Anne Peirson-Smith

Task Design and Interaction in Collaborative Writing: The Students' Story.

This article investigates student behaviour on collaborative assignments, looking at the relationship between task type and interaction, and considers the implications for task design. Students reported on interactions in a year-long workplace-focussed group communication project, comparing these with interactions on other academy-based group assignments. Differences were seen in the amount of brainstorming, the criteria for dividing up work, the intensity of editing, and how conflict was managed. Contributing factors to these differences included the presence or absence of a creative element, the instrumental nature of the task, and the need for a collective approach inherent in the task design.

Fashioning the Fantastical Self: An Examination of the Cosplay Dress-up Phenomenon in Southeast Asia

Abstract This article will examine the practice of Cosplay—the trend for young adults in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia to dress up in themed costumes assuming the personae of characters from Japanese comic books (manga) and animated cartoons (anime), video games, and pop music bands—as a means of exploring the motivations behind this activity. Social interaction theory and approaches to performativity and dramatism will be used to closely examine the complexities that construct this rapidly globalizing phenomenon from the players own perspectives. In doing so, it will question why dress is used as a catalyst for escaping the boundaries of self and acquiring multiple identities. The article will discuss the outcomes of an ethnographic study where interviews were conducted with a selection of Cosplayers in Hong Kong, Beijing, and Tokyo who regularly dress in a range of costumes in public places and at organized themed events. Research questions included: what it means for Cosplay participants to assume another persona; what motivates them to dress up; how they decide to choose a particular character; whether it is a form of creative expression, rebellion, or secret or overt expressions of self; why and how they employ dress to pursue a particular fantasy; and the role of gender socialization in this type of costuming. Findings suggest that dressing up as a Cosplayer is multi-vocal experience representing varying motivations including the reaffirmation of identity, the escape from a known reality—in an attempt to recapture a “cute” childhood innocence, and the visible, often mediated, adherence to a defined and reassuring subcultural collective in the Asian context.

Fashioning Green Words and Eco Language: An Examination of the User Perception Gap for Fashion Brands Promoting Sustainable Practices

Abstract In today’s marketplace, dominated by business models predicated on continual consumption and globalized production systems creating major environmental and social impact, the contradiction between the socio-economic importance of fashion and its inbuilt obsolescence through its increasingly fast fashion cycle represent a significant problem. Given that fashion consumption appears set to grow with each new generation of consumers, the need to provide a regulatory system for sustainable fashion and to communicate that effectively appears to be essential. Located in Hong Kong, this paper reviews the role of fashion user perceptions toward popularly used words adopted by fashion brands intended to stimulate sustainable behaviors. It is based on research findings determining how users make sense of this complex discourse and the impact on consumption practices. Findings are presented from over 100 on-street surveys and six focus groups with Hong Kong-based participants to determine their understanding of green language used in sustainable fashion brands promotions. Findings suggest confusion and lack of engagement, yet an interest in taking action. Hence, the question of how to devise and communicate sustainable fashion messages using the most effective and understood key words in brand messages is critical in terms of moving people from awareness to advocacy impacting on fashion consumption in a future circular economy.

The sustainability word challenge: Exploring consumer interpretations of frequently used words to promote sustainable fashion brand behaviors and imagery

The purpose of this paper is to examine user perceptions toward consumer-facing words used by fashion brands to stimulate sustainable consumption and post consumption behavior.,A self-completion, survey based matching exercise was administered to 100 active fashion-shoppers in Hong Kong aged between 18 and 35 years old. A probability sampling method was used for on-street intercepts to ensure a random selection within the defined population. This was accompanied by 20 individual ethnographic interviews.,A lack of understanding and comprehension of key green language terminology used frequently in user facing communications is problematic for fashion brand marketers as the impact of their messages is often unclear, distributed and more likely to lead to user frustration rather than positive engaged consumer decision making and action. Further, there is an emerging indication that this approach is highly unlikely to enhance knowledge, engagement and action or to influence brand loyalty.,Data were collected in Hong Kong and is culturally bounded, so while providing a good indication of the findings in situ this can also be replicated in other locations.,Recommended outcomes from the findings suggest that brand messages should be delivered that are intended to stimulate sustainability behaviors that are core to one key brand theme so that user outcome decision making and actions fit with the core brand values. This suggested approach will have a greater likelihood of leading to brand trust, responsible business action and greater clarity about the issue of sustainability and related action to be taken on behalf of the user.,The paper raises concerns about the effectiveness and outcomes of fashion brand marketing communications and findings provide insights into the confusion of understanding and the rise in frustration among targeted fashion shoppers 18-35 years, despite the use of frequently used words in brand communications to promote sustainable fashion consumption behaviors.