).   The variations are normally caused by quality and outcomes. Quality variations arise due to innovations and developments in healthcare systems. The healthcare is normally provided for by the human beings and even though there is the usage of the same medical equipments, the quality of the service will always vary. The NHS commissioning staffs are

CaseStudy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CaseStudy - Case Study Example The firm is not upgrading its technology soon enough because it is lacking managers that have both business and IT knowledge. The company is heading towards loss of business in future because business and IT departments are both blaming each other. No one is ready to accept responsibility of the problem. First recommendation is to assign a liaison officer between business and IT departments. His job would be to make sure that both departments are on the same page and he would help in facilitating communication between the two departments. The liaison officer should also have an IT and business background. Second recommendation is to set specific goals and objectives for both departments. It is essential that both departments are made responsible for their actions and this will help improve their performance. Both departments are currently blaming each other for their own shortcomings and this will be avoided by setting specific goals for each of them. The goals set should also be measurable so that blame game within the organization is