The present study aimed to find out which compliment response types Saudi learners of English would use in particular situations within an academic context and to identify possible cultural and gender differences in the compliment responses between Saudi learners of English and native speakers of American English. In order to examine the two main variables of the present study, which were cultural and gender differences, the study used a Multiple Choice Discourse Completion Task (MDCT). The instrument included four imaginary written situations related to an academic context. Specifically, the first two scenarios involved a compliment on student achievement by a male and a female professor. In the third and fourth scenarios, the compliment was offered by a male and a female classmate, respectively. The compliment response types were based on Herbert's (1990) taxonomy. The participants included 104 American native speakers and 71 Saudi English speakers, all of them enrolled at a US university. The analysis of the data involved calculating descriptive statistics and multiple chi-square tests to elicit possible differences between native and non-native in each situation. Descriptive statistics were used to provide a detailed description of the results in terms of percentages. In addition, the value of Phi was calculated for each chi-square test in order to provide further evidence about the effect size of the observed differences. Overall, the results for the comparisons of cultural differences revealed that there were more similarities than differences between the American and Saudi participants in their compliment responses in all four situations. Furthermore, the results of the gender comparisons showed that there were more gender differences within the American sample than within the Saudi one. The lack of or very small number of cultural and gender differences was attributed to the fact that the majority of the Saudi participants had spent a substantial amount of time in the US and were all enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs at a US university. Another speculation that emerges based on the results of this study is that the similarities between the Saudi and American students, and the male and female participants, could be attributed to the changing definition of culture in the present day globalized world. Particularly, it appears that cultural differences may be fading away, especially among the younger generations, under the influence of globalization, advanced technology, and the Internet.

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[pt] Este trabalho tem como objetivo principal identificar o modelo canônico de comportamento dos falantes nativos cariocas para reagir a elogios em situações ordinárias de interação. Tendo em vista que as respostas a elogios podem ser consideradas atos de fala complexos, com normas de uso dependentes de questões culturais, consideramos que os mesmos carregam um alto potencial de risco de mal-entendidos e de constrangimentos para falantes não nativos que tentem realizá-los a partir das normas de suas próprias culturas. Visando colaborar com os estudos voltados para o ensino de português para estrangeiros, esta pesquisa se propõe a dar os primeiros passos rumo à compreensão da orientação de polidez carioca que embasa a construção do ideal de comportamento de seus falantes nativos. Para tal, buscamos para nossa fundamentação teórica conceitos da Pragmática e da Antropologia cultural. A análise de dados baseia-se num corpus criado a partir da aplicação de um questionário com algumas hipóteses de respostas a elogios de situações cotidianas, em que os informantes escolheram as mais e as menos adequadas para cada situação. Visando uma confirmação do padrão encontrado, numa segunda etapa, buscamos comparar alguns desses dados a formas usadas em situações reais, por meio de gravações de elogios provocados em interações espontâneas. Os resultados apontaram a aceitação como a forma idealizada de reação a elogios para diferentes tópicos e em diferentes contextos situacionais. / [en] This paper seeks to identity the canonic pattern of behavior of Rio de Janeiro s native speakers and their reactions when receiving compliments in ordinary day-to-day situations. Responses to compliment can be considered complex speech acts, with norms which are dependent on cultural factors. Based on that, the author considers that these situations embody a strong potential for misunderstandings and embarrassment for non-native speakers, when they fail to adapt their own cultural background to the natives standards during interactions. This research proposes to collaborate with the Portuguese as a Second Language field of study by advancing in the understanding of Rio de Janeiro s politeness norms, which are the basis for the ideal behavioral pattern of native speakers. The theoretic fundaments rest in Pragmatics and Cultural Anthropology concepts. The data analysis is based on information gathered from a questionnaire, which presented some hypothesis of responses to compliments in ordinary situations and in which the repliers chose the most and the least appropriate reactions for each situation. Seeking to confirm the pattern that was drawn from the responses, on a second phase, the study sought to compare some of the data collected to the speech patterns used in real-life situations, through the use of pre-recorded responses to compliments in spontaneous situations. The results showed that, for different subjects and situational contexts, the ideal behavior to native speakers is the acceptance of the compliments, rather than its rebuttal.

Set within the framework of the newly established field of variational pragmatics (Schneider and Barron, 2008), this study investigates pragmatic variation between two different regional varieties of English, namely American English and Singaporean English. Specifically, the speech act of compliment responses is compared. The data were collected through written discourse completion tasks (DCT) and responses were analysed and coded using an adapted version of Holmes’ (1988) categorization system for compliment responses (CRs). The CRs come from a total of 40 participants and a total of 320 compliment responses were analysed. The DCT was supplemented by an introspective-recall with six participants. The findings demonstrate that the preferred strategy for both groups is in the order of accept, evade and reject. Even so, the Singaporeans use more reject strategies and less accept strategies than the Americans do. Further, the Americans employ more combination strategies than the Singaporeans. The Singaporeans however, employ more non-verbal and paralinguistic cues than the Americans. The results also show differences in the two varieties’ attitudes to and perceptions of compliment responses. In addition, the study suggests that compliments in Singapore might be undergoing a change. The findings are particularly important for pedagogical purposes.

本文分別針對東南亞七經濟體，探究相對價格及供給面變數，對其主要來源國家觀光客-美、日、英、澳，選擇旅遊地點的影響，並了解各經濟體間替代及互補關係。實證結果發現：（1）大陸開放對香港、新加坡吸引英國觀光客呈現統計上顯著互補效果；而台灣、菲律賓對爭取美國觀光客上，呈現競爭替代關係。（2）天安門事件對香港國際旅遊，統計上皆存在顯著負面影響，且其在美、澳觀光客的明顯競爭對手為新加坡。（3）馬來西亞的國際觀光年在統計上皆是十分正面的效果，替代對象就美國觀光客部分為新加坡及菲律賓；就日本觀光客部分為台灣；就英國觀光客部分為新加坡及香港；就澳洲觀光客部分則為香港。（4）印尼的國際觀光年在統計上亦有顯著的成果。

This study examines the role of compliment topic by analyzing compliment responses by Japanese and American college students. Compliment responses can be seen as solutions for maintaining a balance between (1) a preference to avoid self-praise and (2) a preference to accept or agree with the compliment (Pomerantz 1978). Building on studies showing that response strategies can be influenced by compliment content and context, the study analyzed responses to compliments on ability, achievement, belongings, appearance, and personal characteristics by determining the subjects' choice of response strategy--categorized as acceptance, avoidance, or rejection--for each compliment topic. Compliment responses were elicited in a recorded, free-flowing conversation by the researcher or the English-speaking research assistant's issuing of compliments on traits of the participants based on information collected prior to the conversation by e-mail. Compliments were subtly dispersed throughout the conversation. Each compliment response was coded according to whether the overall response accepted, avoided, or rejected the credit attributed by the compliment, while the component parts of each response were coded by semantic formulas. The American group accepted compliments more often than the Japanese group and the Japanese group avoided and rejected compliments more often than the English group. But, contrary to a commonly held belief, the Japanese speakers did not overwhelmingly reject compliments, and instead used all three response types with a substantial frequency. The American participants overwhelmingly accepted compliments and almost never rejected compliments, but avoidance strategies were also commonly observed and should not be overlooked in the discussion of American English compliment response patterns. Furthermore, the study found relations between the content and structure of compliment responses and the type of compliment topic. Overall response strategies varied relative to compliment topic, as compliments on personal appearance were overwhelmingly rejected or avoided by both groups while those on belongings were largely accepted by both groups. Some response structures were also unique to a type of compliment topic, including the use of "wa" as a limit on the credit accepted in response to compliments on achievements or the use of "`a' + gratitude" as a means of demonstrating modesty in response to compliments on belongings.

Increased consumer expectations and diverse consumer needs have led to consumers turning to the internet as a communication medium to share their positive and negative experiences, feelings, and level of satisfaction with others. The primary objective of this study was to explore the nature of user-generated content, in terms of consumer complaint and compliment behaviour related to the seven OEM brands in South Africa. The study focused on the South African automotive industry, and the consumer behaviour associated with post-purchase responses on an online consumer advocacy platform, called Hellopeter.com. A qualitative research design, making use of a content analysis, was employed. In total, 185 user-generated content items were collected from Hellopeter.com for the data-collection period, and 176 complaints and 9 compliments were analysed. The results of this study indicated that the nature of user-generated content related to the seven OEM brands in South Africa could be categorised according to eight broad themes: seven themes were specifically related to consumer complaint behaviour, while one theme was associated with consumer compliment behaviour. The top consumer complaints and compliments related to the OEM brands on Hellopeter.com were also determined. The nature of the user-generated content showed various similarities to that of the general services industry but proved to be unique to the automotive industry. Specific recommendations were made and included that open communication channels and proper feedback systems should be put in place to satisfy consumer needs, and that the findings of the study should be used as a benchmark to monitor and improve consumer complaint and compliment behaviour, as a means to create loyal consumers / Business Management / M. Com (Business Management)

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T20:30:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rodolpho Vannucci.pdf: 954127 bytes, checksum: 3d09fa233c7024077f2e127169c9b53c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-05-28 / The purpose of this study is to analyze the execution of alimony in Family Law, through an organized and current view of the institute. The co-existence of several law provisions which rule or affect the execution of alimony justifies the necessity of this study, to put in order the provisions in a way that all of them are made usefull to grant the execution being as effective as possible. Another justification is the arising, over the last years, of legal renovation, as well as the promulgation of new legal Statutes, making necessary a review of the concepts regarding the topic. Every hypothesis of the execution of alimony in Family Law is analyzed, investigating its singularities and controversies, always searching for a systematic coherency and for the effectiveness of the process. The method used is the doctrinal and jurisprudential research, constantly investigating the set of problems, using, when possible and relevant, data from judicial practice. Such method allows the study to reach its purpose, giving a current and systematic view of the execution on alimony / O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar a execução dos alimentos decorrentes do direito de família, com uma visão atualizada e ordenada. Justifica a necessidade deste estudo a coexistência de inúmeros dispositivos legais que regulam ou afetam a execução de alimentos, o que impõe uma organização destes dispositivos que torne todos úteis e os faça servir para que a execução seja a mais efetiva possível. Outra justificativa é o surgimento, nos últimos anos, de inúmeras reformas legislativas, bem como a edição de novos diplomas legais, tornando necessária uma revisão de conceitos que cercam o tema. Serão analisadas todas as hipóteses de execução de alimentos decorrentes do direito de família, observando-se suas peculiaridades e seus pontos polêmicos, sempre na busca de uma coerência sistemática e da efetividade ao processo. O método utilizado foi a pesquisa doutrinária e jurisprudencial, com a constante busca pela problematização, utilizando-se, sempre que possível e pertinente, de dados da prática forense. Tal método permitiu ao estudo atingir seu objetivo, fornecendo uma visão sistemática e atual da execução de alimentos