Mkgt Standardization

International Marketing

Class #4 - Cultural environment of international marketing

Culture : collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one human group from another (Hofstede, 1980). Is the learned, shared, interrelated ways in which a society understands, decides and communicates.

* Elements of culture (determine the way we behave)

* Language: verbal & non-verbal

* Tradition, manners and customs

* Social interactions and institutions

* Values, attitudes and symbols

* Art, tastes

* Religion

* Education

* Technology and material culture (ex: economic, accumulated by generation)

* Visible and invisible parts of culture (Figure 7.1)

* Visible daily behaviour

* Body language, clothing, lifestyle, drinking and eating habits

* Values and social morals

* Family values, se roles, friendship patterns

* Basic cultural assumptions

* National identity, ethnic culture, religion

* Different levels of culture

* National culture

* Business/Industry culture

* Company culture

* Individual behaviour/decision maker

* Hall’s communication context (see Table 7.1)

Languages (spoken, silent) are important means of cross-cultural communication. Cultures differ with regard to amount of context in the communication process.

* Low-context cultures (often also individualistic, egalitarian)

* Cultures rely on spoken and written languages for meaning (ex: Western Europe, US)

* High-context cultures (often also collectivistic, hierarchical)

* Cultures use and interpret more of the element surrounding the message (people, situation, etc.) (ex: Japan, China, Saudi Arabia)

* Role of language in global marketing

* Language is important in information-gathering and evaluation efforts

* Language provides access to local society

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