UAMG 2014 COMMUNICATION THEORIES

JAN 2023

ASSIGNMENT 1: THEORY REPORT WRITING (10%)

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT MARKING SCHEME

Name : Cheong Hui San

ID: 20AAB05918

Tutorial group: T4

Prog: Public Relations

Tutor’s name: Miss Eng May Chuen

Theory: Uses and Gratifications theory

Marking Criteria:

1. Analysis of the theory application [30 marks]

2. Supporting Examples [20 marks ]
3. Conclusion [30 marks]
4. Originality & Organisation [10 marks]
5. Citation and Referencing [5 marks]
6. Vocabulary/ Grammar [5 marks]

Criteria Marks Marks Awarded

Analysis of the theory application 30

Supporting Examples 20

Conclusion 30

Originality & Organization 10

Citation and Referencing 5

Vocabulary/Grammar 5

TOTAL MARKS 100

To be converted to 10 %
COMMENT:

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MARKING SCHEME

Component A 1%-6% 7%-12% 13%-18% 19%-24% 25%-30% Marks

Awarded
Analysis of the theory No theory were More than ONE The selected The selected The selected
application (30%) being identified (1) theory was theory is clearly theory is clearly theory is clearly
throughout the being discussed stated and stated and stated and
report. in the report. discussed in the discussed in the discussed in the
report report report
There is no Some aspects of
evidence or the work show Able to evaluate Able to critically
attempt to be an attempt to be simple issues but evaluate simple Able to critically
critical or critical but is not generally relate issues and evaluate many
relate the consistent with to theory. relate to sides of issues
selected issue the theory. theory. and relate to
with theory. Shows a fair theory.
Shows little ability to state Shows a good
ability to state the differences ability to state Shows an
Shows no or the differences or similarities the differences excellent ability
little ability to or similarities that occurred or similarities to state the
state the that occurred throughout throughout the differences or
differences or throughout evolutions of the selected similarities
similarities that evolutions of the selected theory. theory's throughout the
occurred selected theory. evolutions. selected
throughout The analysis of theory's
evolutions of The analysis of the theory The analysis of evolutions.
the selected the theory application is the theory
theory. application is clearly presented application The analysis of
unclear in the in the report. justifies the the theory
The analysis of report. existence of the application is
the theory evolutions with made clear and
application is the relevant strongly justifies
confusing and argument in the the existence of
unclear in the report. the evolutions
report. with strong
arguments in
the report.
Component B 1%-4% 5%-8% 9%-12% 13%-26% 17%-20% Marks
Awarded
Supporting Examples No Supporting Supporting Supporting Supporting Evidence and
(20%) Examples of Examples of Examples of Examples of evaluation are
relevant news relevant news relevant news relevant news precise,
articles are articles are weak articles provided articles fully nuanced, fully
found in the or contradictory; are minimal but support and developed, and
written report; they do not necessary prove the work together
it does not account for support to each argument and to enhance the
show any important point. However, all related argument in the
evidence that evidence somewhat claims: report.
could support supporting or sufficient enough Evidence is
or disprove the disproving the to prove the always paired The selected
argument in report's argument in the with the news articles
the report. argument. report. compelling are within year
argument in the 2022 onwards
The selected The selected The selected report. till present.
news articles news articles are news articles are
are not within not within year from the year The selected
year 2022 2022 onwards 2022 onwards till news articles
onwards till till present. present are within year
present. 2022 onwards
till present.

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Component C 1%-6% 7%-12% 13%-18% 19%-24% 25%-30% Marks

Awarded
Conclusion (30%) Elaboration on Elaboration on Elaboration on Elaboration on Elaboration on
the relevancy the relevancy of the relevancy of the relevancy of the relevancy of
of the selected the selected the theory used the theory used the theory to be
theory to be theory to be based on today based on today used based on
used based on used based on context is mostly context. today context is
today context today context is identified and The selected concisely
is missing or generally relevant in issue is well evaluated and
poorly written. described but application. evaluated and proven.
lacking in proven.
No or wrong application. Relevant reading Precise and
reading materials are Clear reading concrete
materials are The provided provided but materials are reading
applied in the reading could be more determined and materials are
report. materials are detailed in primarily accurately
not accurate in application. relevant in utilized in terms
The conclusion terms of terms of of application.
is too simplistic applications. The conclusion is application.
or appropriate. The conclusion
disorganized. The conclusion The conclusion is innovative in
is poorly It shows an is reasonable its explanation
It shows wrong established. average and well and excellently
or no understanding of established. established.
understanding It show poor the evolution of
of the selected understanding the selected It shows a clear It shows an
theory's of the evolution theory and its understanding excellent
evolution and of the selected relevance in of the evolution understanding
its relevance in theory and it's today's context. of the selected of the evolution
today's relevance in theory and its of the selected
context. today context. relevance in theory and its
today's context. relevance in
today's context.

Component D 1%-2% 3%-4% 5%-6% 7%-8% 9%-10% Marks

Awarded
Originality & Organization Aspects of the The report has Although ideas The report is The report is
(10%) originality are all components and descriptions mostly logical in logical in its
missing. but is not logical are not in order, its construction construction
Paragraphs are in its the report is and easy to and easy to
not always construction and relatively easy to follow. follow. Ideas
related to prior not easy to follow. Paragraphs are and descriptions
or following follow, which Paragraphs are logically are well
paragraphs, or contain a mix of not sequenced in ordered. Ideas organized into
transitions different topics. a logical order. and paragraphs.
between Paragraphs have descriptions are Paragraphs are
paragraphs are no logical order. Follow the given in a meaningful logically
poor. components in sequence. ordered, with
Did not follow the report. good transitions
Did not follow the given Follow the between
the given components in given paragraphs and
components in the report. components in between topics.
the report. the report.
Follow the given
components in
the report.

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Component E 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% Marks
Awarded
Citation and Referencing Poor or limited Errors in any Citations and Good listing of Demonstrate a
(5%) reference element of the references follow sources used in solid
sources with APA the APA format. references. understanding
incomplete or requirements There is of APA format
inaccurate for a paper. There is basic relatively and style. There
reference evidence of extensive is extensive and
details. There is research, and evidence of comprehensive
relatively low sources are research and evidence of
Little or no evidence of appropriately sources used. research and
evidence of all research and used. Sources are There is a great sources used. All
sources used. sources suitably number of sources are
Major errors appropriately paraphrased in sources suitably suitably
are present in used. Only a few the assignment. paraphrased in paraphrased in
the APA sources are the assignment. the assignment
format. suitably Citations and — excellent
paraphrased in references listing of all
the assignment. strictly follow sources used in
the APA format. references.

Component F 1% 2% 3% 4% 5%

1. Vocabulary/Grammar Significant Generally, Appropriate Mostly good Excellent use

(5%) errors in poor choice of use of choice of of a broad
vocabulary, vocabulary vocabulary vocabulary range of the
fluency and tends to adds to that's vocabulary,
grammatical distract rather understanding relevant and which add to
structures than inform throughout the concise the quality of
throughout throughout written report. throughout the written
the report. the report. Can be the report. report.
Poor control of understood in Generally Minimal errors
grammatical spite of basic good control in fluency and
structure and fluency and of fluency and grammatical
fluency in grammatical grammatical accuracy
report writing errors in the accuracy. Appropriate
report. Appropriate choice of
choice of words in the
words in the report.
report.

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JAN 2023
1.Analysis of The Theory Application

The Uses and Gratification theory is a mass communication theory that concentrates on the
desires, motivations, and needs of media consumers. According to the theory, people who consume
media actively engage in media consumption rather than passively consuming mass
communications (Uses and Gratification Theory - Explained, n.d.). In addition, this theory
examines how the media affects people. It explains how people use media to meet their own needs
and feel satisfied when those needs are met. The theory can be said to argue what people do with
media rather than what media does to people. Even for interpersonal communication, people look to
the media for topics to discuss among themselves. They gain more knowledge and exposure to the
world beyond their limited eyesight by referring to the media (Uses and Gratification Theory,
2018).

The theory is relevant to the news article chosen because it explains the motivations and
benefits that employees derive from working from home and how it affects their behavior.
According to the article, employees who work from home value the ability to work from home,
appreciate the flexibility and autonomy it offers, and save time and money from commuting. The
article suggests that working from home satisfies the needs of employees by enabling them to better
manage their time, work more efficiently, and work in an environment that is more comfortable and
conducive to their needs. Additionally, the article discusses how work from home minimizes
corporate travel by boosting video conferencing, which is a more efficient and cost-effective way to
conduct meetings. While meeting in person may have advantages over video calls, the benefits may
not always justify the time and expense involved in travel (Barrero, 2022). Overall, the article
highlights how individuals are actively seeking out gratifications from their work and how work
from home can provide those gratifications.

There have not been any significant changes in the theory itself over time, as it remains a
useful framework for understanding the motivations and behaviors of media users. In the article in
2021, the theory posits that individuals are active users of media and have a range of needs and
goals that they seek to satisfy through media consumption. For example, employees in Malaysia
have various needs and goals related to their work and workplace like health and safety (69 Per
Cent Malaysia Workers Want to Work From Home After Pandemic, 2021). In 2022, people still
seek working from home for better work productivity, managing time and work as their needs. The
theory could be used to analyze why people are choosing to work from home and what benefits
they are seeking from this arrangement, as well as what needs these media are fulfilling in both
articles. Therefore, during the one year gap people seek to use media as their only communication
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method to reach with company, colleagues and complete all the tasks with various applications not
physically.

The similarity of the theory application in time is continuity. The theory suggests that
people tend to use media consistently over time to meet their needs and desires. This means that
individuals are likely to continue to use the same media platforms and channels if they continue to
meet their expectations and needs.

2.Supporting Examples

The news article titled ‘Shift To Working From Home Should Be Encouraged’ considered
as a relevant supporting example that can applied the Uses and Gratifications theory. For example,
the quote ‘Employees would benefit from working from home because it eliminates commuting
time, making life easier for those with children and elderly members of the family to take care of.’
This quote implies that employees choose to work from home because it satisfies their need for
work-life balance and reduces stress from commuting. As for some individuals like women have
the concern in balancing between work and family so this policy is considered convenience to
them, they use this media to ensure things are on right path (Shift to Working From Home Should
Be Encouraged, 2022).

Besides, the quote ‘"Furthermore, working from home will make it easier for employers to
hire and retain top talent." implies that employers choose to implement work-from-home policies to
satisfy their need to attract and retain top talent. The example provided in the article which is a
company will hire workers although they are far from company to retain talent in company, which
seek to use media to fulfil their needs in workplace and the media is the key on how they
communicate while implement work-from-home policy to conduct tasks, meetings and so on as a
long distance apart (Shift to Working From Home Should Be Encouraged, 2022).

3.Conclusion

The Uses and Gratifications theory is still relevant in today's context because it helps us
understand why individuals actively seek out certain media to fulfill their needs and desires. In the
case of work-from-home policies, the theory can be used to explain why both employees and
employers may choose to implement such policies. For example, employees may choose to work
from home to fulfill their need for work-life balance, reduce stress from commuting, and have more
flexibility in their schedules. On the other hand, employers may choose to implement work-from-
home policies to fulfill their need for cost savings, attract and retain top talent, and reduce stress
from traffic congestion. As technology continues to evolve and change the way we work and
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JAN 2023
communicate, the Uses and Gratifications theory can help us understand how individuals use
different media to fulfill their needs and desires. In short, the Uses and Gratifications theory
remains relevant today because it helps us understand why individuals actively seek out certain
media to fulfill their needs and desires, and how these needs and desires may change as technology
continues to evolve.

The journal article that discusses the chosen theory to strengthen my elaboration titled:
‘BEYOND ACCESS: THE DIGITAL DIVIDE AND INTERNET USES AND
GRATIFICATIONS’ stated that people employ media in strategic ways. They use various media
for various purposes and decide which media to use based on how effectively it enables them to
achieve their desired needs or objectives. This viewpoint is based on the idea that people act in
ways that satisfy their needs. A uses-and-gratifications perspective therefore asks how users' basic
needs influence their media choices rather than how media use influences users. It is crucial to
remember that people's media preferences are influenced by their desire to fulfil a variety of needs,
including those for information, entertainment, distraction, social connection, and personal identity
(Cho, J., De Zuniga, H. G., Rojas, H., & Shah, D. V., 2003).

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Reference

69 per cent malaysia workers want to work from home after pandemic. (2021, August 16). 69% of
Malaysia Workers Want to Work From Home After Pandemic | Randstad Malaysia.
https://www.randstad.com.my/hr-trends/workforce-trends/69-cent-malaysia-workers-want-
to-work-from-home-after-pandemic/
Barrero, D. S. A. B. M. N. J. J. (2022, December 22). Working From Home Is the Trend of the Year
—And Next Year Too. Time. https://time.com/6243148/working-from-home-is-the-trend-of-
the-year-and-next-year-too/
Cho, J., De Zuniga, H. G., Rojas, H., & Shah, D. V. (2003). Beyond access: The digital divide and
Internet uses and gratifications. IT & society, 1(4), 46-72.
https://www.academia.edu/download/81658121/v01i04a04.pdf
Shift to working from home should be encouraged. (2022, March 26). The Star.
https://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/letters/2022/03/26/shift-to-working-from-home-
should-be-encouraged
Uses and Gratification Theory - Explained. (n.d.). The Business Professor, LLC.
https://thebusinessprofessor.com/en_US/communications-negotiations/uses-and-
gratification-theory-explained
Uses and Gratification Theory. (2018, December 11). uses and gratification theory.
Communication Theory. https://www.communicationtheory.org/uses-and-gratification-
theory/

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JAN 2023
Appendix

Appendix 1: Chosen issue (work from home)

Appendix 2: article relate to changes in theory application in time (comparison)

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Appendix 3: First page of news article for supporting example.

Appendix 4: Journal article in conclusion part

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