Full metadata record
DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributorDepartment of Englishen_US
dc.contributor.advisorCheng, Winnie (ENGL)-
dc.contributor.advisorForey, Gail (ENGL)-
dc.creatorKong, Lingwei-
dc.identifier.urihttps://theses.lib.polyu.edu.hk/handle/200/7888-
dc.languageEnglishen_US
dc.publisherHong Kong Polytechnic University-
dc.rightsAll rights reserveden_US
dc.titleA multimodal study of bank websitesen_US
dcterms.abstractAs technology advances, banks promote their products and services on the Internet. Yet there has been little research on the genre of bank websites in marketing contexts. This study, focusing on the Corpus of Hong Kong Bank Brochure Websites (HKBBW), investigates the multimodal features of bank brochure websites, adopting the socio-semiotic multimodal approach (Kress, 2010) and the critical genre approach (Bhatia, 2004). A variety of modes, namely image, colour, layout, hyperlink and writing, are found on bank brochure websites. Images are examined by adopting the visual grammar (Kress and van Leeuwen, 2006). Hyperlinks are examined in terms of generic and specific links (Askehave and Nielsen, 2005). Image-text relations are explored based on elaboration and extension (van Leeuwen, 2005). Findings show that layouts and colours reflect cultural differences among financial institutions and project institutional identities. Visual analysis shows that representational structures make readers capable of interpreting the information communicated by images thanks to their familiarity to the contexts. With respect to the interactive meaning, readers are positioned to interpret the meaning potentials of images with objective standpoints. When the images contain both object and human participants, the latter ones are usually highlighted to integrate all the elements into a meaningful whole, because they are pictorial representations of potential customers.en_US
dcterms.abstractWmatrix (Rayson, 2009) is used to analyse the corpus of HKBBW and the fourteen move sub-corpora. The findings suggest three categories of keywords. Ideational keywords tend to: (1) provide the information about financial business or financial services; (2) identify the parties involved in financial services of mortgage or loan; (3) indicate the geographical contexts; (4) modify the nominal information; and (5) communicate the actions. Textual keywords indicate options or possibilities. Interpersonal keywords enable and achieve interactions in discourse. The key semantic fields in the corpus of HKBBW could be classified into six semantic sets, functioning to: (1) present the contents of financial products or services; (2) modify the features of financial products; (3) indicate the relationships in financial business; (4) describe the actions involved in financial services; (5) circumscribe the description of financial products or services; and (6) highlight the value and quality of financial services. The keywords and key semantic fields specific to each move manifest particular features to fulfil individual communicative functions. From the socio-cognitive perspective, it is found bank brochure websites, though perceived as a marketing genre, are more informative than promotional, which tend to colonise four discourses through interdiscursive appropriation and manifest two dimensions: (1) in terms of multimodal modes, colonising written discourse and web-mediated discourse; (2) in terms of communicative purposes, colonising promotional discourse and informative discourse. From the socio-critical perspective, the genre shows a rich array of discursive practices shaped in response to disciplinary norms and professional practices in financial services. The study proposes a model for exploring discourse realisation in Internet marketing contexts, and describes both theoretical and educational implications, aiming to enrich the understanding of web-mediated genres and enhance the discursive competence of professionals in Internet marketing.en_US
dcterms.extentxix, 494 pages : illustrations ; 30 cmen_US
dcterms.isPartOfPolyU Electronic Thesesen_US
dcterms.issued2015en_US
dcterms.educationalLevelAll Doctorateen_US
dcterms.educationalLevelPh.D.en_US
dcterms.LCSHBanks and banking -- Computer network resources.en_US
dcterms.LCSHDiscourse analysisen_US
dcterms.LCSHHong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertationsen_US
dcterms.accessRightsopen accessen_US

Files in This Item:
File Description SizeFormat 
b27981721.pdfFor All Users4.9 MBAdobe PDFView/Open


Copyright Undertaking

As a bona fide Library user, I declare that:

  1. I will abide by the rules and legal ordinances governing copyright regarding the use of the Database.
  2. I will use the Database for the purpose of my research or private study only and not for circulation or further reproduction or any other purpose.
  3. I agree to indemnify and hold the University harmless from and against any loss, damage, cost, liability or expenses arising from copyright infringement or unauthorized usage.

By downloading any item(s) listed above, you acknowledge that you have read and understood the copyright undertaking as stated above, and agree to be bound by all of its terms.

Show simple item record

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://theses.lib.polyu.edu.hk/handle/200/7888