Transcript International Marketing

Key Concepts
 High-context
culture
• is where the social context in which what is said
strongly affects the meaning of the message.
• Examples: Japan and Saudi Arabia
 Low-context
culture
• is where the meaning of the message
is explicitly expressed by the words and is
less affected by the social context.
• Example: North America
 Change
agent
• “An entity that introduces new
products or ideas or practices.”
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The Elements of Culture
 Language
- verbal and non-verbal
 Religion
 Values
and Attitudes
 Manners and Customs
 Material Elements
Aesthetics
Education
Social Institutions
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Language
 Verbal
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How words are spoken
Gestures made
Body position assumed
Degree of eye contact
 Local
language capability’s
important role in international marketing
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•
•
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Aids in information gathering and evaluation
Provides access to local society
Important to company communications
Allows for interpretation of contexts
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Nonverbal Language
 Hidden
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•
•
•
language of cultures
Time flexibility and sensibility
Social acquaintance and rapport
Personal physical space and personal touching
Non-verbal gestures and signaling
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The Major World Religions
 Christianity
- 2.0 billion followers
 Islam - 1.2 billion followers
 Hinduism - 860 million followers
 Buddhism - 360 million followers
 Confucianism - 150 million followers
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Values and Attitudes
 Values
• are shared beliefs or
group norms that have
been internalized by
individuals.
 Attitudes
• are evaluations
of alternatives
based on these
values.
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Manners and Customs
 Potential
problem areas for
marketers arise from an
insufficient understanding of:
• different ways of thinking.
• the necessity of saving face.
• knowledge and understanding
of the host country.
• the decision-making process
and personal relations.
• the allocation of time
for negotiations.
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Material Elements
 Material
culture
• Results from technology and is directly related to
how a society organizes its economic activity.
• Material culture is manifested in
–
–
–
–
–
Economic infrastructure
Social infrastructure
Financial infrastructure
Marketing infrastructure
Cultural convergence
• The degree of industrialization
can provide a marketing
segmentation variable.
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Aesthetics
 What
is or is not acceptable as good taste
varies widely in cultures.
 The symbolism of colors, forms, and music
carries different meanings in different
cultures.
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Education
 Assessing
the educational level of a culture
• formal and informal education
• literacy rates
• enrollment in secondary
or higher education
• qualitative aspects of
emphasizing science
 Education
affects
• employee training
• competition for labor
• product characteristics
Copyright © 2001 by Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Social Institutions
 Kinship
relationships
• immediate and extended family
 Social
stratification
 Reference groups
• Primary reference groups
– family, coworkers
• Secondary reference groups
– professional associations,
trade organizations
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Dimensions of Culture
 Individualism
• “I” consciousness versus “we “ consciousness
 Power
distance
• Level of equality in a society
 Uncertainty
avoidance
• The need for formal rules and regulations
 Masculinity
• Attitudes toward achievement
• The roles of men and women
 Orientation
• Long-term versus short-term results approach
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Adjusting to Cultural Differences
 Recognition
of differences
• The Self-reference Criterion
– is the basis of most
international business
problems.
• Ethnocentrism
– “…regarding one’s culture
as superior to others”
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