Cultural Dynamics in Assessing Global Markets

1. Cultural Dynamics in Assessing Global Markets www.AssignmentPoint.com

2. CULTURE Culture is the human made part of human environment – the sum total of knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, morals, customs and any other capabilities and habits acquired by humans as members of society. Culture is the “software of mind”. It provides a guide for humans on how to think and behave. www.AssignmentPoint.com

3. ELEMENTS OF CULTURE www.AssignmentPoint.com

4. Material Culture Material culture affects the level of demand, the quality and types of products demanded and their functional features as well as the means of production of these goods and their distribution. Parts of material culture: Technology Economics www.AssignmentPoint.com

5. Technology Technology includes the techniques used in the creation of material goods. It is the technical know-how possessed by the people of a society. Simple repairs, preventive maintenance and a general understanding of how things work – all constitute a high level of technology. www.AssignmentPoint.com

6. Economics Economics is the manner in which people employ their capabilities and the resulting benefits. • Economics include – • The production of goods and services • The distribution, consumption and means of exchange • The income derived from the creation of utilities www.AssignmentPoint.com

7. Social Institutions Social institutions affect the ways in which people relate to one another, organize their activities, to live in harmony with one another, teach acceptable behavior to succeeding generations and govern themselves. Social institutions include: Family Education Political structure The media www.AssignmentPoint.com

8. Humans and the Universe • Religion (belief systems) It affects people’s habits, their outlook on life, the products they buy, the way they buy and use them, the acceptance and rejection of promotional messages and even the newspapers they read. What might seem innocent and acceptable in one culture could be considered too personal or vulgar in another. • Superstition One culture’s superstition can be a critical aspect of a belief system in another culture. www.AssignmentPoint.com

9. Aesthetics Aesthetics include a country’s arts, folklore, music, drama and dance. These are of particular interest to the marketer because of their role in interpreting the symbolic meanings of artistic expression, color and standards of beauty in each culture. Product styling, advertising and package designs must be aesthetically pleasing to be successful. www.AssignmentPoint.com

10. Language The successful marketer must achieve expert communication, which requires a thorough understanding of the language as well as the ability to speak it. Carelessly translated advertising statements not only lose their intended meaning but can suggest something very different, offensive or just plain ridiculous. Marketers must look for cultural translators to be successful in other cultures. www.AssignmentPoint.com

11. CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE Factual versus Interpretive knowledge Factual knowledge has meaning as a straightforward fact about a culture. Interpretive knowledge is an ability to understand and to appreciate fully the nuances of different cultural traits and patterns. www.AssignmentPoint.com

12. Cultural sensitivity - Being attuned to the nuances of culture so that a new culture can be viewed objectively, evaluated appreciated. Marketers should recognize that cultures are not right or wrong; better or worse; they are simply different. Being culturally sensitive will reduce conflict and improve communications, and thereby increase success in collaborative relationship. Cultural Sensitivity and Tolerance www.AssignmentPoint.com

13. CULTURAL VALUES • Individualism/Collective Index (IDV) • The IDV focuses on self-orientation. • It refers to the preference for behavior that promotes one’s self-interest. • Cultures that score high in IDV reflect an “I” mentality, whereas those low in IDV reflect a “we” mentality. • U.S., Australia, Great Britain www.AssignmentPoint.com

14. Power Distance Index (PDI) • The PDI focuses on authority-orientation. • It measures the tolerance of social inequality, that is, inequality between superiors and subordinates within a social system. • Arab countries, Guatemala, Mexico, Venezuela www.AssignmentPoint.com

15. Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) • The UAI focuses on risk-orientation. • It measures the tolerance of uncertainty among members of a society. • Japan, France, Greece www.AssignmentPoint.com

16. 4. Masculinity/Femininity Index (MAS) • Focuses on assertiveness and achievement • Proven least useful in measuring values within cultures www.AssignmentPoint.com

17. CULTURAL CHANGE Cultural borrowing Cultural borrowing is a responsible effort to learn from other cultural ways in the quest for better solutions to a society’s particular problems. Regardless of how or where solutions are found, once a particular pattern of action is judged acceptable by society, it becomes the approved way. www.AssignmentPoint.com

18. Similarities: And Illusions Several nationalities can speak the same language or have similar race and heritage, but it does not follow that similarities exist in other respects. Marketers must not rely on an often-used axiom if it sells in one country, it will surely sell in another. www.AssignmentPoint.com

19. Resistance to Change Cultural growth/change does not occur without some resistance; new methods, ideas and products are held to be suspect before they are accepted. The degree of resistance to new patterns depends on the degree of interest in the particular subject. www.AssignmentPoint.com

20. The reasons for resistance • The people lack an awareness of the need for the innovation. • Local environmental conditions preclude functional use and thus useful acceptance. • The innovation may be of such complex nature that they exceed the ability of the culture either to use them effectively or to understand them. • Acceptance would require modifications of important values, customs, or beliefs. www.AssignmentPoint.com

21. Planned and Unplanned Cultural Change • When marketing program depends on cultural change to be successful, a company may – • Decide to leave acceptance to a strategy of unplanned change • Employ a strategy of planned change. • The steps in bringing about planned change involves - • To determine which cultural factors conflict with an innovation. • To change those factors from obstacles to acceptance. www.AssignmentPoint.com

22. Marketers have two options when introducing an innovation - • They can wait for eventual cultural changes • They can cause change by introducing an idea or product • Cultural congruence involves marketing products similar to ones already on the market in a manner as congruent as possible with existing cultural norms, thereby minimizing resistance. www.AssignmentPoint.com

23. Consequences of an Innovation Consequences of diffusion of an innovation may be functional or dysfunctional depending on the desirable or undesirable effects on the social system. It is the responsibility of the marketers to design programs not only to gain acceptance for a product but also to eliminate nay negative cultural effects. www.AssignmentPoint.com