Can digitisation help overcome linguistic and strategic disadvantages in international media markets? Exploring cross-border business opportunities for German-language media companies

2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 520-538 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Bjørn von Rimscha ◽  
Johanna Möller ◽  
Denise Voci ◽  
Pamela Nölleke-Przybylski ◽  
Klaus-Dieter Altmeppen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
German Language ◽  
Niche Markets ◽  
International Media ◽  
Dominant Language ◽  
Media Companies ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
Business Opportunities

The media economy and production literature offers insights into the international activities of media companies that provide products in ‘world languages’. Researchers point out that English-language content and, thus, English-language companies have a linguistic advantage and dominate the global media market. In comparison, there is limited knowledge of how companies that originate from non-dominant-language territories expand their activities abroad. This is all the more relevant as digitisation and fragmentation transform markets and new business opportunities arise. Against this background, we ask whether media companies from non-dominant-language markets can benefit from new constellations and business models to overcome linguistic and strategic disadvantages. We use the example of German-language media companies to explore whether and how digitisation and, to some extent, fragmentation mediate the cross-border activities of non-dominant-language media companies. Using qualitative interviews with top media managers, we address their market perceptions and strategies regarding cross-border activities. In sum, market hierarchies remain persistent, as new challenges, such as portfolio redefinition and rising competition, emerge. However, companies focusing on generic products or niche markets can benefit from digitisation, as can companies that have already grew large and overcome their linguistic constraints.

A motivation-based typology of media companies’ cross-border engagement

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 300-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna E Möller ◽  
Pamela Nölleke-Przybylski ◽  
Denise Voci ◽  
M Bjørn von Rimscha ◽  
Klaus-Dieter Altmeppen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Analysis ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Management Research ◽  
Media Management ◽  
Media Companies ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
Transnational Media ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Strategy As Practice ◽  
Organizational Activities

This article contributes to theoretical discussions in the field of transnational media management research. We argue that investigating media companies’ activities abroad from a strategy-as-practice perspective can overcome shortcomings implied in research predominantly focusing on strategies applied by entire companies. This is especially valid in times of digitization where changing technological frameworks force media companies to internationalize and restructure their business models. Based on a comparative qualitative analysis of interviews with 34 international senior media managers, this article provides a typology of cross-border activities related to three types of motivations: economic, organizational and socio-political. Relating activities and motivations provides a useful heuristic to systematically compare activities of most diverse media companies beyond objectives such as profit and growth. This sheds light on processes of digitization as related to numerous emerging organizational activities abroad with yet unclear economic trade-offs.

The Impact of Anglicizing Former German-Language Psychology Journals on Authorship and Citation Frequencies

2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 190-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Günter Krampen ◽  
Thomas Huckert ◽  
Gabriel Schui
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
English Language ◽  
General Trend ◽  
Native Language ◽  
Impact Factors ◽  
German Language ◽  
Journal Articles ◽  
Number Of Citations ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Number Of Authors

Exemplary for other than English-language psychology journals, the impact of recent Anglicization of five former German-language psychology journals on (1) authorship (nationality, i.e., native language, and number of authors, i.e., single or multiple authorships), (2) formal characteristics of the journal (number of articles per volume and length of articles), and (3) number of citations of the articles in other journal articles, the language of the citing publications, and the impact factors (IF) is analyzed. Scientometric data on these variables are gathered for all articles published in the four years before anglicizing and in the four years after anglicizing the same journal. Results reveal rather quick changes: Citations per year since original articles’ publication increase significantly, and the IF of the journals go up markedly. Frequencies of citing in German-language journals decrease, citing in English-language journals increase significantly after the Anglicization of former German-language psychology journals, and there is a general trend of increasing citations in other languages as well. Side effects of anglicizing former German-language psychology journals include the publication of shorter papers, their availability to a more international authorship, and a slight, but significant increase in multiple authorships.

The logic of formatting: A case study on transnational television production

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 391-408
Author(s):  
Jolien van Keulen ◽  
Tonny Krijnen ◽  
Joke Bauwens
Keyword(s):  
Business Models ◽  
Daily Work ◽  
Ownership Structures ◽  
Television Production ◽  
Media Companies ◽  
Content Development ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Production Company ◽  
Selection Of

The transnationalization of television production has been examined by studies on formats and multinational media companies, which have often highlighted the resilience of the local in the global. This article investigates transnationalization on the micro level of television production, drawing on participant observations in a Dutch production company that is partly owned by an American conglomerate. It explores the deep entanglement of the local with the global in different facets of production – including legal, organizational and market aspects – as manifested in daily practices and decision-making in television production. Our analysis reveals an industrial logic of formatting that is not only induced by transnational ownership structures and business models but also deeply ingrained in production routines and programme conventions. Through this logic, transnationalization shapes media professionals’ daily work, the selection of programme ideas and the process of content development.

scholarly journals Breaking the language barrier? Comparing TV news frames across texts in different languages

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 407-420
Author(s):  
Sumaya Al Nahed
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Television News ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Arabic Language ◽  
News Frames ◽  
International Media ◽  
News Reports ◽  
Tone Of Voice ◽  
Arabic And English ◽  
The Impact

This article examines two factors which have become increasingly important in today’s multi-channel international media environment, but which add significant extra levels of complexity to framing analysis: language differences and tone of voice. Through case studies examining English and Arabic language television news reports, the article considers some of the difficulties facing researchers who aim to compare spoken texts in different languages about the same events. In particular, the author focuses on the different cultural understandings of the appropriateness of emotive language in Arabic and English language journalism, and argues that in order to analyse the framing of stories in television news it is necessary to take account of the role of reporter tone in building frames. By comparing Al Jazeera’s and the BBC’s coverage of the 2011 Arab uprisings, the article aims to bridge some methodological gaps in this area, and to advance the reliability and validity of studies that attempt to compare news frames of the same events in different languages. It also considers the additional challenge of comparing tones of voice, particularly if they fluctuate throughout the story. Ultimately, the article proposes ways of going beyond literal understandings of both language and tone in order to establish the impact of both on the construction of news frames.

scholarly journals Proving Chinese Law in the Courts of the United States

Amicus Curiae ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 188-215
Author(s):  
Richard K Wagner
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
English Language ◽  
The United States ◽  
Civil Procedure ◽  
Business Culture ◽  
Republic Of China ◽  
Chinese Law ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
Chinese Business ◽  
The Us

The volume of disputes heard by United States (US) courts containing a China element continues to be robust even against a backdrop of political rhetoric concerning an economic ‘de-coupling’ of the US and China. These cross-border disputes often involve Chinese parties and special issues, some of which concern Chinese business culture, but many of which involve interpreting questions of Chinese law. How is proving Chinese law accomplished in these cases and how have US courts performed in interpreting Chinese law? This article first discusses the approach to proving Chinese law in US courts. While expert testimony is often submitted and can be valuable to a US court, the applicable US rule offers no standards by which these opinions are to be judged. And, in the China context, without specific guidance, it can be challenging for a judge, unaccustomed with China or the Chinese legal system to determine which version of the law to believe. Moreover, under the applicable rule, the US court can simply ignore competing Chinese law opinions and conduct its own Chinese law legal research, presumably using English language sources. This can lead to interesting interpretations of Chinese law to say the least. The article anchors its discussion in an examination of those recent cases which have interpreted Article 277 of the Civil Procedure Law of the People’s Republic of China. This is the legal provision of Chinese law that can be implicated in certain situations involving cross-border discovery, and there are now numerous Article 277 cases among the reported US decisions. The article analyses Article 277 by placing it within the larger context of Chinese civil procedure and argues that the language used in the provision has a special meaning within Chinese evidence law that has been obscured in those US case decisions interpreting it, leading to erroneous results. The article concludes by offering judges and practitioners some suggestions for interpreting Chinese law in future US cases. Keywords: Chinese law; US courts; Article 277; deposition; cross-border discovery; Hague Evidence Convention; Chinese civil procedure.

scholarly journals Mediation as a Component of Communicative Competence in Training International Relations Professionals: Collaboration Between Russia and Kazakhstan

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-71
Author(s):  
Irina E. Abramova ◽  
Anastasia A. Ananyina ◽  
Anna M. Esengalieva
Keyword(s):  
Conflict Resolution ◽  
International Relations ◽  
English Language ◽  
Communicative Competence ◽  
Well Being ◽  
University Teaching ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
The Republic ◽  
The Impact

The world lives in the era of conflict, when the safety and well-being of states or individuals to a large extent depend on the availability of well-trained professionals who are able to perform mediating functions, keeping in mind ethnic, national, political, cultural and other differences between conflicting sides. However, employers increasingly claim that todays graduates lack the skills required for conflict management and mediation even in homogeneous working environments, let alone multinational teams and international interaction. This problem is particularly relevant for the field of international relations where conflict resolution by peaceful means is very important. Countries with transition economies, such as Russia and Kazakhstan, where there is a gap between labor market requirements and university teaching practices, have been searching for new ways to educate and train young specialists. This article presents the preliminary results of a collaborative project between Petrozavodsk State University of the Russian Federation and Gumilyov Eurasian National University of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The project includes a set of dialogue- and polylogue-based learning activities with special focus on addressing any discrepancies, misunderstandings and divergence of views. The aim of the paper is to assess the impact of professionally oriented cross-border communication in the English language on the readiness of international relations students from Russia and Kazakhstan for resolving future professional disputes through mediation. The authors used formal structured questionnaires with closed-ended questions for obtaining necessary data and the comparative analysis method for interpreting them. The results suggest that systematic English-language cross-border communication in a realistic work-like environment will demonstrate the importance of mediation as a component of professional communicative competence to the students and will better prepare future foreign affairs staff for conflict resolution and mediation.

scholarly journals 5G Business Opportunities – New Business Models, Pricing, and Use Cases

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 79-84
Author(s):  
Peter McCarthy-Ward ◽  
Andy Valdar ◽  
Stuart Newstead ◽  
Stuart Revell
Keyword(s):  
Business Models ◽  
Use Cases ◽  
Business Opportunities ◽  
New Business ◽  
New Business Models

scholarly journals English for Specific Purposes: A Study Investigating the Mismatch between the “Cutting Edge” Course Book and the Needs of Prince Sultan Air Base Students

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arab World English Journal ◽  
Abdulrahman M. Alshabeb ◽  
Fhaid H. Alsubaie ◽  
Abdulaziz Z. Albasheer
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Cutting Edge ◽  
English For Specific Purposes ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Language Needs ◽  
Practical Performance ◽  
Linguistic Input ◽  
Collection Methods

Needs analysis is generally believed to be important in an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) context because it enables practitioners and material writers to find out about their learners’ needs. Thus, the main research question focuses on the perceived English language needs of the learners at Prince Sultan Air Base (PSAB), and the study involves an investigation into the mismatch between the Cutting Edge course book and the needs of PSAB students. A total of 70 students from different technical sections at Prince Sultan Air Base (PSAB), Saudi Arabia participated in the study. Two types of data collection methods were used in this study: quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative (interviews). The results obtained reveal that the current course book being used at PSAB does not meet their needs because the activities provided are not relevant to the specific context of their field, which is mainly military and aviation. Finding and adapting a textbook that is clearly linked to these students’ needs and to the course objectives is suggested as one possible solution. In the context of PSAB, data from the interviews and surveys shows the need to assess the content of the course book in relation to the needs of the learners. It also indicates the strong demand of the students for supplementary materials that provide linguistic input to match their needs. Finally, offering supplementary materials and content-based instructions for those students would help to bridge the gap between language training and practical performance needs in real situations.

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