bb chapter sixteen : culture and cross cultural

Chapter Sixteen

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Chapter SixteenCulture and cross-cultural

variations in consumer behaviour

Chapter 16:Culture and cross-cultural

variations in consumer behaviour1. Concept of culture2. How culture is shared and acquired3. Cultural values classified into 3 categories4. Culture also involves non-verbal

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4. Culture also involves non-verbal communications

5. Consumption practices are influenced by cultural content

6. Considerations before undertaking cross-cultural or ethnic marketing

Cultural influences—Overview

1. Definitions2. Cultural values3. Cross-cultural variations4. Non-verbal communications

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4. Non-verbal communications5. Cross-cultural marketing strategy

Definition of culture

• Complex concept that includes knowledge, beliefs, art, law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities acquired by humans as members of society.

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members of society.

• Culture includes almost everything that influences an individual’s thought processes and behaviours.

The Concept of CultureThe Concept of Culture

CultureCulture is the complex whole that includes knowledge, belief, art, law,

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belief, art, law, morals, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by humans as members of society.

Variables influencing cross-cultural marketing strategies

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Culture• Is a comprehensive concept• Influences our preferences• Is acquired from our experiences and

learning

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learning • Supplies the boundaries for behaviour

in modern societies • Consumers are seldom aware of

cultural influences

Cultural values, norms, sanctions and consumption patterns

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Culture and change

• Cultures are not static and evolve and change slowly over time

• Sometimes changes can be rapid

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• Sometimes changes can be rapid – Technological advances– Dramatic events e.g. war

• Marketers need to monitor changes

Interaction between values, norms, and consumption patterns

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Classification of cultural values

• Three broad classifications are used:– Other-oriented

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– Environment-oriented

– Self-oriented

Variations in Cultural ValuesVariations in Cultural Values

Reflect a society’s view of the appropriate

Other-Oriented Values

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of the appropriate relationships between individuals and groupswithin that society.


Prescribe a society’s relationship to its

Environment-Oriented Values

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relationship to its economic and technical as well as its physical environment.


Reflect the objectives and approaches to life that the individual members of society find desirable.

Self-Oriented Values

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Other-oriented values

• Individual vs collective (initiative, conformity)

• Romantic orientation (love)• Adult vs child (child’s place)

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• Adult vs child (child’s place)• Masculine vs feminine (male role)• Competition vs cooperation (excel or

not?)• Youth vs age (wisdom of elders)


Individual/CollectiveIndividual/Collective

Are individual activity and initiative valued more highly than collective activity and conformity?


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than collective activity and conformity?

Asian cultures more collective

U.S. culture more individualistic


Youth/AgeYouth/Age


Is family life organized to meet the needs of

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to meet the needs of the children or the adults?

Are younger or older people viewed as leaders and role models?


Extended/Limited FamilyExtended/Limited FamilyOther-Oriented Values

To what extent does one have a life-long

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one have a life-long obligation to numerous family members?

Extended family critical in South/ Central America


Masculine/Feminine Masculine/Feminine

To what extend does social power automatically go to males?


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males?


Competitive/CooperativeCompetitive/Cooperative


Does one obtain

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Does one obtain success by excelling over others or by cooperating with them?


Diversity/UniformityDiversity/Uniformity

Does the culture embrace variation in religious belief, ethnic background, political views, and other important


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ethnic background, political views, and other important behaviors and attitudes?

Environment-oriente d values

• Cleanliness (extent of)• Performance vs status (performance or

class)• Tradition vs change (new behaviours?)

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• Tradition vs change (new behaviours?)• Risk-taking vs security (risk encouraged?)• Problem-solving vs fatalism (problem-

solving or acceptance encouraged?)• Nature (admired or overcome?)


CleanlinessCleanliness


To what extent is

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To what extent is cleanliness pursued beyond the minimum needed for health?

U.S. very high on personal hygiene – some think to an extreme!


Performance/StatusPerformance/StatusEnvironment-Oriented Values

Is the culture’s reward system based on performance or on inherited factors such as family or class?

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Closely related to the concept of power distance, which refers to the degree to which people accept inequality in power, authority, status, and wealth as natural or inherent in society.


Tradition/ChangeTradition/Change

Is tradition valued simply for the sake of tradition? Is change or “progress” an acceptable reason for altering


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change or “progress” an acceptable reason for altering established patterns?


Tradition/Change (Cont.)Tradition/Change (Cont.)

A focus on technology as an indicator of change illustrates some dramatic differences across cultures that show the following:


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following:

The above represent Internet users and cell phones as a percent of total population


Risk taking/Security Risk taking/Security

Are those who risk their established positions to overcome obstacles or achieve high goals admired more


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overcome obstacles or achieve high goals admired more than those who do not?

A society that does not admire risk taking is unlikely to develop enough entrepreneurs to achieve economic change and growth.


Problem solving/FatalisticProblem solving/Fatalistic

Are people encouraged to overcome all problems, or do they take a “what will be, well be” attitude?


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or do they take a “what will be, well be” attitude?

Is there an optimistic, “we can do it” orientation?

Mexico and Middle-East Countries tend to fall toward the fatalistic end of the continuum.


NatureNature

Is nature regarded as something to be admired or overcome?


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overcome?

Self-oriented values

• Active vs passive (physical activity)• Material vs non-material approach

(acquisition?)• Hard work vs leisure (admire hard work?)• Postponed vs immediate gratification

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• Postponed vs immediate gratification (save/enjoy now)

• Sensual gratification vs abstinence (food, drink)

• Humour vs seriousness (is life serious?)


Active/PassiveActive/Passive

Is a physically active approach to life valued more highly than a less active orientation?


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highly than a less active orientation?


Sensual gratification/AbstinenceSensual gratification/Abstinence

To what extent is it acceptable to enjoy sensual pleasures such as food, drink, and sex?


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such as food, drink, and sex?

Cultures differ in their acceptance of sensual gratification.

Applications in Consumer BehaviorApplications in Consumer Behavior

Ad for Calvin Klein underwear:

OK in U.S. and

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OK in U.S. and France.

Not appropriate in cultures that place a high value on abstinence.


Material/NonmaterialMaterial/Nonmaterial

How much importance is attached to the acquisition of material wealth?


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Two types of materialism:

1.1. Instrumental materialismInstrumental materialism – is the acquisition of things to enable one to do something.

2.2. Terminal materialismTerminal materialism – is the acquisition of items for the sake of owning the item itself.


Hard work/LeisureHard work/Leisure

Is a person who works harder than economically necessary admired more than one who does not?


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necessary admired more than one who does not?


Postponed gratification/Immediate gratificationPostponed gratification/Immediate gratification

Are people encouraged to “save for a rainy day” or to “live for today”?


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“live for today”?


Religious/SecularReligious/Secular

To what extent are behaviors and attitudes based on the rules specified by a religious doctrine?


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the rules specified by a religious doctrine?

The Australasian culture

• Australasian values– Self-oriented values– Environment-oriented values

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– Self-oriented values

Australasian self-oriented values• Hard work valued• Strong bias for action• May be a lessening of self-gratification

– But very high personal debt

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– But very high personal debt• Material orientation• Humorous outlook

Australasian environment-oriented values

Traditionally have admired:• Cleanliness• Change• Performance

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• Performance• Risk taking• Conquest of nature

How have these changed?

Australasian other-orientated values

• Traditionally (Aust-NZ) have been individualistic, competitive, romantic, masculine, youthful, and parent-oriented societies

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oriented societies

How are these changing?

Australasian values dictate that hard work is desirable

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Western society accepts open courtship

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Cultural variations in non-verbal communications

Translation problems in marketing

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Cross-cultural variations: Factors influencing non-verbal

communications

• Time• Space• Friendship

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• Agreements• Things• Symbols• Etiquette

Cultural Variations in Nonverbal Communications

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TimeTimeThe meaning of time varies between cultures in two major ways:

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• Time perspective—the culture’s overall orientation toward time (monochronic monochronic vs. polychronicpolychronic)

• Interpretations assigned to specific uses of time

ways:

Time perspectiveMonochronic and polychronic cultures

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Non-verbal communications (cont.)

• Space• Friendship• Agreements

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• Things• Symbols• Etiquette


• Overall use and meanings assigned to space vary widely

SpaceSpace

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assigned to space vary widely among different cultures

-how office space is allocated

-Personal space


SymbolsSymbolsColors, animals, shapes, numbers, and music have varying meanings across

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varying meanings across cultures.

Failure to recognize the meaning assigned to a symbol can cause serious problems!

Meaning of numbers, colours and other symbols, in different cultures – Part 1

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Meaning of numbers, colours and other symbols, in different cultures - Part 2

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RelationshipsRelationshipsHow quickly and easily do cultures form relationships and make friends?

•Americans tend to form relationships

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•Americans tend to form relationships and friends quickly and easily.

•Chinese relationships are much more complex. Under the concept of guanxi, an individual can draw upon personal connections/relationships to secure resources or advantages when doing business as well as in the course of social life.


AgreementsAgreementsHow does a culture ensure business obligations are honored? How are

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honored? How are disagreements resolved?

Some cultures rely on a legal system; others rely on relationships, friendships, kinship, local moral principles, or informal customs to guide business conduct.


ThingsThingsThe cultural meaning of things leads to purchase patterns that one would not otherwise predict.

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not otherwise predict.

The differing meanings that cultures attach to things, including products, make gift-giving a particularly difficult task.

For example, what type of gift is appropriate and when does receipt of a gift “require” a gift in return?


EtiquetteEtiquetteMeishi is an important aspect of Japanese business etiquette…”a man without a Meishi has no identity in Japan.” What is Meishi? It is the exchange of business cards!

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exchange of business cards!


EtiquetteEtiquetteThe generally accepted ways of behaving in social situations.

Behaviors considered rude or obnoxious in one

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Behaviors considered rude or obnoxious in one culture may be quite acceptable in another!

Normal voice tone, pitch, and speed of speech differ between cultures and languages, as do the use of gestures.

Etiquette

• Eye contact with business clients • Touching a customer on the arm or

shoulder• Contact between males

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• Contact between males

Developing a cross-cultural marketing strategy

Seven questions:1. Is it a homogenous culture?2. What needs will the product fill?3. Can enough afford the product?4. What values are relevant to this product?

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4. What values are relevant to this product?5. What are the distribution, political and legal

structures?6. How can the firm communicate about the

product?7. What are the ethical implications?

bb chapter sixteen : culture and cross cultural

Business

cultural influencesoverview1

oriented valuesreflect

crosscultural variations

aware of cultural influences16

class tradition vs

individual members of

physical environment

risktaking vs security