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Political Rhetoric and the Media
Political Rhetoric and the Media
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Political Rhetoric and the MediaAbstract
Politics marks the leadership of the globe and has been the order even during days of monarchy (Wedeen, 1999). However, these days’ leadership rest solely on the ability to persuade the public to share the same ideologies. The media have always covered the political developments that either project in the opposition of ideologies or advocate for them. Media have also been influenced by the agitation to avoid biases. This paper examines the effect of persuasion (rhetoric) on the mass public with a case study of the American society. It also discusses the relation between the fields of politics and communication and media that has many a times been gruel.
Introduction
In several measures, journalism has partnered with politics to make deliveries on what has evolved into one of the globe’s most dramatic activities; politics. Enthusiastic clarifications on the same have been made many a times with such pragmatic details that either create an aurier of superiority or dent the reputation of targeted figures. Journalism has portrayed politics as the game that defines the leadership of mankind and keeps us outstanding from the rest of animals. However, politics is more than just that.Political rhetoric is the art and mastery of persuasion skills. It is the ability to inform and motivate listeners/audiences to particular conceptions or to convince the masses to share the same viewpoint. Its use has lasted since the 17th century, always employed by the said figures to achieve targets. Together with logic and grammar, the said field was one of the first art’s discourse of the ancient times. As such, it assumed a crucial role in the evolution of Western education (Aristotle, Roberts and Ross, 2010).Leadership of the modern society is very much defined by political rhetoric. The ability to persuade and win and flatter hearts influences the ballot to the favor of individuals skilled in the same. To say, it is hard to find a society led by the dumb.
Uses of Political Rhetoric
The art has been used by politicians very much influenced by the political atmospheres always to create a perception that earns victory or protect status quo (Wedeen, 1999).The art has been the biggest tool for leaders in such positions to spread propaganda and deceive the masses. That is mostly done just so to cover ill cases that either harms the general well being of the society or punctures that political aspirations of certain individuals. Oft have societies thrived on such deceit always convinced of certain repercussions and the enlightened ability of the individual. Propaganda has proved to be the biggest tool in eluding tricky situations and diverting attention of the general public to other matters of less significance (Aristotle, Roberts and Ross, 2010).Rhetoric has also been in use to enlighten the masses. Many a times, this is executed by the opposing leaders who always seek to expose the scams and misdeeds of the sitting leadership so to earn the favor of the citizenry in the ballot. Exposing of the weaknesses of the ruling power always makes the opposing leaders assume the positions of strength, capacity, agility, and ability (Charteris, 2006).
Effects of Political Rhetoric
The art can inspire supporters and make them believe in matters that border vanity. Politicians always make luring promises that assume the image of solutions to the problems that face the public. They present to the public plans and intentions that can either turn around their lives or set the precepts for a new beginning. It thus drives the masses into poverty by diverting their attention to empty promises rather than present the actual solutions (Wedeen, 1999).When a politician employs the use of the art to lure a block vote, failure may result in bitterness. The bitterness and vengeance thirst may lead to segregative development as they seek to punish the regions that did not vote for them. That is because development has been thrust into the hands of politicians. Rhetoric has been used to manipulate the governance of nations for instance, through changes made to national documents like the constitution (Charteris, 2006).
Relation to Media
Interestingly, the media have hardly taken note of either the uses or the effects of political rhetoric on the mass public in keen detail. Matters exposed are always preliminary and serve to the desires of the political elite, assisting them achieve the impact they want to achieve or sometimes denting their reputation (Wedeen, 1999).The evolution of politics has also witnessed the evolution of communication and media. The increasing global political intensity has led to increased competition among media companies thus calling for creativity to beat competition. Shows have evolved to include the much intensity (Willis, 2007).Political rhetoric has also seen the business of mass media and communication boom. The art has attracted more interest all over the globe into politics. More people hence turn to media to get updates on the political proceedings as they want to monitor the political progress of their icons. The field has also inspired aspects of journalism like the investigative journalism, all aimed at exposing the scam that surround the field or to comprehend the developments in the field (Comstock & Scharrer, 2007).In some situations, politics and rhetoric have been used to curtail freedom of the media as politicians make frantic efforts in covering the dirty trails they always leave behind. In some nations, publications of the media are subject to editing and approval by the political rulers. As such, they determine what they term as appropriate and worthy of not harming the intents of the government (Wedeen, 1999).Such relations have sometimes served to the benefit of the public, but in other situations, gagging the media always takes from the masses their rights to information (Comstock & Scharrer, 2007). There are organizations that have come up with strategies that are meant to free the media from political interference that bars them from reporting significant issues. This research examines the effect of politics and its rhetoric on the masses (Willis, 2007).
Methodology
Different research factors were put in place to examine the effect of the power of political persuasion of the general public. The American society has been selected for a case study to help with analyzing the impact of the same.
I. Case Study
The U.S, with all its enormous resource of population and intelligence, stands at the pole position of being subject to political rhetoric (Charteris, 2006). The country has witnessed the leadership of the some of the most eloquent personnel in world history. Such leadership has always granted them the will to face insurmountable challenges and even triumph. On more than one occasion, the will of the American people have been influenced by individuals who were of addressing their problems directly. In a sense, addresses like search can always convince people that one is the right one for a job. America is also one of the nations that has vast media rights, allowing the covering of every political detail and progress in the country. The interaction between politics and media has thus been intense in the country (Willis, 2007).
II. Qualitative Research
The American people are diversified and have different affiliations. Some of the citizenry are passionate about and are sensitive to political matters. As such, a comprehensive survey to analyze the affiliations and willingness to participate in political questioning was conducted.Willing respondents were then sampled randomly to create a balanced field for questioning. The sampling was only relevant for the distribution of online questionnaires that were distributed to most states in the U.S.
III. Data Collection
Data collection for the research involved the use of several techniques to ensure that the information collected was up-to-date, and covered all the fields that are always affected by the politics.
Questionnaires were distributed online to respondents. Having the questionnaires to themselves was a strategy meant at collecting sincere information. It has been deduced that respondents are more open when they are answering questions online.
Sample Questionnaire
What is the effect of Political Rhetoric on national Spirit?
What is the impact of political rhetoric on national productivity?
How has the presumed relation of mass media and politics affected the society?
How has politics and its rhetoric affected businesses?
Street interviews were also conducted with willing respondents at random. This was aimed at bridging the gaps that were left by other methods. The questions that were used on both occasions had just slight variations and covered most of the fields of that are related to politics. Their open-endedness was aimed at ensuring that the responses were diversified because there are varied feelings and understanding of the impact of politics and its rhetoric.
Results
The responses were varied, and some fell for the idea that political rhetoric has been of great purpose in the nation whilst some had a different conception.Most of the respondents, however, had an inclination that political rhetoric has always been used by politicians, especially presidents and presidential aspirants, to inspire national spirit. As such, they have been able to persevere and go through hard times as a nation (Aristotle, Roberts and Ross, 2010). With the illusion that a new dawn is always about, the people have always managed to either come up with measures and the spirit to go through any national turmoil.The respondents also affirmed that political rhetoric has been used to inspire national productivity as politicians have always persuaded their citizenry to serve the nation and improve it. There was also the response that businesses always boomed when political persuasion inspired general productivity.Finally, most correspondents noted with appreciation, the effect of media on politics. The media have encouraged political transparency and democracy (Comstock & Scharrer, 2007).
Discussion
Politicians have always employed their persuasion power to help them elude tricky situations. For instance, whenever they are confronted with the danger of a failing economy, they take to their skill to make an attempt at improving productivity. Powerful talking can convince a citizenry to go back to work even when the situation is near unbearable and strive to make a difference. Cases that involve corruption and scam, factors that always taint the image of the government, drastic measures are always taken. After the expulsion of the individuals involved in the nasty act, powerful speeches are always used to reassure the public and make the act look like it has been sufficiently dealt with.Political Rhetoric has not only inspired the public to work and improve their general well-being. In the numerous applications, it has also been used as a blindfold that keeps the public from getting informed about the details of events. That is where the media has always come in; to unearth the very concealed aspects of political misdeeds (Willis, 2007). Many a times, the whistle on scams and scandals have always been blown by the media. Governments have also been kept on their toes by the media that give coverage to the opposing factions.The relation between the two fields, though bruising most of the time, has served to keep the general public informed and updated world over (Willis, 2007).
Conclusion
Political rhetoric has been the foundation of most political reigns. Winning an election very much involves the ability of an individual to persuade voters to consider their candidacy during the campaigns. The art that has been used since the 17th century requires great wit and the ability to comprehend situations and come up with measures/answers. One who possesses the art should always be ready to respond verbally to any problem that emerges. The art has not only shaped politics and education; it has also affected several other fields, but the most significant of all is the field of communication and media. The revelations that have always been made by the media sometimes puts the aspirations of politicians in jeopardy. In some nations, such has resulted in the restricted freedom of media as the politicians argue that the adverse reports stir the public and deprive a nation of peace.
References
Aristotle, ., Roberts, W. R., & Ross, W. D. (2010). Rhetoric. New York: CosimoClassics.
Charteris-Black, J. (2006). Politicians and rhetoric: The persuasive power of metaphor. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.
Comstock, G. A., & Scharrer, E. (2007). The psychology of media and politics. Amsterdam [etc.: Elsevier.
Wedeen, L. (1999). Ambiguities of domination: Politics, rhetoric, and symbols in contemporary Syria. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Willis, J. (2007). The media effect: How the news influences politics and government. Westport, Conn. [u.a.: Praeger.
The Effects of Globalization on National Culture The Algerian Case
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The Effects of Globalization on National Culture; The Algerian Case
Negative Effects
Pepperell R 2005, Transition and Development: Patterns, Challenges and Implications of Change in Algeria, Intellect, UK.
Pepperell reviews the inherent developments that characterize the process of globalization and the implication that they have had on Algeria. In chapter en, he ascertains that globalization has had significant impacts on the Algerian football and sport. Increasingly, the teams are expected to adhere to certain standards in order to attain global recognition. Thus their traditional values suffer detrimental effects as a result of erosion. The only limitation for this study pertains to its limited scope.
Ngwainmbi E 2000, Africa in the Global Infosupermarket: Perspectives and Prospects, Journal of Black Studies, 30: 534-52.
The author cites that technological advancements have adverse effects on the cultural and value systems of developing countries such as Africa. According to him, it has culminated in inequality as very few individuals can afford the technology and employ it for beneficial purposes. He recommends that respective governments are still faced with the challenge of educating the masses about the importance of technology and empowering them to have unlimited access to it. The study was considered important for the subject under review because of its useful insights regarding the impacts of technology on African culture.
Rudra, N 2002, Globalization and the Decline of Welfare State in Less-Developed Countries, International Organization, 56, 411-45.
Rudra explores the social and cultural issues in developing countries and underscores their relationship to globalization. She maintains that Algeria for instance suffers the negative impacts of unemployment, low political power and lack of vital skills. She challenges political leaders to be more responsible about improving social welfare programs. By highlighting the relationship between social and cultural concerns and globalization in Algeria, the study contributed immensely to the subject under review.
Mander J & Goldsmith E1996, The Case Against the Global Economy and for a Turn Toward the Local, Sierra Club Books, San Francisco.
The authors have provided useful information regarding the negative impacts of globalization on the cultural aspect f the society. By use of essays, they recommend that developing countries need to use local technologies in order to enhance sustainability. Various deductions that are related to this study contribute significantly to the review at hand.
Speth J 2003, World’s Apart: Globalization and the Environment, Island Press, USA.
Speth asserts that globalization has made the native societies of countries such as Algeria to explore economic benefits of natural resources. This has culminated in environmental deterioration as a result of erosion of cultural values that were fundamental in environmental conservation. It is for this consideration that he study was considered imperative for the subject under review.
Marling W, 2006, How America is Globalization, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
The author ascertains the Americanization has had negative impacts on the local languages, education systems and eating habits of the Algerian natives. This has in return culminated in a change in local cultures as American values are adopted to address the needs of the native societies. The in depth exploration of these concerns influenced the adoption of this review for the current study.
Cowen T 2002, Creative Destruction, How Globalization is Changing the World’s Cultures, Princeton University Press, USA.
The author uses a wide array of examples to underscore the different impacts of globalization on world cultures. Essentially, he indicates that this has culminated in the development of a global culture and diversity has been compromised. He cites developing countries such as Algeria to have suffered the most because their cultural attributes are seldom incorporated in the world culture. It is for this reason that this study was considered imperative for this study.
Global Forum Policy, 2007, Globalization of Culture, Retrieved 19th July, 2010 from:
HYPERLINK “http://www.globalpolicy.org/globaliz/cultural/index.htm” http://www.globalpolicy.org/globaliz/cultural/index.htm
Global foreign policy cites that the Soccer World Cup is an ideal model of successful globalization. The global countries have increasingly benefited from others as they have a chance to learn the ideal of other countries. Regardless of the fact that the study does not directly address Algerian experience, deductions can be made because Algeria has successfully participated in such activities in the past.
Hjavard S 2010, The globalization of language, How Media Contribute to the Spread of English and the Emergence of Medialects, Retrieved 19th July, 2010 from:
HYPERLINK “http://www.nordicom.gu.se/common/publ_pdf/157_075-098.pdf” http://www.nordicom.gu.se/common/publ_pdf/157_075-098.pdf
Hjavard asserts that the English language has increasingly assumed an elevated position is global operations. The article affirms that the media has played an integral role in perpetuating this state of affirms. Notably, Algeria has not been exempted from this and a global language is employed in communication. This has had negative impacts on the languages of the natives that have been threatened by erosion.
Muyale-manenji, F 2007, The Effects of Globalization on The Culture of Africa in the Eyes f an African Women, Retrieved 19th July, 2010 from: HYPERLINK “http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/jpc/effglob.html” http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/jpc/effglob.html
The article ascertains that in the modern time, culture has become increasingly dynamic as a result of globalization. The Algerian experience has not been exceptional as cultural aspects such as music and mode of dressing are exposed to various changes on a daily basis. It is for this reason that the study was considered imperative for the subject under review.
Lipton M 1977, Why Poor People Stay Poor, Urban Bias in World Development, Temple Smith, London.
The author indicates that the current state of developing economies such as Algeria can be contributed to a blind assumption of western modes of production. The erosion of critical values according to him has contributed to the current crisis. The impacts of globalization have been implicated for this state of affairs.
Pereira W & Seabrook J 1994, Global Parasites, Five Hundred Years of Western Culture, Earthcare Books, Bombay.
To begin with, the authors indicate that the current state of developing countries with regard to culture is worrying. This can be attributed to the globalization trends that have compelled traditional communities of countries such as Algeria to assume modern cultural values. This has led to assumption of western practices at the expense of the welfare of the locals. Western countries are labeled parasites by the authors because of the inherent lack of sustainability and injustice of the relationships they share with developing economies.
Shiva V 1988, Staying Alive, Women Ecology and Development, Zed Books, London.
The author begins by underscoring the benefits of women on the environment. He indicates that Algerian women used to interact in a sustainable manner with the environment before the introduction of globalization. He blames globalization for erosion of vital cultural beliefs, practices and taboos that were imperative in environmental protection.
Huntington P 1996, The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order, Touchstone, New York.
Huntington ascertains that globalization has had far reaching impacts on global populations. This is because most of its values and virtues conflict with the traditional value system. Specifically, cultural aspects of traditional populations in countries such as Algeria have suffered the most as they have been eroded. This information was considered important for the study at hand.
Schaeffer K 2002, Understanding Globalization, The Social Consequences of Political, Economic and Environmental Change, Rowman and Littlefield, Lanham.
The author provides important information regarding the social consequences of globalization. With regard to the cultural transformations, the author cites that the development of a global culture has enabled all countries to assume similar values and virtues that are fundamental for harmonic living. Native populations of Algeria according to the author can be able to interact effectively with the rest of the global populations. With an economy that is depended on the production of other countries, this is undoubtedly essential for effective functioning.
Waters M 1995, Globalization, Rutledge, New York.
According to waters, one main impact that globalization has had on the Algerian population is the migration of individuals form the region to other parts of the globe in search for better standards of living. The adoption of new cultural ideals has had both positive and negative impacts.
Positive Impacts
Hobart M 1993, An Anthropological Critique of Development, Rutledge, London.
The Author provides an explicit analysis of World development in light of Globalization. According to him, globalization has borne beneficial effects as traditional cultures that are found in developing countries can benefit form the liberal values from the west. This contribution influenced the use of this study for the review at hand.
Herman S & Robert M 1997, The Global Media, Continuum, New York
The authors appreciate the fact that media has played an instrumental role in aiding the movement of information across the globe. With regard to the impacts on the cultural welfare of native populations, the author ascertains that the fact the media is held in high regard by the society has enhanced public assumption of attributes and values that it advocates for.
Tomlinson J 1991, Cultural Imperialism; A Critical Introduction, Continuum, London
Tomlinson maintains that the American impact on the world culture can be considered an ideal form of modern imperialism. In particular, he indicates that the American control of the media and the policies that it advocates for have compelled other nations to assume its ideals. This has in return led to erosion of traditional value systems that were fundamental in enhancement of social cohesion. Nonetheless, it has contributed to liberalization that is fundamental for survival.
Lappe F, Collins J & Rosset P 1998, World Hunger: 12 Myths, Earthscan, London.
The authors ascertain that world hunger has been characterized by various myths. Among them is the effect of globalization that argues that the erosion of traditional modes of production in preference for modern approaches contributes to persistent hunger. However, the authors indicate that sustainable use of modern approaches is comparatively beneficial.
Rich B 1994, Mortgaging the Earth: The World bank, Environmental Impoverishment and Crisis of Development, Beacon Press, Boston
The author indicates that current developments have increasingly undermined environmental sustainability. The underlying objectives of economic development have been questioned by the author on the premise that they essentially seek to benefit the north. The South on the other hand suffers devastating effects that stem from assumption of western cultural ideals.
Appadurai A 1996, Modernity at Large, Cultural Dimensions of Globalization, University of Minnesota Press, USA.
The author explores different conceptions of globalizations in light of cultural changes. He cites that the free movement of information had enabled native communities of developing countries like Algeria to assume flexibility with respect to decision making. However, he also points out that the inability to mainstream traditional aspects in the cultural changes has culminated in diverse impacts.
Barber B 1996, Jihad Vs McWorld, How globalization and Tribalism are Reshaping the World, Ballantine, New York.
The author indicates that globalization has had significant effects on native populations of the developing world. In most instances however, they benefit from the world ideologies although in certain cases, they suffer detrimental effects of globalization.
Bauman Z 2000, Globalization; The Human Consequences, Columbia, New York.
The author provides an explicit review of the impacts of globalization on the different facets of the society. He underscores the fact that the free movement of individuals from the developing world and vice versa has led to the development of a world culture that is appreciated by the entire global population. Use of a common language for instance has enabled developing countries to benefit from western knowledge.
Friedman T 1990, The Lexus and the Olive Tree, Understanding Globalization, Anchor, New York.
Globalization according to the author is an all inclusive aspect that is characterized by intricate and augmenting factors. In essence, it leads to a various social, economic and cultural changes and populations are often forced to adapt new ways of life. Generally, Friedman provides an explicit analysis of this concept. This information is undoubtedly invaluable for understanding the meaning and background of globalization.
Giddens A 2000, Runaway World: How Globalization is Reshaping Our Lives, Rutledge, New York
Giddens explores the various impacts of globalization on human life. With regard to the case of Algeria, he cites that globalization has changed the attitudes and perceptions of populations towards different aspects. Currently, he asserts that the mode of communication has improved and Algeria can be considered part of the global whole. According to him, this was an inevitable phenomenon.
Hardt M & Antonio N 2001, Empire, Harvard University Press, Cambridge.
The authors compare the characteristics of an empire from a traditional point of view against the modern perspective. Notably, this has undergone various changes that can be attributed to the emergence of the global culture. In particular, language, religion and technology have been cited to have contributed immensely to the current state of affairs. It is for this reason that this contribution was used in the study.
Held D & McGrew A 1999, Global Transformations: Politics, Economics and Culture, Stanford University Press, Stanford.
The authors present the impact of globalization of the political economic and cultural facets f the current society. Useful information for this study was derived form the cultural segments that explores the transformations that different populations have undergone.
Robertson R 1992, Globalization, Social Theory and Global Culture, Sage, London
The author evaluates the impacts of globalization from a theoretical point of view. He concludes that this was an inevitable factor that has contributed significantly to the pace and social cohesion being experienced on a global scale. This information was considered important for this study because of its ability to accredit the study with regard to theoretical underpinning.
Mische P & Melissa M 2001, Towards a Global Civilization, Lang New York.
The author ascertains that the current trends are leading towards a global civilization. Cultural aspects have been homogenized to and al populations benefit immensely from these.
Lerner N 2000, Religion, Beliefs and International Human Rights, Orbis, Maryknoll.
This author ascertains that the indigenous communities of Algeria currently approve of the modern religious values and beliefs. This can be attributed to a common religious practice in the region.
Kurtz L 1995, Gods in the Global Village, Pine Forge, Thousand Oaks.
Kurtz ascertains the fact that the current religious beliefs are similar and have contributed significantly on the development of a common value system. This according to him explains why differences and conflicts are very minimal irrespective of the fact that interactions and movement of populations are on the rise.
Sacks J 2002, The Dignity of Difference: How to Avoid the clash of Civilization, Continuum: New York.
The author begins by acknowledging the inherent diversity that characterizes world populations. Then, he appreciates the realization that globalization has led to the free flow of information, products, technology and movement of populations.
Stackhouse M 2002, Theology for the 21st Century Series, Trinity Press International, Harrisburg.
The author affirms that a common religion has impacted significantly on the value system of the native populations. In return, this has greatly impacted on the cultural beliefs and practices of the conventional populations. Religious teachings have changed societal perceptions of the deity and likewise, modes of worship have also changed significantly.
Hans K 1998, A Global Ethic for Global Politics, Cultures and Economics, Oxford University Press, New York.
Hans indicates that currently, the values and virtues that are assumed by different populations are increasingly similar. In addition, common codes of conduct are employed in politics and economics. In the Algerian context, this has in some cases led to conflicts as global values that are preferred by a majority of the population conflict with the traditional ideals. Nevertheless, the ultimate impact according to the author is beneficial to the natives.
Turner B 1994, Orientalism, Postmodernism and Globalism, Rutledge, New York.
In his last chapter, the author provides factual information regarding the impact of globalization on native societies in Algeria. According to him, the inherent changes have been contributed to by introduction of a western education system that had massive impacts on the attitudes and practices of the local populations.
Murden S 2002, Islam, Africa and the New Global Hegemony, Reiner, Boulder.
The Author explores the Impact of Islam on African countries and Countries of the Middle East. He affirms that cultural ideals have been mainstreamed in religious teachings in this region. This has borne sustainable effects and more that ever; countries of this region value their religious and cultural practices. It is a model exemplification of how globalization issues can be effectively mainstreamed in local culture.
Berger P 2002, Many Globalizations: Cultural diversity in the Contemporary World, Oxford University Press, New York.
The author argues that globalization has led to the assumption of multiple cultures by native populations of Algeria. In this regard, it is indicated that besides the local cultures, populations in this region understand and appreciate the international cultures that were introduced by globalization. In this consideration therefore, it can be ascertained that modern cultures are mainly diversified.
Held D & Anthony M 2000, The Global Transformations Reader, Polity, Cambridge.
The authors explore the various dimensions of globalization and the inherent changes that societies have undergone as a result of assuming the characteristic practices. With respect to cultural changes, Held and Anthony content that native societies have assumed international languages in communications; they have changed their modes of worship and have increasingly changed their value system too. This has borne positive result as unlike in the past, current populations freely interact with each other and benefit immensely from free access to invaluable information.
Lechner F & Boli J 2000, The Globalization Reader, Blackwell, Oxford.
The authors indicate that Globalization is a phenomenon that has yielded significant beneficial effects. In particular, they cite various developments in the third world to be attributed to the globalization phenomenon. With respect to the cultural development, Lechner and Boli argue that education and relative western beliefs and practices have enabled populations form third world countries to improve their standards of living.
O’meara P, Howard m & Krain M 2000, Globalization and the Challenge of a New Century, Indiana University Press, Bloomington.
The authors agree that besides having significant beneficial effects, globalization presents a host of challenges especially to native populations. Drawing the case study of Algeria, they indicate that intrinsic aspects need to be effectively mainstreamed in the process of transformation in order to yield beneficial effects.
Worser D 1993, The Wealth of Nature, Oxford University Press, New York.
The current consumption methods have been implicated by Worser to have contributed significantly to environmental deterioration. Unlike traditional modes of consumption that were sustainable in nature, current consumption methods are materialistic and have led to environmental destruction. The author suggests that in order to counter the scenario, traditional beliefs and practices need to be revisited and mainstreamed in current policies that govern exploitation of natural resources.
Thompson J 2003, The Globalization of Communication, Polity, Cambridge
In this review, the author asserts that communication systems have contributed significantly to globalization. In general, he commends advance sin communication for enhancing information flow. He cites that this has been made possible through the employment of a common language by global populations.
Schirato T & Webb D 2003, Understanding Globalization, Sage, London
The author dedicates an entire chapter to the exploration of the impacts of globalization on culture sin the developing world. From his point of view, third world economies that have blindly adopted international policies as opposed to domesticating them are likely to suffer devastating impacts as opposed to their counterparts.
McLuhan M 2001, Understanding Media, Rutledge, London
According to McLuhan, the media plays an integral role in enhancing globalization. Through communication, it presents to the populations a wide range of global cultures and makes them popular. This study informed the subject under review about the role of technology in the transfer of culture from one region to another.
Harvey D, 1989, The Condition of Post Modernity, Oxford University Press, Blackwell.
The author provides a comprehensive review of the unique characteristics of post modernity and how globalization has contributed to the state of affairs. He ascertains that currently, local cultures can be considered global because they are known and appreciated on a global scale. Further, he indicates that post modernity presents more cultural challenges because of incidences of increased intermarriages than preceding eras.
Dayan D 2001, The Peculiar Public of Television, Media, Culture and Society, 23 (6), 743-65
The author argues that the development of a common global culture was greatly contributed to by technology such as television. This enlaces free flow of information to different segments of the society. Since it has portrayed the western culture to be ideal, traditional culture in the South is threatened by complete erosion.
Webster F 2000, The Idea of Information Society, Rutledge, London
According to Webster, the current society is greatly influenced by information and technology. To a great extent, current societies can be considered to be modernized as traditional ideal are considered primitive. This trend ha threatened diversity that is imperative for sustainable growth.
Castells M 2000, The Rise of Networks Society, Blackwell, Oxford.
Castells maintains that current societies share intricate relations. Developing countries such as Algeria have increasingly adopted international values and standards in order to co exist in a harmonic manner. According to the author, the inherent force is compelling.
Jan V 2006, The Network Society: Social aspects of New Media, Sage, London.
In this review, the author traces the history of technological advancements in a bit to underscore their contributions to the process of globalization. The recent development of social networking has had massive effects on the global culture as the rate of interaction has been threatened. Currently, the author expresses the concern for third world economies to uphold technological education.
Burnett R 1996, The Global Jukebox: The International Music Industry, Rutledge, New York.
In his review, Burnett indicates that music is a cultural aspect that had been impacted upon by globalization. According to him, this industry has undergone various transformations and just like other cultural aspects, certain forms of music have been undermined at the expense of those form western countries. However, the fact that they have been appreciated makes it an ideal way of embracing modernity and assuming relative values that are critical for survival.
The Effects Of Foreign Workers Performance On The Quality Of Service In Singapore
The Effects Of Foreign Workers’ Performance On The Quality Of Service In Singapore
BY (NAME)
The Name of the class (Course)
Professor (Tutor)
The Name of the School (University)
The City and State where it is located
The Date
Introduction
The study aims at exploring the quality of services produced by foreign workers in Singapore. Shortage of manpower inn many areas have led to employing foreign workers in Singapore.
Work Performance
Work performance is mainly how someone performs in their job. The word performance has more to do with outcome; it is the success in an organization. It should be the objective of everyone in a certain career to perform effectively in their job and this can be done by understanding one’s job description, your position and all the requirements of the job one is doing (Kuo, & Chen, 2007, 23). It is also important to understand one’s supervisor’s expectations’ and the performance review process that will be used to determine the quality of work done (Wee, 2001, 55). It is important to discuss with one’s supervisors issues that affect your work performance and things that can be done to help improve work performance.
Fong and Lim (2002, 572) describes performance as an individual level variable meaning that performance in work should be something that a single individual does. Fong and Lim (2002, 67) define performance as behaviour consisting of more than what is observable in an individual, it also includes the mental productions of an individual and this differentiates performance with success. Chowdhury (2003, 18) explains in a way that performance being behaviour leads to success but there is more than behaviour that leads to success, for success to be there influence of other individual must be involved.
Chowdhury (2003, 21) also stated that goal relevant is one of the key features of job performance. This is because performance should be related to goals of an organization. Campbell (2009) came up with certain factor models of performance. This is because performance is not single unified because the different kinds of jobs available have different performance standards.
These factors include task specified behaviours which is the behaviours that individuals adopts due to the job they are doing. There is also the non-task specific behaviours which are behaviours undertaken by individuals but not particularly related to their job (Huff, 1999, 238-9). The third factor is communication both written and oral which is involved on how the message is delivered. Performance of an individual assessment according to Campbell (2004) is effort which shows the commitment of people to their job. The fifth factor is personal discipline; people are expected to obey the law. The other model says that individuals are expected to help out their colleagues to help maintain group goals. Supervisory or leadership component is the other factor and the last factor according to Campbell (2004, 112) is managerial which involves the sectors of one’s job that does not require supervision.
Ayubi (2001, 66) also had his model on work performance. Performance according to Ayubi is broken into four dimensions and the first is the task oriented behaviours which just like in Campbell’s model involve the tasks that are relevant to one’s job. The other dimension is interpersonally oriented behaviours which is the interaction between an individual and the other employees. The third dimension is down- time behaviours which are an individual’s behaviours during their free time and the last dimension is destructive behaviours.
Measures of Work Performance
There are three major classes of workers’ productivity. The first one is production counts which aim at measuring what every individual in an organization produces. The individual with the highest is declared the most productive worker. There are however certain difficulties with the method and one are that this method can lead to changing behaviours of workers (ERC, 2003). The other difficulty is that the method is not very effective due to the fact that sometimes production is not due to workers effort but due to technology used.
Personnel data is another way to measure worker’s performance which includes using the personnel information from their files. The main personnel index that is used by many organizations is checking on the absenteeism of an individual and most organizations prefer employees working for eight hours in a day. Hui and Hashmi (2004, 76-8) defined absenteeism in many ways such as the average length of absence. However this measure is not that reliable as it gives little information. The third way of measuring work performance is supervising individuals when they are performing their duties and then judging their work performance by either comparing between workers or comparing with a set standard.
There are researches that have been done focusing on good job performance and there are two factors of job performance construct. One is the behaviours necessary in an organization so that it may function smoothly. These behaviours include cooperation and communication skills. The other factor is the performance on certain tasks undertaken by individuals and the tasks are related to the individuals work (Kuo, & Chen, 2007, 165).
Service Quality
The word servqual means measuring quality in services provided by workers. The model shows the requirements that are required so as to deliver high quality in services. The models works by identifying five gaps that lead to poor services been delivered. The assumption of servqual is that customers do evaluate the quality of services offered by a firm and this can be done by comparing what they are expecting and what they actually get (Fong, 2005, 71).
The first gap exists when the customer’s expectation is not met. This is due to the management perception of what the customer wants which occurs due to poor research by the management and interpreting information wrongly. The second gap is between what the management of the firm perceives and service quality (Huff, 1999, 231). This is when the management perceives exactly what the consumer wants but fails to set a certain performance standard. This may occur due to lack of commitment of the management or poor planning.
The third gap is between the specified service quality and the service delivery due to the service personnel. This occurs due to poor training or the failure to match demand and supply and also the ineffective internal marketing. The fourth gap is between the service delivery and external communication (Fong, 2005, 55-7). This is because organizations pass information about their services using advertisements or using sales persons, there are specifications of the services when advertising but this is not what is delivered to the customers. This occurs due to over-promising of organizations to their consumers and also failure to manage customer expectations’. The fifth gap is between the expected service and the experienced service this occurs when there is a misinterpretation by the consumers about the quality of the service (MTI, 2009).
There are certain determinants that actually influence appearance of a gap. One of the determinants is competence which is possessing skills and knowledge required to perform the service (Hui, & Hashmi, 2004, 99). The second is courtesy is a worker’s consideration of the property of the customer. There is also credibility which is having characteristics of honesty and trustworthiness and this is the workers having the customer’s best interest first. The fourth determinant is security which in an organization is when there is confidentiality, physical safety and also financial security to the customer (Tremewan, 1994, 23). Access is the other determinant which involves the ease with which a customer can get to the management in a firm.
The other determinant is communication which is ensuring that there is no language barrier between the management and the customers. Knowing the customer is the other determinant which is ensuring that the management makes an effort to know the customers’ needs (Kuo, & Chen, 2007, 155-7). The eighth determinant is tangibles, which as the name suggests is the appearance of services provided to the customers. Reliability is the other determinant which means the organization delivering what they promised to the customers (Sanderson, 2002, 56). The last determinant is responsiveness which is how the management helps the customers when they come to them for their assistance.Hypotheses Testing
The overreliance on foreign workforce in Singapore impacted on the performance and productivity of the labor industry. These effects were both negative and positive. The contribution of the foreign workforce in Singapore to the quality of services offered was tested and investigated by a number of researchers purposely to determine nature of the relationship. These researches statistically tested the relationship by formulating hypotheses to the study. Some of the hypotheses tested in these studies include:
There was a significant relationship between low productivity growth rate in Singapore and the overreliance on the cheap foreign labor.
The excessive reliance on foreign labor resulted into lack of creativity, innovation, and invention skills in Singapore, hence a decline in the quality of services.
The decline in the entrepreneurial skills was attributed to overreliance on foreign labor.
The Results of the Hypotheses
Studies by Huff (1999), Islam (1997) and Krugman (1994) established that the long-term consequence of Singapore relying on cheap foreign talent was the disincentive for the firms and employers to invest their resources in capital investment projects that had the potential of improving the productivity of the workers. In their view, without investing in short-term and long-term productivity boosting capital investments, Singapore’s economic growth potential will continue to depend on the influx of foreigners, which is unsustainable. The performance of the foreign workers is limited by their temporary permits that do not grant them permanent residence in Singapore. For this reason, foreign workers’ employment duration is uncertain because had they stay longer, their productive capacity would increase. Besides, the lower pay and remunerations that foreign workers are entitled to further limit their productivity as such compensations are not little to induce them to work harder. The decline in the country’s productivity is affected by the fact that foreign laborers and workers in Singapore lack the needed skills that the Singaporeans possess, hence the difference in the productive capacities. Such lower technical and professional skills possessed by the foreigners lower their level of competence and reliability.
A study by ERC (2003) tested the statistical significance of foreign labor and innovativeness capacity of Singapore. The study revealed that the Singapore’s post-independence financial and economic plan (shifting to high capital intensive economy from low-capital intensive economic system) heavy depended on the adaptation or copying of imported technology brought by the foreign investors with little domestic technological creativity. This therefore, was likely to have a long-term negative implication on the quality of services offered by the domestic firms.
With respect to entrepreneurial skills, Islam (1997) research found that Singapore was likely to suffer a major setback in its entrepreneurship capacity given that it heavy relies on foreign talents to raise capital and assume the risks associated with investments. This was because of the possibility of crowding out of local entrepreneurship by the dominant foreign talents by creating labor aristocracy in the economy. These thus limited the capacity of Singapore to develop its local entrepreneurship talents.
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