Page 140 - GLOBAL STRATEGIC MARKETING

End of Unit Summary

Culture difference is one of the most interesting and difficult subjects in
international marketing strategy. It is very important for international

companies to comprehend and accept foreign culture, and to act on that
understanding. Many authors on international marketing strategy devote

attention to cultural differences, Hofstede being a great example. Culture
is traditionally defined as the characteristics by which groups of people
respond to the social environment and the way they express their attitudes

and behaviour. It is evidenced in the products people buy, the attributes
they value, the principles and opinions they maintain, their learned

behaviour patterns, shared philosophies, ideologies, values and
assumptions, beliefs and expectations, and the attitudes and norms that
link the society together. Terpstra and Sarathy (2000) explained cultural

elements with clear examples. They highlight the impact of technology,
referring to the techniques by which a society organises its economic

activities: for example, the technology gap refers to differences between
societies and their ability to create and design. Language is the most
obvious difference between cultures, and is the main element reflecting

the nature and value of a society. Aesthetics refer to the artistic side of a
society, such as music, painting, dance and the appreciation of colour and

form. Education and religion are vital elements.

The unit also considered national culture which may be clearer to a
newcomer or outsider than to a native. The unit reviews the work of two

sets of scholars: Hofstede and Bond (1980; 1984; 1994) and Hall and Hall
(1987). Hofstede (1980; 1984; 1994) identified four main dimensions of
culture: large and small power distance (the decision-making style of

managers); certainty and uncertainty avoidance (the extent of tolerance
managers have for environmental uncertainty); masculinity and femininity

(the extent of masculine or feminine assertiveness); and collectivism and
individualism (the extent of individualistic expression). Hall and Hall (1987)

state that language and time are the most important components of
culture. They divide cultures into low-context cultures, which rely on

spoken and written language for meaning, and high-context cultures,
which use and interpret more of the elements surrounding the message to