Communication in the Workplace Essays

Communication in the Workplace Essays Communication in the Workplace Essay Communication in the Workplace Essay Module Code: PM 025 Class/Group: Group A Module Title: Contemporary Organisational Behaviour Assignment Title: Final Essay Assignment Title: Communication in the workplace Tutor Name: Frenie Antony Student ID Number: 2059591 Date of Submission: 21st Match 2013 Communication in the workplace The definition of communication is ‘a process in which information and its meaning (common understanding) is conveyed by a sender to receiver (s)’ (Rollinson and Broadfield, 2002:612, and Jones and George, 2011, cited in Antony and Macvicar, 2011:146). In Rollinson and Broadfield’s theory ‘meaning’ was more important than ‘information’, as long as both sender and receiver can understand the meaning of information, even the feedback is not necessarily in the communication ptocess. In addition, ‘The exchange of ideas and information is the lifeblood of any organization. ’ (Hodge and Johnson, 1970: 93). In the other words, communication for an organization is the same as the blood flow for human being. (Conrad and Poole, 2012:5). Furthermore, according to Hodge and Johnson (1970) and O’Reilly and Pondy (1979), Dekay (2012) communication shaped the organization by interaction the organization and its environment, as the result, communication maybe the only connection between the organization and outside world. Besides, The majority aim of communication was enhance the connection between different roles in the company and smooth the working processes (Smith and Davidson, 1991, cited in Smith 1991:22). Therefore, Williams’s and Smith and Davidson’s ideas might argue that the purpose of communication in the workplace was improving the work efficiency and finally increasing the profit. This essay will argue that barrier to communication in the organization may not only influence the further market expansion of company, but also push the company to the edge of bankrupt, as its can distortion the meaning of information during the communication process. Furthermore, this essay will mainly divided into two parts, first, indicate the communication processes in the organization and verify some barriers (power difference barrier, cultural diversity barrier, individual perception barrier and so on) during the communication processes, second, inspect three case study of different companies (Bernard Matthew farms, The Luxor Company, Exxon Mobil, BP, Shell and ChevronTexaco) which had conquered the communication barriers. Normally, there were three directions of communication in the workplace: ‘vertically’ (superior and subordinate), ‘laterally’ (horizontal), and ‘diagonally’ (Rollinson and Broadfield, 2002:627). Furthermore, the communication processes unsurely consisted of two parts, the sender and receiver (Williams 1991, cited Smith, 1991:120 and Hodge and Johnson, 1970:150, Rollinson and Broadfield, 2002:612). On one hand, sender wanted to transfer an idea, the idea needed to be ‘Encoded’, which means translated the message into general language. Then choosing a ‘Channel’, for instance, by e-mail, by telephone, put an advertisement and so on. After that, receiver received the massage from sender and they should try to ‘Decoded’ the message, which means the receiver should try to understand what sender’s meaning, at last gave respond (feedback) to the sender (Rollinson and Broadfield, 2002:617 and Buelens et al, 2011, cited in Antony and MacVicar, 2011:109). On the other hand, the barriers, which called ‘Noise’, existed during these six processes, and might lead to organization ‘communication collapses’, even worse, the bankrupt of company (Hodge and Johnson, 1970: 151). The barriers of communication often separated into two parts: ‘external barriers to the communication’ and ‘internal barriers to the communication’ (Williams 1991, cited in Smith, 1991:117, and Coulson-Thomas and Coulson-Thomas, 1997:267). To be more specific, first, external barrier often indicated as: neglect the extra message, ignore the importance of the information that processes it all followed by first-come-first-served rule, and slack to the responsibility (Williams 1991, cited in Smith, 1991:117). Second, there were five performance of internal barrier: first, could not find a need of communication, second, careless in understanding the information or tend to not correspond at all. Third, ‘Encoded’ problem, the sender introduce in professional way that make message unclear or the sender executed it in a wrong ‘channel’, the message could not receive by target customer. Fourth, the message might tamper during the transfer. Fifth, the personality might influence people’s understanding and acceptance of the message (ibid). The lack of communication might trigger a death for a company. For example, Bernard Matthews farms (the largest turkey supplier in the UK) started to lose reputation since 2005, because of the incident of unhealthy turkey for students in improve-school-meal program, then reached at the peak because of outbreak of bird flu and exposure of imported turkey from abroad, which against the idea of company. What was worse, Matthews never responded and defended themselves to the media in time (The Times 100, 2012). With reference to Williams’s (1991, cited in Smith, 1991:117) theory, the farm met one of the external communication barriers that the manager notice the problem they faced, however, took no respond of it. Before Matthews took any actions the company already lost 35% of selling in the UK, and it was standing on the edge of bankrupt (The Times 100, 2012). As mentioned above, the purpose of communication is to make organization work better and increasing the profit. With reference of Rollinson’s theory (2002: 617), during the improved communication processes, Bernard Matthews acted in three ways to simulate the internal stakeholders: formal written (weekly newsletters), electronic communication (company’s intranet site), and face to face communication. While Bernard also try to change external stakeholders’ attitude by: internet (four websites with different target customer) and social media (advertisement). These series of action offered high information richness which easily understood and accepted by both internal and external stakeholders, in addition, it rescued the Bernard Matthews farms from bankrupt to 9% annual increasing rate. To sum up, an effective communication, both internal and external, could help overcome the barriers and change the loss position. The communication could not only help company changing the loss position, but also make great effort for company’s further development. The Luxor Company (manufactures domestic and office furniture), which headquarters had 750 employees approximately and located in outskirts of Paris , for instance, increased dramatically in a short time that the CEO of company, Charles Binochet, realised everything seemed to be not working as smoothly as before. Furthermore, Charles believed that the rapid development would become a serious barrier when the next wave of market expansion coming (Rollinson and Broadfield, 2002:626). According to Williams (1991, sited in Smith, 1991:117), the barriers of the Luxor Company was external communication barriers, which means both the employers and the employees could not take care of the extra information, ignore the importance of the different information, and slack to the responsibility to the company. By hiring a consultant the Luxor Company solved problem of the lack of connection between production and marketing and no financial control system problem (Roillinson and Broadfield, 2002:626). However, the chaos of relations in the organization still existed. After some discussion, the Luxor tried to keep all of its in touch with company and its actions by provide the formal information which contained the high information richness (displayed four company’s situation chart which including ‘Number of employees’, ‘Output’, ‘investment in new plant and machinery’, and ‘New product lines added’) (ibid). Although the feedback of this action might come slowly and seldom, according to Roillinson and Broadfield (2002:612) as long as the receiver understood the information, feedback was less important in the communication. The charts, which might help employees to understand the company’s operation and their contribution to the company, leaded to hard working performance of employees (Roillinson and Broadfield, 2002:626). As a result, it improved communication with company and employees that not only improved the employees’ motivation but also might offer a significant assistant in company’s next expansion. Many multinational corporations had the same communication barriers as the Luxor Company, during the processes of taking collaborative advantage (Hansen and Nohria, 2004: 22). Nowadays, increasing international competition lead the company, for instance, Exxon Mobil, BP, Shell and ChevronTexaco (multinational corporations) were losing their dominant position than before. To recover the position and to increase the profit, they were willing to seek a new source, where collaboration might work, to increase the competitive advantage (ibid). Hansen and Nohria (2004:23) claimed that collaboration had several benefits: decreased the cost, better decision making, increased the revenue, be more creative, and enhanced the connection with its subsidiaries. During the processes of taking collaborative advantage, there was a significant barrier called: ‘Inability to work together and transfer knowledge’, which Hansen and Nohria considered it as a communication barrier (ibid). The employees from different subsidiaries which belonged to different countries, suffering the language barrier (language different) and intercultural barrier (message changed because of local culture) (ibid). According to Williams (1991, cited in Smith, 1991:117), the MNCs often had external communication barriers, which indicated as personality (culture different) influence the understanding and acceptance of the message and the message had been distorted (translate language) during the transfer. After a survey from supervisors, the companies decided to operate two actions to encourage the communication: First, setting an international standard of technologies words to conquer the communication. Second, setting an employee-exchange-program that employee could understand the culture different and improve the work efficiency. With reference to Rollinson and Broadfield (2002:617) theory, the first solution settled the encode and decode barriers, while second solution was choosing the ‘channel’, which was exchanged the employees to other subsidiaries, to increase the understanding and to solve the distortion barriers. To conclude, this essay has identified the communication in the workplace which included the communication barriers in the organization and purpose of communication, follow with three case studies about communication barriers, which including first, Bernard Matthews farms developed internal and external stakeholder by communication to rescue the loss position, second, the Luxor Company’s communicational-bias-further-development, third, communication helped multinational corporations to develop collaborative. As a result, communication in the workplace is critical important. However, the limitation of this essay still existed, the communication barriers identified not enough in this essay and the case study of this essay might be fewer representatives of the communication barriers. Words: 1616 Reference Antony, F. and MacVicar, A. (2011). Contemporary Organisation Behaviour. New York: McGraw-Hill. Argyris, Chris (1994). Good Communication That Block Leaning. Harvard Business Review, July-August, 1994, 77-85. Conrad, C. C. and Poole, M. S. (2012). Strategic Organizational Communication: In a Global Economy. U. K. : John Wiley and Sons. Coulson-Thomas, C. (1997). The Future of the Organization: Achieving Excellence through Business Transformation. London: Kogan Page. Dekay, S. H. (2012). Interpersonal communication in the workplace: A Largely Unexplored Region. Business Communication Quarterly, 75 (4), 449-452. Hansen, M. T. and Nohria, N. (2004), How to Build Collaborative Advantage. MIT Sloan Management Review, Fall, 46, 1, 22-30, 2004. Hodge, B. J. and Johnson, H. J. (1970). Management and Organizational Behavior: A Multidimensional Approach. United States of America: John Wiley and Sons. O’Reilly, C. A. and Pondy, L. R. (1979). Organizational Communication. Columbus HO: Grid Rollinson, D. with Broadfield, A. (2002). Organisational Behaviour and Analysis: An Integrated Approach. London: Pearson Education. Smith, M. (1991). Analysing Organization Behavior. London: Macmillan Education. The Times 100 Business Case Studies. (2012). Communication with stakeholders: A Bernard Matthews case study. Retrieved October 28th, 2012 from: http://businesscasestudies. co. uk/bernard-matthews /communicating-with-stakeholders/

How to Use In, An or Auf Properly

How to Use In, An or Auf Properly Although German is a straightforward language once you learn the rules, you cant always directly translate every word from English. In fact, the more you study some words, the more confusing they may become. Three German prepositions, in particular, can be tricky for beginners: in, an and auf.   What Is a Preposition? A preposition is a word that is typically paired with a noun (or pronoun, like he or she) that helps you understand that words relationship to another part of the sentence. For example, prepositions can refer to the nouns position in space or time. Like put your feet  under  the table, or go shopping  after  class. But many English prepositions have different meanings. Under can be below, but it can also mean less than. Some prepositions are colloquial or you just have to memorize them, like get down with.   The same goes for German. You can memorize the meanings of the prepositions, but not all will be a direct translation of the English counterpart.   These are all two-way prepositions, meaning the noun/pronoun that follows this  preposition  will be conjugated in the accusative (if it is used to express motion/action, like I walk into the store) or dative (if it is used to express a location or position, like I stand in the street). In English, the preposition does not change the noun/pronoun it precedes.   In Means: in, into, to Examples: Ich stehe in der Straße. (I stand in the street.) Die Frau ist in der Universitt. (The woman is in the university, as in she is physically inside the university building. If you want to say you are enrolled in the university, you say, an der  Universitt, as in at the university. See below.)   An Means: at, to, up next to   Examples: Ich sitze an dem Tisch. (I am sitting at the table.) Die Frau ist  an der  Tankstelle. (The woman is at the gas station, as in she is literally standing up next to the vertical gas pump. It can be helpful to think about a side-by-side, vertical encounter to remember when to use an as in up next to.)   Auf Means: on, on top of Examples: Die Backerei ist auf der Hauptstraße. (The bakery is on the main street.) Die Frau ist  auf  der Bank. (The woman is on the bench, as in she is literally sitting on top of the horizontal bench. A horizontal encounter is often key for auf.)   Other Considerations Some verbs come standard with a preposition. Think about hang out or hang up in English; the preposition is an important component of the verb that actually changes the meaning of it.

PMI analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

PMI analysis - Essay Example Another negative thing I learnt is that life is filled with things that try to reduce our success. E.g. economic recession, business competition and sickness. Trust and cooperation are the most important things that leaders use to make their employees feel sale. Unfortunately, these are feelings, and not everyone has them. Simon gives a story of captain Williams, who ran through bullets in an ambush to save lives. It is not often that we meet people who are willing to endanger their lives to save others. It is interesting also to note that great leaders are always willing to sacrifice the numbers to save the people. As much as they are concerned about making profit they are equally concerned about the people under their leadership. Great leaders can also make people safe, and this improves overall productivity within the organization. Trust and cooperation are very important aspects that every employee should possess. However, trust and cooperation are not instructions but rather feelings. It will take the actions of a great leader to make people under his leadership feel safe and in turn wins their trust and

The software process models Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The software process models - Essay Example The requirements are based on system functionalities and roles and so would not undergo any change with time. b) The requirement capturing process for the user interface is an on-going process as a few of the requirements are subjected to change with availability of measures such as skill level of users, type of interface access methodologies, compliance with technological advancements, etc. The model is generally used in small, simple throwaway projects with output as short lived demos, proof-of-concept or prototypes. No separate planning, risk assessment, designing, building, testing phases are required. The administrative system in AILS requires thorough gathering of requirements, understanding the working of existing processes and workflows and data accessing details for integration with the interface which the model fails to provide. For the user interface however, the model can be used the requirement of gaining user satisfaction. Interface can be made and tested; missing or ambiguous portions can be identified and fixed in the next build till a workable interface is achieved. In the AILS administrative system, the requirements necessitate the need of completely capturing of fixed requirements and functionalities to produce a complete product as deliverable. Therefore, the model seems to be appropriate for the task. Spiral model employs risk management approach, an essential requirement in the large mission-critical projects, where reusable, high quality versions of software are delivered before the requirements change again. For the user interface, applying the model would produce a workable solution but with an overhead of unnecessary risk analysis. User interface is not a critical task and therefore does not require extensive risk analysis. For the user interface, the model can be applied owing to the varying scope and requirements. An initial role based interface, accessing data may be developed and tested.

Credit scoring model Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Credit scoring model - Coursework Example As a way of solving classification issues and also decreases Type I errors, typical of many credit scoring models, this piece attempts to describe or rather come up with an appropriate credit scoring model via two stages. Classification stage involves development and construction of an ANN-based credit scoring model, which basically classifies applicants into two categories, which are, those who have acceptable credit (good) and those who have unacceptable credit (bad). In the second stage, which will also be referred to as the re-assigning stage, attempt is made to lower Type I error through reassignment of the unaccepted applicants with good credit to a conditionally accepted category making use of a CBR-based classification approach. In a bid to demonstrate the effectiveness of the model proposed in this paper, an analysis is run on a German dataset with assistance of SAS Enterprise Miner. The results will be expected to not only prove that the model is a more effective credit sco ring model but that it will also enhance the business revenues through its ability to lower both Type I and Type II error system scoring errors. Introduction Data mining is a process that involves search and analysis of data so as to find implicit, although substantially vital information. It covers selection, exploration and modeling of large data volumes with the aim of uncovering previously unrecognized patterns, and in the end generate understandable information, from huge databases. It generally employs an extensive range of computational techniques which include approaches such as statistical analysis, decision trees analysis, neural networks review, rule induction and refinement approach, as well as graphic visualization. Of the various mentioned methods, the classification aspect has an important role in decision making within businesses mainly as a result of the extensive applications when it comes to financial forecasting, detection of fraud, development of a marketing str ategy, credit scoring, to mention just but a few. The aim of developing credit scoring models is to assist financial institutions to detect good credit applicants who are more likely to honor their debt obligation. Often such systems are based on multiple variables including the applicant’s age, their credit limit, income levels, as well as marital status, among others. Conventionally, there are many distinct credit scoring models which have been developed by financial as well as researchers in a bid to unravel the mysteries behind classification problem. Such include linear discriminant analysis, logistic regression, multivariate adaptive regression splines, classification, as well as regression tree, case based reasoning, and of course the artificial neural networks. Normally, linear discriminant analysis, logistic regression, and artificial neural networks are utilized in construction of credit scoring models. LDA is amongst the earliest forms of credit scoring model and e njoy widespread usage across the globe. Nonetheless, its use has often been subjected to criticism based on its assumption of existence of a linear relationship between the input variables and the output variables. Sadly, this is an assumption that seldom holds, and is rather sensitive to deviations arising from assumption of multivariate normality (West, 2000). Like LDA, LR is also a rather common alternative employed in performance of credit scoring assessments. In essence, the LR model has stood out as the best

Media and Entertainment Essay Example for Free

Media and Entertainment Essay The importance and popularity of media is ever growing. Media has become indispensible in everyday life, be it personal life or business, trade or work. Conventional media like cinema, television, radio and print are modifying themselves to play their roles effectively in the current market. Technological innovations and discovery of new media like cable television, Direct To Home (DTH), Mobile Technology, Internet Podcasting and FM Radio Channels have created immense competition in the entertainment and media field. Video games and portable audio – video devices have intensified the competition. Entry of foreign TV broadcasts, 24*7 broadcasting and the exponential growth of new media call for impressive content creation for catering to every segment of the population. The escalating economic growth in India with a remarkable percentage of youth in the population who have high earning capacity and more disposable incomes and the upwardly mobile middleclass make the entertainment and media sector more promising and demanding. Profile of the current youth with lesser attention span and the easy availability of affordable entertainment have created the challenges of attracting and retaining audience and clients. Multiplex cultures, variety of entertainment choices available, profitability and potential of space-selling in media houses, embedded advertising, marriage of animation and visual technologies are all signs of the advanced state of development in media and entertainment. New Technologies and the high costs involved in production and distribution of media content have justified corporate entry into cinema production and ntertainment production. This has given â€Å"Industry Status† to this field. This paper recognises the status of entertainment and media as a powerful service sector and highlights the need for adopting unique content creation and marketing strategies for enriching and enhancing the experience of the audience and clients. Moreover, the paper identifies the potential of these services that could be exploited for the benefit of the customers as well as to promise high returns for the Investors and Media and Entertainment houses. Content Creation and Entertainment Quotient in the current Media Scenario Introduction: â€Å"And in my opinion, entertainment in its broadest sense has become a necessity rather than a luxury in the life†¦ † -Walt Disney The very purpose of human life boils down to fulfilling the humane needs which include both physical and psychological needs. Media and Entertainment is the field that caters to the psychological or cognitive needs of the media customers. The importance and popularity of media is ever growing. Media has become indispensible in everyday life, be it personal life or business, trade or work. The Media and Entertainment industry consists of the creation, aggregation and distribution of content, products and services, news and information, advertising and entertainment through various channels and platforms. Conventional media like cinema, television, radio and print are modifying themselves to play their roles effectively in the current market. Technological innovations and discovery of new media like cable television, Direct To Home (DTH), Mobile Technology, Internet Podcasting and FM Radio Channels have created immense competition in the entertainment and media field. Video games and portable audio – video devices have intensified the competition. Entry of foreign TV broadcasts, 24*7 broadcasting and the exponential growth of new media calls for impressive content creation for catering to every segment of the population. The Indian Entertainment and Media (EM) industry has outperformed the Indian economy and is one of the fastest growing sectors in India. However, the future of this industry depends largely on the growth of Indian Economy. The Indian Economy is growing at a fast rate, with increased personal income of people who are spending more on their entertainment and leisure activities. Media and Entertainment Customers: Media and entertainment customers have no inhibitions to switch over their sources of entertainment and information, if they feel that their current entertainment provider does not stand up to the mark. Winning customer confidence and support becomes all the more crucial for this industry which could create deeper impressions and have greater impact on the inerasable minds of the customers. Radio, Television, Internet, Print, Movie, Music, Novels and News Media should live up to the fantasy, expectations and requirements of the viewing, listening and reading masses, who seek these media to fulfil their individualistic needs, based on their specific lifestyles, backgrounds and mood swings. The escalating economic growth in India along with a remarkable percentage of youth in the population who have high earning capacity and more disposable incomes and the upwardly mobile middleclass make the entertainment and media industry more promising and the demand for entertainment is going to steadily see an upward trend. Profile of the current youth with lesser attention span and the easy availability of affordable entertainment have created the challenges of attracting and retaining audiences and clients. Success totally depends on how original, quick and entertaining the content offered by these media is comparatively less. In media and entertainment, only the content that provides the highest degree of gratification can win over the media customers. Media Content and Entertainment Quotient: In media production and publishing, content refers to information and experiences that may provide value for an end-user or audience. Content may be delivered via any medium such as the internet, television, audio CDs, cinema, newspapers and magazines as well as live events such as conferences, stage performances and interactive audio video platforms. â€Å"Content† is the word used to identify and quantify various formats and genres of information as manageable value-adding components of media. Entertainment Quotient is the degree of gratification the customers receive or experience through the content provided by Media. Better the quality of content provided, higher will be the degree of gratification experienced. Hence, media content and entertainment quotient are directly related to each other. Media Production and delivery technology potentially enhances the value of content by formatting, filtering and combining original sources of content for new audience with new contexts. Media must understand its responsibility to spread optimism and hope in all aspects of life, especially during times of natural disasters like floods, tsunami, earth-quakes or man-made disasters like terrorist attacks, economic meltdowns, political crisis or any such critical situation apart from its vital role in offering information, education and entertainment. It is very essential for media to realize that its content on such events are just not a focus on the problems, but on the possible ways for prohibition, prevention and rescue. The fact that media can and should make such shift is reflective of its evolution globally. Content provided by media should be of value, relevance and provide entertainment to the ultimate customers. Contemporary Role of Media and Entertainment: Media is changing from being an informer to being a companion. Right from children to elders, people of all ages and classes have something to look for in all the media. All have started looking at media, be it the television, radio, newspaper or the internet as a source of not only entertainment, but also as a source of knowledge and exposure. Media have got themselves into the roles of friend, philosopher and guide and recently as an activist. This being the status, there is a vital need for the highest quality of the content that are provided by these media to be at par with the expectations of all segments of audience and provide high entertainment quotient to them. In many areas, media content is already playing a very active role in providing prescriptions to consumers. From being just a provider of news, the media today is a source of knowledge and offers forums of interaction where consumers can seek advice on health, beauty, home care, decor, travel etc. All these play a major role for their life style changes, and hence we have a majority of the people following a commonly seen style and changed culture. The viewer becomes the consumer who modifies his or her life to go with the characters portrayed by them. Audio-visual medium do have a salutary impact on the knowledge, attitude and acceptance of the viewers. Media do influence people as much as home, neighbourhood, peers in school / college / office etc. The Media and Entertainment industry is moving from the well known status of Mass Media to Mass-personal Media. Future of Indian Media and Entertainment Industry: The FM radio sector was opened up for foreign investment with 20 percent FDI being allowed. As a result the radio sector is expanding rapidly with forecasted growth rates of 32 percent per annum. In the print media segment, 100 percent FDI is now allowed for non-news publications and 26 percent FDI is allowed for news publications. Internet advertising is expected to go up from one percent to three percent of the total Media and Entertainment revenues by 2014. Music and Gaming are expected to grow at 32 percent in the next five years. With multiplex culture, watching film has become a status symbol. Television is witnessing a steady in growth and is likely to go further in future. Indian Television market is likely to grow at an average annual rate of 16% to reach 46,922 crore rupees by 2012. The historical data and the current trend in media industry imply a definite surge of demand and healthier competition in the days to come. Exciting new developments in the technologies used in this industry are taking place. Animation, Multiplexes, new distribution channels and the use of Internet are redefining the entertainment industry. All these factors will favour further growth of this industry in India. India is poised to enter the period of immense growth in this industry. Strategies for Success in Media and Entertainment Industry: The Mantra for attracting and retaining audience for all media is â€Å"provide quality content and increase the entertainment quotient†. Updated, contemporary, relevant, creative and informative content can take the media a long way. This is the basis for establishing, surviving, growing and conquering in the dynamic media industry. Competition is high and tough. The sources available for entertainment and information are many and easily accessible. This being the status, â€Å"survival of the fittest, fastest and the most creative† is the lifeline of media content at present. The challenge for communicators and marketers is to create and identify opportunities that can make the content all the more impressive. Today more and more battles are not as much for market share as for a share of the consumers’ wallet. Media consumers are very vulnerable and prone to be poached by more innovative and consistent content providers. Media products, being intangible can have only cognitive and psychological impact on their consumer. Hence, it becomes more important to provide high quality content which is much better than the competitors’ and thus ensure high entertainment quotient, which is the ultimate aim of any entertainment content. This in turn will aid in attracting, maintaining and enhancing the audience for the particular media. Further, this will ensure the growth potential of the media. Media are not averse to content tie-ups to create media multiplier effect by increasing the touch points. Media observers agree that cross-media tie-ups have become a compulsion, rather than a choice. Thus, convergence of media has become indispensible and is the most plausible route for reaching out to more audience or end-users. Mobile telephones, 3G wireless services, DTH (Direct To Home television), HDTV (High-Definition Television) and the Web, all require content to be converted to multiple formats in order to be offered to a multitude of consumers from various national, cultural, economic and social backgrounds. Media companies agree that tie-ups are not a cost-saving mechanism, rather, it is more about expanding the visibility and pooling the strengths of the two mediums. The content synergy assures prospective audience. There has also been a change in the mindset of publications, be it in print or internet or television. They have realized the importance of providing news and information to the audience, without worrying about the source. Earlier, media houses would stress exclusive reportage. Now, they are willing to give due credit to the source publication as well as the journalist. This is a welcome transition, since it is an optimistic way to reach out to the dedicated and loyal audience who seek out entertainment and information only from certain specific media which they prefer. Stereotyped, mundane and pessimistic content are likely to reduce the entertainment quotient apart from having negative impact on the audience. Ultimately, customers carry along only experiences and memories and satisfaction along with them when they make use of any media for entertainment or information. Only carefully crafted content can enhance these experiences, satisfaction levels and entertainment quotient of media consumers. Conventional cinema and television media had been providing slow paced, socially relevant content to target audience comprising of all economic strata. The amounts of money and marketing involved were small and the industry had been more of monopolistic. The scenario now is entirely different with resurgence of widescreen, stereo, surround sound and digital cinema becoming better and affordable by all. Currently, big production budgets and expensive equipments are being used as the recipe for creating quality entertainment, capable of reaching millions of audience. Especially in India, the entry of Hollywood films has created intense competitions and also has enhanced and diversified the expectations of the local viewers. Dubbing and releasing of Hollywood and other foreign movies in vernacular languages has intensified the entertainment quotient sought by the consumers. The degree of challenges in newer technology adoption, costs and risks involved are higher as far as cinema and television are concerned. Television content production venture is top venture in the media world.

Meditation In Zen Buddhism Philosophy Essay

Meditation In Zen Buddhism Philosophy Essay Meditation is the foundation of Zen Buddhism. Zen literally means to meditate. Meditation, in Zen, is the path and the goal. The goal is to meditate. Like all religions, Zen Buddhism has split into sections. Zen has two schools of thought, the gradual and the sudden approach to enlightenment. In the gradual school, there is only one way to practice Zen meditation, which is seated meditation, called zazen. Zazen can be performed in several different ways, but the positions have no spiritual significance. The positions are mainly to create comfort, stability, and ability to breathe through the diaphragm properly. The sudden school believes enlightenment could potentially occur instantly. They use koans, mondos, and turning phrases to help the practitioner gain more insight, and hopefully be enlightened. Koans, mondos, and turning phrases are irrational dialogues or statements that practitioners contemplate upon. The main topics to point out when discussing meditation in Zen Buddhism ar e the goals of their meditation, the gradual school of thought, and the sudden school of thought. In Zen, the path of meditation is the goal. It is similar to riding your bicycle just to ride your bicycle. Through mediation, Zen Buddhists do not attempt to do anything, but to be in the moment. The Vietnamese Zen teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, says, We practice so that each moment of our life becomes real life. There is no goal in Zen, but to focus on ones being, moment by moment. While practicing meditation, one may also find other benefits, like better health and a more relaxed state of my mind. Unlike many sects of Buddhism, as well as many other religions, Zen Buddhists do not have scriptures to which they should study, but they may do so if they choose. Zen Buddhists focus primarily on one simple act, which is meditation. They believe that achievement of the Buddhahood comes from silence. Zen has two popular sections, gradual and sudden. They both are means to enlightenment, but have two different points of view. In the gradual school of Zen, there is only one technique of meditation, which is called zazen. Zazen literally means sitting meditation. Zazens motto is: To be a Buddha is to sit like a Buddha. That is, while sitting, sit completely. Be aware of the stillness of everything while enjoying not having to do anything but be in the moment. Although there are no doctrines or disciplines in Zen, there are many instructions for meditation postures. In Zen culture, there was less of a difference between body, breath, and mind than in the west. Zen practitioners believe if one aligns their spine correctly, fold their legs properly, sit properly, and keep still; they can achieve stillness of the mind. Much of the stillness of the mind in Zen is believed to be achieved through the correct posture of the body. Many of the Zen postures come from ancient Indian yogic positions developed to increase alignment and awareness. Although they come from yogic postures, they have no divine meaning them; they are only intended to increase comfort, stability, and the ability to breathe well. In Zen, it is believed that awakening must penetrate every cell of the body, so they must engage the body as well as the mind when meditating. Zazen is typically done in one way with several variations. The most effective way of seated meditation is done is with ones legs crossed and spine aligned straight up and curved, giving a pyramid shape to ones posture. It is usually done on the floor, with a soft mat and pillow to sit on to raise the body a little so that ones knees can touch the ground. With ones knees touching the ground, it creates three points of contact with the ground to give the practitioner a sturdy base. The easiest form of zazen is the Burmese position. In the Burmese position, one has their legs crossed, and their feet flat on the floor. In this position it is very easy to keep ones back straight because putting ones feet on the floor forces the practitioner to keep his back curved, which is an essential part of zazen. Two other positions are the half lotus and the full lotus. Both positions are very similar, but the half lotus requires less flexibility, and is easier for most people. To perform the half lotus, one foot placed over the opposite thigh, and the other foot is placed under the opposite leg. The full lotus position is when both legs are put on both thighs. This position is more recommended because it gives the practitioner much more balance. There are also two other zazen positions which are commonly used. The first position is the sieza position. The sieza position is kneeling, with your buttocks on both feet. You can sit on either a pillow, or your bare legs. You can also use a sieza bench to kneel on. The second position is the chair position. The bench keeps ones back straight, and takes the weight off of ones feet. The other position is to simply sit on a chair with ones feet on the floor, arching the back. It is important to keep ones back straight while meditating so that one can breathe with the diaphragm properly. A good sitting posture as well as good hand position allows the body to give uninhibited deep breaths. While doing Zen meditation, one should use the Dhyani mudra hand position. The Dhyani mudra is a way to position ones hands so that they can take deep breaths from their diaphragm. To do so, the practitioner will place both hands on top of one another, with their palms facing up. Their knuckles should be on top of one another as well, with their thumbs touching gently together. Breathing through the diaphragm creates deep, slow breaths, which is quite useful when practicing zazen. Breathing is not only useful while meditating, but it is useful in all aspects of our health. Andrew Weil M.D., an author and physician said, Improper breathing is a common cause of ill health. If I had to limit my advice on healthier living to just one tip, it would be simply to learn how to breathe correctly. Theres no single more powerful or simpler daily practice to further your health and well-being than breath-work. ~ Andrew Weil, M.D. The sudden school of Zen, which believes in sudden enlightenment, has koans as a focal point of meditation. In The Complete Idiots Guide to Buddhism, Gary Gach says that koans are seemingly illogical riddles, like Two hands come together in a clap. What is the sound of one hand? A koan is not a riddle. It doesnt call for a solution (its not a math puzzle with an equation waiting in an answer book); rather, it is a personal breakthrough with a flash of enlightenment. In other words, it is a statement or conversation that cannot be understood by rational thinking; it can only be understood by intuition. Zen Buddhists believe that scriptures will lead scholars to misinterpretations of the original meanings, which is why Zen masters made Koans. Koans go beyond words. They attempt to go beyond the boundaries of intellect and language, and find awakening or enlightenment. Zen master Hakuin, author of the koan, What is the sound of one hand? has said, Whats true meditation? Its to make it all coughing, swallowing, gestures, motion, stillness, words, action, good and evil, success and shame, win and lose, right and wrong into one single koan. Although Zen Buddhists are not against words, they try to limit the amount of description to leave the interpreting to the practitioner who is attempting to gain insight. The primary beginning of using koans in Zen Buddhism originated from Hui Neng, a poor man who gathered and sold firewood for a living. He achieved enlightenment suddenly while he overheard a man reciting the Diamond Sutra, a scripture on emptiness and wisdom which requires great insight to understand. When he overheard the man say, Awaken your mind without fixing it anywhere, he was enlightened on the spot. Koans are meant to be contemplated until they are realized. While one meditates is the optimal time to think about them, but they can also be taken home to contemplate. According to The Complete Idiots Guide to Buddhism, there are about 400 indexed koans and about 1700 in all. There are so many koans because they deal with particular parts of the Way of enlightenment. Many of the koans, such as Hakuins koan, What is the sound of one hand? are designed to take the practitioner past the normal self into Buddha mind. There are also koan related Zen dialogues called mondos. Mondos are question-and-answer banter between people. They are similar to koans because they have the same non-sense questions and statements. An example of a mondo is in the Milindapanha, which reads, King Milinda said to learned monk Nagasena, Im going to ask you a question. Can you answer it? Nagasena replied, Please, ask your question. The King: Ive already asked. Nagasena: Ive already answered. The King: What did you answer? Nagasena: What did you ask? The King: I asked nothing. Nagasena: I answered nothing Also similar to koans and mondos, the sudden school of Zen also used turning phrases to help promote enlightenment and understanding. Examples of a turning phrases are, Not one, not two, Chop wood: carry water, and Form is emptiness; emptiness is form. These are all mottos that are used to help the practitioner gain more insight, and hopefully find sudden enlightenment. Being the foundation of Zen Buddhism, meditation is the main aspect of the religion. Zen essentially is meditation. In Zen, the path is the goal. It is like riding your bicycle simply to ride your bicycle. Zen Buddhism has split into two schools of thought, the gradual and the sudden approach to enlightenment. In the gradual school, there is only one way to practice Zen meditation, which is seated meditation, called zazen. Zazen can be performed in several different ways, but the positions have no significance other than comfort and stability. Breathing is an important part of meditation as well. The sudden school believes enlightenment could potentially occur instantly. They use koans, mondos, and turning phrases to help the practitioner gain more insight, and hopefully be enlightened. Koans, mondos, and turning phrases are irrational dialogues or statements that practitioners contemplate upon. The main topics to point out when discussing meditation in Zen Buddhism are the goals of their meditation, the gradual school of thought, and the sudden school of thought. Gach, Gary. The Complete Idiots Guide to Buddhism. 3rd. New York City, New York: Alpha Books, 2009. 183-200. Print. 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