The Hospitality Industry Essay Example Pdf - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1552 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Review Topics: Communication Essay Did you like this example? INTRODUCTION This paper presents a review of the literature relevant to the topic of intercultural communication in the hospitality industry. It begins with an examination of Brown and Levinsons politeness theory, followed by a critique of Hofstedes five cultural dimensions and Edward Hall and others theories of cultural awareness, concluding with a synthesis of the research on intercultural communication by leading commentators in this field. This analysis thus provides insight into the issues influencing the perception of politeness between the Spanish and English cultures in the hotel workplace. LITERATURE REVIEW 1. Politeness theory In their 1978 and 1987 works on the theory of politeness, Brown and Levinson put forward a rational model of politeness, arguing that individuals across all cultures want to be approved of by others and free from unnecessary constraints, or positive and negative face, respectively (Greene, 1997). In response to their argument that politeness is a universal part of language, Watts (2003) contends that this theory is overly idealistic because it ignores the means by which individuals in society struggle with politeness in their interactions with others. He holds that these features of social interaction are more important than the role of politeness in intercultural communication. Using a practical example of politeness theory, ODowd (2003) conducted primary research examining the interaction of Spanish and English cultures in business situations and found that if participants perceived another person as being interested in descriptions of their own culture, they subsequent ly felt encouraged to communicate more but, if they felt their positive face was threatened by the other person showing a lack of interest in their cultural background, they were more reluctant. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Hospitality Industry Essay Example Pdf" essay for you Create order 2. Hofstedes five dimensions Geert Hofstede describes culture as the collective characteristics of members of one group of people (Hofstede, 2001; Hofstede et al, 2010). His theories search for meaning in the correlation between a countrys cultural indicators and his five dimensions of power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism, masculinity and long-term orientation (Vinken et al, 2004). In his most recent work, Hofstede adds a new sixth dimension of culture called indulgence versus restraint and introduces the concept of a moral circle to the debate (Hofstede et al, 2010). In a 1998 article, Hofstede builds on his earlier seminal works (1980; 1991) and further specifies that the main criteria for comparison are values and attitudes, also known as constructs. He acknowledges that there has been much criticism of his methodology of using nations as the units for studying and comparing culture, but nevertheless contents that many nations contain a sufficient amount of comparable aspects. Hof stede suggests that cross-cultural misunderstanding is often based on the dimension of value variation between cultures, with the Spanish having a more group-orientated culture than the English. When an activity is planned by Spanish people, it is much more common to invite a large group than just one or two others, demonstrating collectivism over individualism. In addition, Hofstede suggests that the English not only have a high level of individualism, they exhibit above average masculinity and lower power distance and uncertainty avoidance than the Spanish. 3. Cultural awareness While Hofstedes work provides a useful framework, there is large body of research that explores in more detail the definitions and role of culture and cultural awareness, and it is valuable in the analysis of these cultures in relation to the hospitality industry. Holliday et al (2004:3) describe culture as being a fluid, creative social force which binds different groupings and aspects of behaviour in different ways, and cultural awareness requires a fundamental understanding of this fluidity and how it impacts on various social interactions, particularly intercultural ones. The attitudes and perceptions associated with different national cultures exerts a strong influence on many business situations, including that of English receptionists interacting with Spanish customers, and the studies of cultural awareness by Edward T. Hall illustrate this point further. He describes culture as a hidden force and goes as far as to suggest that culture is synonymous with communicatio n. When an English receptionist communicates with a Spanish customer, it is inevitable that each party will apply their own cultural framework not only in the way they communicate with each other, but in how they perceive the interaction. Other experts reinforce the notion that there are significant barriers to be overcome in terms of intercultural business issues (Larsson and Risberg, 1998). Bennett (1993) for one contends that it is important to be able to distance oneself from ones own cultural backgrounds in order to understand others, and Byram (1997) goes on to suggest that sensitivity to issues such as directness and politeness in language is an essential component of intercultural awareness. These theories can all be applied to help English receptionists and Spanish customers to have greater levels of cultural awareness and sensitivity, thus enhancing the business relationship. 4. Intercultural communication Building on the analysis in the previous sections, Charles (2007) points to the fact that English has become the accepted lingua franca of international business, and this is referred to by others as the built-in bias of the English language (Munshie and McKie, 2001). The hospitality industry is a prime example of this, and it has become accepted practice for customer-facing hotel staff to be able to speak English to come extent, regardless of the country in which the hotel is located. It is much less likely for an English receptionist to speak Spanish, for example. One expert has pointed out that frequently non-verbal communication can be misinterpreted. For example, she says: Normally a handshake is brief but in Spain it may be prolonged for several seconds. This does not show deep personal warmth as it might somewhere else McLaren, 1998:137). And as Welch et al (2005:11) point out, intercultural communication can actually be an irritating reminder of what may be involved in crossing foreign cultures, and managing in a cross-cultural environment. Based on extensive primary research, Charles (2007) recommends that businesses should increase their awareness of the importance of cultural diversity in communication and develop a better understanding of how individuals relate to each other across language and cultural barriers. Another commentator (Verluyten, 1997) has provided evidence of the importance of intercultural training and awareness in this process, the lack of which can lead to disastrous results. CONCLUSIONS This paper has presented a summary of the relevant literature and provided some interesting insights into the role of intercultural communication in the hospitality industry, especially between Spanish and English cultures. For one, an analysis of Hofstede and Brown and Levinson contributes to a better understanding the issues underpinning the differences between these two cultures and the various influences on peoples behaviour, such as politeness and individualism versus collectivism. In particular, the work by Hall and others demonstrates that learning a second language, not just English as is normally the case, is important in todays working environment within the hospitality industry. A lack of cultural awareness especially can lead to barriers of miscommunication. For example, Spanish customers could potentially be seen as rude or overly direct by English receptionists who do not understand the cultural differences. The receptionists therefore often apply their own c ultural background to the interaction and, as a result, expect a sometimes unreasonably high level of politeness. Communication can be significantly improved by efforts to raise intercultural awareness and sensitivity within the hospitality industry. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bennett, M., 1993. Towards ethnorelativism: A development model of intercultural sensitivity. In M. Paige, ed., Education for the Intercultural Experience, pp.21-71. Yarmouth: Intercultural Press. Brown P. and Levinson S., 1978. Universals in language usage: Politeness phenomena. In E. Goody, ed., Questions and Politeness, pp.56-311. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Brown P. and Levinson S., 1987. Politeness: Some Universals in Language Usage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Byram, M., 1997. Teaching and Assessing Intercultural Communicative Competence. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. Charles, M., 2007. Language Matters in Global Communication. The Journal of Business Communication, 44(3). p.260. Greene, J.O., ed., 1997. Message Production: Advances in Communication Theory. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Hall, E.T., 1959. The Silent Language. New York: Doubleday. Hofstede, G., 1980. Cultures Consequences: International Differences in Work-R elated Values. Beverly Hills: Sage Publications. Hofstede, G., 1991. Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. New York: McGraw-Hill. Hofstede, G., 1998. A Case for Comparing Apples with Oranges: International Differences in Values. International Journal of Comparative Sociology, 39(1). pp.16-31. Hofstede, G., 2001. Cultures Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions and Organizations Across Nations, 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G.J. and Minkov, M., 2010. Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind, 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. Holliday, A., Hyde, M. and Kullman, J., 2004. Intercultural Communication: An Advanced Resource Book. London: Routledge. Larsson, R. and Risberg, A., 1998. Cultural awareness and national versus corporate barriers to acculturation. In M. Gertsen, A-M. Soderberg, and J. E. Torp, eds., Cultural dimensions of international acquisitions, pp.168-196. Berlin: Walther de Gruyter. McLaren, M.C., 1998. Interpreting Cultural Differences: the Challenge of Intercultural Communication. Dereham: Peter Francis Publishers. Munshie, D. and McKie, D., 2001. Toward a New Cartography of Intercultural Communication: Mapping Bias, Business, and Diversity. Business Communication Quarterly, 64(3). p.9. ODowd, R., 2003. Understanding the Other Side: Intercultural Learning in a Spanish-English E-Mail Exchange. Language, Learning Technology, 7(2). p.118. Thomas, D.C. and Inkson, K., 2003. Cultural Intelligence: People skills for global business. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler. Verluyten, S.P., 1997. Business Communication and Intercultural Communication in Europe: The State of the Art. Business Communication Quarterly, 60(2). p.135. Vinken, H., Soeters, J. and Ester, P., eds., 2004. Comparing Cultures: Dimensions of Culture in a Comparative Perspective. Boston: Brill. Watts, R.J., 2003. Politeness. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

English Comp Rough Draft - 1142 Words

Anthony Grimes Ashford University ENG122-English Composition II Instructor Mitchell November 26, 2012 Substance abuse and consumption have become an epidemic in America. The use of drugs results in countless drug-related deaths and causes states to spend billions of dollars to combat drug trafficking. Drugs are shipped in by sea, air, automobile, and even smuggled in by person. These drugs are supplied by drug cartels. These criminal organizations where formed to promote, control, produce, and distribute narcotic drugs. While these cartels operate from all parts of the world, some of the most infamous are the Mexican and Columbian Cartels. America has put policies into combating drug trafficking, however these policies are not†¦show more content†¦Hopefully this will help break the cycle of drug use, crime, and incarceration. The Obama Administration is taking action to provide a balanced approach on. how to addresses the Nation’s drug problem and the effects on its communities. According to Abramsky (2009), the Obama administration is moving away from a ‘toug h on crime’ strategy and toward one that favors treatment over punishment. According to Kristof (2009), the legalization of drugs is another solution to drug trafficking. With drugs more readily available, at lower prices and higher levels of potency many law enforcement personal and politicians favor legalization of drugs. While other experts favor keeping drug production and sell illegal, but decriminalizing possession. Either way if it is legalize it must be regulated. According to Kristof (2009), the United States have inquired three consequences due to the failure of â€Å"The War on Drugs†, increased population in jails, empowered criminals and terrorists, and squandered resources that cannot be replaced. With that said, why continue down a road were the drug problem is not getting resolved. 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Teaching and Learning in 21st century

Question: Discuss about theTeaching and Learning in 21st century. Answer: 21st Century Learning and Teaching In the twenty-first century the standards for literacy has changed, as it is not limited to the learning of letters and numbers. The requirements for a person to function properly in society has changed significantly in the recent years so the change in the teaching and learning had become necessary to facilitate the proper assimilation of the students in the society. Now the computer has become a tool that is used in every aspect of professional and social life so the necessity of the computer literacy has become absolute. The use of different technology and new processes are being introduced in every aspect of the society. Therefore, the method of learning has become more important than the memorization of facts and processes. The twenty-first century education is based on the understanding of the functions and the implementation of the knowledge gained from the education. The teachers had to change their approach to focus on the skills of the students rather than their capability of retaining information. The ability to understand something new depends on the factor that if a student can understand the whys of a process of function they can critically evaluate the process and their understanding is liable to help them understand any change in the process and adjust to the change (Cheng, 2002). The learning in the twenty-first century student is not based on what to learn but how to learn. It makes sense that if the ability to learn is ingrained into the student then they are much more capable of adjusting to the changes that are common place in the century where the world is rapidly changing. Key Features of Traditional Education The standard modern education or the traditional education has its roots in the eighteenth century. Some key features of the traditional education are quite sensible and practical, as the system has worked for a long time (Nunan Lamb, 1996). One of the features is the usefulness of the things that are taught to the students. The materials that are taught are the basic facts of the different disciplines that help the students function properly in the society. Another feature of the traditional education is the system of judging the competency of the learner by using harsh trials that test the ability of the student to retain the important information that might help him or her in their adult life (Denemark, 2011). The use of said knowledge in controlled situation where the ability of the student to apply the knowledge in appropriate situation is also tested by the trials. The most effective form of the learning that is traditional is the method of learning on the job or as an apprent ice is also included in the key features of traditional education. The process of teaching is dependent on the benefit of acquiring knowledge being exchanged with the compensation of the teacher by service or money or goods. Therefore, the process of teaching is completely because the knowledge is a commodity that can be gained through practise and compensation (Smilkstein, 2003). New Practices The twenty-first century practices in education have birthed many a new practises that are effective and suitable for the situation at hand. Among the new practices, the availability of knowledge and the accessibility to the learning is much more pronounced. In many of the countries, the children are given mandatory education so their development as individual is more complete ("Learning and teaching", 2005). The new practices have adopted the use of specially prepared material and orchestrated situation that prepare the students to learn the use of their skills on a much larger scale than previously possible so the efficiency and the capacity of the process has increased. The rate by which the knowledge is imparted has improved the process. The learning process exhibits the interaction between students and the tutors so that the teaching can be adjusted to the learning goals of a single student and they can gain knowledge that is most important to them in their daily life at their o wn pace (Freitas Yapp, 2005). Forces Driving the Change in Education There are many forces driving the change in education among which two of the most important are given below: Social Change The standard of the society in the twenty-first century is changing as the effect of globalization. Diversity of the population is changing the cultural standards of the people to broaden their views. The current availability of knowledge is higher and the specific needs of the different communities and professions are different and diverse. Thus, the need for an education that is all rounded with basic information about the world is paramount. Now days, the skill of the person is treated as the determinant of the persons role in the society, rather than the birth and social standing. Therefore, the education system needed to broaden to be able to recognise the various skills of the student base from all strata of the society. Previously the role of a person in the society was bound by ones birth and position in the society so knowledge that is more specific was passed from generation to generation (Herteis, 2010). The current society that is mix of people with different skills and b ackgrounds forced the education system to change. Technology The technology is another driving force behind the changes in the learning and teaching in the twenty-first century. The technology has improved rapidly in the last century that caused the change in education sector the connection between the people from different culture and the different social standard has been rendered common as the technological knowledge is used similarly across all (Simpson, 2010). The digital literacy and the use of internet made a vast quantity of knowledge available so the process of how to learn from them is being treated as more important as the information is more readily available than ever on a plethora of subjects. Therefore, it is clear that the technical advancement made many changes possible in the teaching and learning process. The changes to improve the teaching and learning of the individuals would have been impossible if the technology to facilitate them was not present. For this reason, technology can be dubbed the most prominent driving force behind the teaching and learning process in the twenty-first century. References Cheng, Y. (2002).Subject teaching and teacher education in the new century. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Institute of Education. Denemark, R. (2011). Teaching and Learning about Teaching and Learning.International Studies Review,13(3), 543-545. https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2486.2011.01061.x Freitas, S. Yapp, C. (2005).Personalizing learning in the 21st century. Stafford: Network Educational Press. Herteis, E. (2010). Teaching, Learning and Interning: From Teaching Internships to Scholarly Teaching.The Canadian Journal For The Scholarship Of Teaching And Learning, 1-13. https://dx.doi.org/10.5206/cjsotl-rcacea.2010.2.5 Learning and teaching. (2005).Health Information Libraries Journal,22(2), 156-159. https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-1842.2005.00567.x Nunan, D. Lamb, C. (1996).The self-directed teacher. Cambridge [England]: Cambridge University Press. Simpson, K. (2010).The Learning Process. Cork: Publish on Demand Global LLC. Smilkstein, R. (2003).We're born to learn. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin Press.

Yeats Burns And Wordsworth Poems Essays - Scottish Literature

Yeats Burns And Wordsworth Poems In this assignment I will compare and contrast three poems based on the theme of love. I will look at ?He Wishes For The Cloths Of Heaven' by W.B Yeats, Robert Burns' ?A Red,Red Rose' and the ?Lucy Poems' by Wordsworth. I will focus on each poet's tradition and culture, the poet's use of language and the similarities and differences between each poem. I will conclude the assignment with my personal response. ?He Wishes For The Cloths Of Heaven' was written by W.B Yeats. William Butler Yeats was born in Dublin in 1865. He abandoned his painting career after only three years to pursue a writing career with lyrics and plays. He eventually developed his own individual style and his work was known for being particularly ?Irish'. He went on writing for the rest of his life, and eventually died in 1948. In the poem ?He Wishes For The Cloths Of Heaven' W.B Yeats expresses his love for Maud Gonne. Gonne was an extreme Nationalist who rejected W.B Yeats and eventually married Major John MacBride in 1903. After this period there is a noticeable change in Yeats' poetry, perhaps because he realised his dreams of a life with Maud could never become a reality. In ?He Wishes For The Cloths Of Heaven' the tone is calm and peaceful, due to the sibilants used, nasal and ?L' sounds which combine to create a dreamlike tone: "Silver light" "Softly" "Embroidered cloths" To help the tone flow peacefully along there are no exclamation marks, dashes or monosyllables to interrupt the flow. Yeats creates a soft rhyming melody and tune, almost like a lullaby. The natural stress in each word helps to create the rhythm, A B A B C D C D. Yeats' use of language creates very clear visual images, eg ?heaven' has connotations of peace ,serenity, almost a nirvana. Likewise ?embroidered' has connotations of perfection, an infinite array of colours. Throughout the poem Yeats concentrates on colours, especially different shades of blues of the sky, representing the passage of time, seasons changing but that throughout all the changes the sky still remains beautiful yet unattainable. In the first four lines of the poem Yeats creates a detailed image of heaven and its perfection and beauty. Through this he states his wishes/ In the following four lines he reveals what he would do with those wishes. He lays his soul bare, and shows the depth of his love by declaring his undying love for Maud Gonne. The only person who deserves such wealth as the heavens, is Maud. If Yeats were God, and owned the heavens, the only one worthy of receiving them would be Maud. He elaborates on this by saying even the heavens would only be good enough for her to walk upon. By stating this, Yeats is exalting his love: she is like a Goddess and he is undeserving of her. He deems himself unworthy and humbles himself. In the following line Yeats writes: "But I, being poor, have only my dreams." Through this, Yeats suddenly becomes more realistic: he knows he is not God and he knows he doesn't own the heavens. The only thing of value and beauty he owns are his dreams. He has made himself vulnerable by spreading all his dreams and desires before Maud, and now she must decide if she will return his love and make his wildest dreams come true, or trample and tear his cloths and shatter his dreams. The poem ends softly: "Tread softly because you tread on my dreams." He is waiting anxiously to see her reaction and is gently pleading that she will not reject him. Through this last line he is begging her to be kind: she has his heart and dreams in her hand; she has the power to decide his fate. This poem is similar to Burns' and Wordsworth's poems in many ways. All three sound like a song, a gentle calming lullaby. Each poem creates visual imagery from nature surrounding them. They are also similar due to the language used. None of the poems use complex, elaborate, difficult, language but instead, plain language that is easily understood by all, Burns' poem also contains some Scots dialect. The three poems are also similar as the subject of all three poems is love. In both Wordsworth's and Yeats' poem the love was unreturned. The most striking thing about ?A Red, Red Rose' by Robert Burns is the ScotS dialect used. Burns was born in 1759, as the