CULTURE

1
CULTURE

• What is culture?
• Culture and subculture
• How does culture manifest itself?
• How does it impact marketing tasks?

NOT a universal practice!
2
Definitions

• Culture That complex whole which includes
  knowledge, belief, art, morals, custom, and any
  other capabilities and habits acquired by man as
  a member of society.

Alternative definition Meanings that are
shared by most people in a group at least to
some extent. (Adapted from Peter and Olson,
1994)
3
More Cultural Lessons...

• Cologne ad featuring a man attacked by women
  failed in Africa
• Food demonstration did well in Chinese stores but
  not in Korean ones--older women were insulted by
  being taught by younger representatives
• Pauses in negotiations
• Level of formality

4
Cultural Lessons

• Diet Coke is named Light Coke in Japan--dieting
  was not well regarded
• Red circle trademark was unpopular in Asia due to
  its resemblance of Japanese flag
• Packaging of products is more important in some
  countries than in U.S.
• Advertisement featuring man and dog failed in
  Africa--dogs were not seem as mans best friend

5
Impact of Culture
Normsranges of appropriate behavior
Cultural Values
Consumption Patterns
Sanctions penalties for violating social norms
Text, p. 43
6
The Whole vs. Parts
7
Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions

• Individualism (vs. collectivism)
• Power distance
• Masculine vs. feminine
• Strong vs. weak uncertainty avoidance
• Short vs. long term orientation

Based on interviews with IBM executives
throughout the World--1980s
8
Some Other Dimensions

• Affectivity vs. affect neutralityextent to which
  emotion is expected to be shown
• Universalism vs. particularism
• Ascription (identity) vs. achievement
  (accomplishments)
• Specificity (task orientation) vs. diffuseness
  (relationship maintenance)

9
Characteristics of Culture

• Comprehensive
• Acquired (learned)
• Manifested in boundaries of acceptable thought
  and behavior--norms and sanctions
• Conscious awareness limited (frequently taken for
  granted)
• Dynamic vs. static

10
A Comprehensive List of Cultural Value Dimensions

• Other-oriented values
• Individual vs. collective (Hofstede)
• Youth vs. age
• Extended vs. limited family
• Gender roles/power
• Competitive vs. cooperative
• Diversity vs. uniformity

• Environment-oriented values
• Cleanliness
• Performance/status (Hofstedes Power Distance)
• Tradition vs. change
• Risk taking vs. security
• Problem solving/fatalistic
• Nature

11
More Value Dimensions

• Self-oriented
• Active vs. passive
• Sensual gratification/ abstinence
• Material vs. non-material
• Instrumental
• Terminal
• Hard work vs. leisure
• Religious vs. secular

12
Language Be Careful!

• All Latin Americans (except Brazilians) speak
  Spanish--dont they?
• Slang--e.g., Daughter hanged for crimes in
  youth...
• Euphemisms
• Non-verbal communication--what do gestures and
  tone imply!

Is this guy playing real football?
13
Geography--Surprisingly Impactful

• U.S. and most Western European areas are highly
  generally accessible
• Compare to areas in the developing World
• China
• Russia
• Latin America (even Mexico), Africa
• Communication vs. shipping

14
Climate and Topography The Case of Latin America

• 4,500 by 3,000 miles (at widest)
• 48 forests
• West coast dominated by mountain ranges
• 5 of land arable
• Natural barriers inhibiting growth
• Large proportion of residents in cities people
  in rural areas often do not associate themselves
  with countries

15
China Geography

• Very rapid progress on Shanghai infrastructure
• Rural villages are difficult to access
• Strong regional differences even within the
  country

16
High vs. Low Context Languages

• How precisely does language delineate what is
  being said?
• Language information conveyors Subjects,
  objects, tense, gender, singularity
• Language richness (words with meanings of
  different shades)

German Latin Great languages for puns!
?------- Spanish -------?
?------- French --------? English
Japanese Chinese
Low
High context context
17
Ambiguity An Example

• Hai--meanings
• Yes, I agree
• Yes, I hear what you are saying
• (I hear you are saying something)

18
Chinese Language Examples

• No -ness suffix to describe abstract attributes
  (e.g., coolness, gentleness)
• No word for sizeuse big-small of feet for
  shoe size
• No whiteness? white of swan

19
Some Issues in Culture

• Time
• monochronic vs. polychronic
• meanings
• Personal space
• preferred distance
• territoriality
• interaction with/ignoring people in close
  proximity

• Symbols
• colors
• historical associations
• Friendship and acquaintance
• Agreements
• Etiquette

20
Eastern vs. Western Culture

• Differences in
• Values
• Perceptions of
• Objects
• Reality
• Stability vs. change
• Control
• Perceived roles

21
Some Tendencies
Issue Western Culture Eastern Culture
Focus of attention Objects Environment
Composition of the World Objects Substances
Controllability of environment More perceived control Less perceived control
Perceived stability More stable More change
Organization of the world Categories Relationships
Reasoning Formal logic Less use of formal logic
Resolution of disagreement Dialectic Middle way
Source Richard E. Nisbett, The Geography of
Thought How Asians and Westeners Think
Differently and Why, New York, 2003, The Free
Press
22
More Tendencies

• Westeners tend to rate themselves
• More unique than average and what they are
• Above average in ability
• Easteners tend to rate themselves
• Less unique than they really are
• Below average

23
Parenting

• Western
• Child given choices
• In play, parent asks questions about objects
• Eastern
• Choices made for the child
• Child reared to stay with mother most of the time
• Parent asks questions about feelings
• Feelings in disciplinary talks
• The farmer feels bad that you did not eat
  everything
• The toy is crying because you threw it.

24
Proverbs

• Western The early bird gets the worm
• Eastern
• The first bird in the flock gets shot
• A nail that stands out will be hammered down.

25
Values
Source Richard E. Nisbett, The Geography of
Thought How Asians and Westeners Think
Differently and Why, New York, 2003, The Free
Press
Issue Western Value Eastern Value
Distinctiveness of people Want to be distinctive Not valued emphasis on tie to group
Perceived control Significant values determine choices Modestsocietal values are already established
Emphasis Success and achievement relationships may get in the way Best outcome for relevant group (e.g., family, work group)
Self-esteem Strive to feel good assurances wanted Tied to belonging with group
Relationships Equality or superior position Clearly defined hierarchical
Rules Same rules apply to all Depend on context and relationship
26
Some implications

• Thanking peoplefor things they are clearly
  supposed to do?
• Why the need for a choice between 40 different
  brands of cereal?

27
Socialization

• Western textbook See Dick run. See Dick play.
  See Dick run and play.
• Chinese Big brother takes care of little
  brother. Big brother loves little brother.
  Little brother loves big brother.

28
Perception of People

• Western People have characteristics independent
  of the situation
• Fundamental attribution error People attribute
  their own behavior to the circumstances but that
  of others to innate characteristics.
• Eastern Person is connected behavior is the
  result of specific roles played at the time

29
Contrasting Advertising Perspectives (Aithison
2002)

• Western
• Atomisticbroken down to smallest component
  parts
• Unique selling propositions
• How to
• Positioning
• May be dull and boring
• Copy focused

• Asian
• Holistic
• Everything relates to everything else
• How things fit together and relate
• Visual and oral

Jim Aitchison, How Asia Advertises, New York
Wiley, 2002.
30
Advertising Content Comparisons

• American
• Individual benefit and pleasure (e.g., Make your
  way through the crowd)
• Korean
• Collective values (e.g., We have a way of
  bringing people together)

31
Priming and learning in a culture

• U.S. professor in Hong Kong started letter
  apologizing for his unworthiness for the job
• U.S. manager left room so that an employee could
  snoop on unfavorable report

32
Debate and Conflict

• The first person to raise his voice has lost the
  argument. (Chinese proverb)
• Use of indirection and projection
• Face-to-face vs. anonymous comments
• Western adversarial rule of law based on
  consistent universal ideals vs. solution for the
  case at hand in context

33
Relationships, Education, and Work

• Western
• Standing out being better
• Self perceived favorably
• Self-esteem building
• Work longer on successful job
• Eastern
• Harmony
• Must weed out personal characteristics that
  might annoy others
• Taught self-criticism
• Not recognized in profession until after many
  years of practice
• Work longer on unsuccessful job

34
Some Writing Patterns
English Romance Judaic
Asian
Going in circles to avoid being perceived as
overly assertive or causing loss of face.
Detours are expected to maintain interest and
politeness
Straight to the point conciseness valued theme
expressed
But thats another story.
35
Considerations in Approaching a Foreign Market

• Level of cultural homogeneity vs. heterogeneity
• Relatively homogenous Japan, parts of China,
  Norway
• Relatively heterogeneous U.S., parts of Mexico
• Needs fulfilled by product
• Number of people who can afford the product

• Values relevant to purchase and consumption of
  product
• Distribution, political, and legal structures
  relevant to product
• Communications opportunities
• Ethical issues