rhetorical strategies

rhetorical strategies

Writing has remained to be the primary source of conveying and absorption of information by many people and organizations. Authors possess some ideas for the readers to spark some form of response or pass information. The author may use rhetorical appeals or rhetorical strategies to make a reliable and accurate interpretation of the information they are conveying to the audience. The eligibility of the author’s work primarily depends on how he/she has successfully persuaded an audience. When the information receives the required reaction/attention, then an author can consider his ideas to be effective. To ensure the success of a positive reaction then one can employ several elements, which include emotional appeal (pathos), timely work (Kairos), logical reasoning(logos), and the position of the writer (Ethos), which are referred as rhetorical appeals. The author should absorb rhetorical strategies by incorporating narration, description, and exemplification.

Managing talent in emerging economy multinationals: integrating strategic management and human resource management by Klaus E. Meyer and Katherine R. Xin is an article that I will explore with the aim of looking at how a writer can employ rhetorical analysis by examining the rhetorical strategies and appeals. The authors Klaus E. Meyer and Katherine R. Xin are professors in China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), Shanghai, Pudong, China, which makes them qualified to conduct a business related evaluation. The paper was written for the primary purpose of coming up with a solution for multinational enterprises (MNEs) who were experiencing human resource challenges internationally. Meyer and Xin’s research highlights that most Chinese multinational enterprises do not have a clue about the way international business is conducted; thus, they continue to make unhealthy management choices. According to the author, many Chinese MNEs face challenges in finding a skilled HR team that can ensure success in their international markets.

The articles sought to shed more light on the most strategies that can be adapted to endure this problem is eliminated. The article was written in 2017 and published by Informa UK, which trades as Taylor and Francis Group strategically to tackle the issue of unskilled or difficulty in the expansion of the market by MNEs. The authors wrote the article with the sole purpose of targeting multinational enterprises that are struggling with the management of talents in their emerging international economy. The articles provide an analytical solution to these enterprises by providing solutions through integrating strategic management and HR management. The discourse communities that will find the article valuable are the business communities who are in the international market and those with a plan to do the same.

The Chinese MNEs community, however, will tend to benefit more from this article because of their challenges of culture and language when they enter into a foreign market that “largely rely on local talent” (Meyer and Xin 2017). The author’s purpose was to help the MNEs to retain their available talents and strategically achieve a smooth flow of business in the international markets. By doing this, the author wanted to make sure that these multinational enterprises can acquire this information and hopefully implement them for the positive feedback. After the targeted discourse community has read the article, the authors hoped they would implement the solutions provided on strategic management and HR management to their foreign markets. This article contains the use of rhetorical appeals of Kairos, logos and ethos and the rhetorical strategies present

Analysis of Rhetorical Appeals

Kairos

The LLD course reader defines Kairos as an “opportune occasion for a speech,” which translates to the timely conveyance of information. Timely information is regarded as more reliable and applicable because it focuses on the central issues of the targeted audience. The article by Meyer and Xin can be considered timely because it offers the information in an era where many MNEs are expanding their market and storming foreign markets. The strategic and HR management challenges facing many Chinese enterprises is an emerging factor that needs an insightful solution. According to Meyer and Xin, many multinational enterprises “Face major challenges in developing and deploying managerial competencies to lead international operations” (Meyer and Xin 1827). This statement shows the need for timely solutions to these problems to provide a smooth solution for these enterprises in the global market.

The limitation that the Chinese MNEs firms face is a result of lack of international experience, and up-to-date knowledge would assist the management in making the critical decision of whether to use the home country HR professionals or train their staff on adapting to the new international markets.

Kairos enables the management to effectively make a sound decision on the best option regarding the expansion of their businesses to the global markets. Time management is crucial when it comes to deciding on a firm and especially when it involves the human resource department.

Logos

The use of logos in the article has enabled a sense of appeal to the logic of the discourse community. For any writer’s work to be considered philosophy, our course reader states that it must include the use of “facts, case studies, statistics, experiments, logical reasoning, analogies, anecdotes, authority voices, etc.” This article provides a detailed use of logos in informing the audiences through an argument about managing talents in the HR department in the emerging foreign market

. The authors have extensively provided a well-researched analysis of challenges affecting the Chinese MNEs. Case in point, the authors have used three different methods in their logos, which include case research, extensive discussions, and five in-depth interviews with experts in the HR discipline. Meyer and Xin state that “These qualitative investigations provide us with a rich understanding of the concerns of managers in EMNEs” (1833). The desire to solve these business puzzles prompted the authors to pinpoint the possible causes and solutions to the crisis.

Through the use of different research methods, the audience can see the authenticity of the information that the authors were trying to convey regarding the Chinese HR training in the international markets. The article also incorporates the use of charts and tables to prove a point. An example is the use of a headquarter leadership role to depict how “HQ operations are embedded in the social and economic structures of the home society” (1839). According to the author, any firm headquarter is usually formed of the home country culture; thus it may not be straightforward for most employees to excel in a foreign country.

Ethos

The position and the authority of an author are what translate to ethos. However, it is vital to apprehend that for an author to be considered ethical; their works have to be published in scholarly sources, which can be journals or websites. Meyer and Xin are a member of China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), Shanghai, Pudong, China, which is a world-class school that offers international business related studies. The fact that these authors associate with such a reputable institution “highlights the author’s trustworthiness, credibility, reliability, expert testimony, reliable sources, fairness, celebrity, etc.”. The institutions authenticate the research topic of the authors.

Away from their affiliation, the author’s research and solutions can be proven broad and accurate through the use of references from other scholarly sources. There many references that comprised of companies that provided their experiences as MNEs and EMNEs and inclusion of reviewers of the journal (1848). All these acknowledgments prove that the authors used relevant information from other researchers to validate their claims. The choice of the reference used was also critical in explaining the position of the author and why their article should be considered logical.

Analysis of Rhetorical Strategies

Compare and Contrast

Compare and contrast is the primary rhetorical strategy that was used by Meyer and Xin in their research study. The strategy is popular because it enables comparison of something to another to prove an argument. The LLD courses explore the two categories, which include side by side and point on point. However, the authors in this article employed the point by point, which validates their research.

Throughout the article, the authors have divided their arguments into subheadings, each representing a different point in their research. Each subtitle explores different instances where a firm has to makes changes to ensure the HR management crisis in the international market is solved. Case in point, the topic of “effectiveness of home country talent” shows the importance of a firm to maximize its headquarter talents and experience when expanding to a foreign market. This enabled the authors to explain each challenge differently, thus offering a more insightful solution. The example illustrates the compare and contrast because each subheading contained information on a particular problem, and thus employing side by side will not make the strategy viable.

Conclusion

The analysis seeks to focus on the ways the Chinese MNEs can tap into their home country talents when exploring the foreign markets. The challenges of strategic management and HR management in the international market have proven to be a hassle for many enterprises entering a new overseas exchange because of limited professional skills. The MNEs and EMNEs have to decide on the best way to tackle this challenge, which is by training their home country staff or acquiring skills from the international country. The analysis can be considered significant because it focuses on a global problem, and it attempts to provide insightful research on the possible solutions. The strategies, such as the author’s use of case research, extensive discussions, in-depth interviews, tables, and scholarly references, convince the audience of the credibility of the information, thus making the author’s purpose a success. Case in point, Table 1 offers an insight into the typology of talents in EMNEs to show how the traditional leaders in the firm headquarters have no or little experience in foreign markets. I would recommend the authors to use a more innovative way of research by visiting HR professionals in different countries so they can provide real-time challenges and the possible solutions.