The Impact of The Marketing Environment On Strategic Marketing Planning in Northern Iraq

THE IMPACT OF THE MARKETING ENVIRONMENT ON STRATEGIC
MARKETING PLANNING IN NORTHERN IRAQ
Riadh Qasim
A Thesis Presented to LCC International University
in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the
M.A. in International Management Degree
Advisor: Donna Falloon, PhD
LCC International University

Department of International Business Administration
August 2021
ii
MARKETING ENVIRONMENT IMPACT ON STRATEGIC MARKETING PLANNING

IN NORTHERN IRAQ
Statement by the Author
This thesis has been submitted as an original work in partial fulfillment of requirements for
an advanced degree at LCC International University and is deposited in the University
Library to be made available to borrowers under the rules of the library.
Signed___________________________________________________
(Student: Please sign final paper before you submit it to the Thesis Director.)
_________________________________________________________
Approval by Donna Fallon, Ph.D., Thesis Director
THIS THESIS HAS BEEN APPROVED ON THE DATE SHOWN BELOW:
______________________________________________________
Douglas Puffert, Ph.D.
Chair, Business Department
LCC International University
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Abstract
The success factors of any company depend on understanding the market
environment, which in turn is subdivided into external and internal factors that affect the
process of marketing products and services (Bahua, 2020). In this research, the market in
northern Iraq (Kurdistan region of Iraq), where Islamic culture prevails, has been addressed.
The behavior of consumers in the Kurdish (Islamic) society is affected by the ideas, values
and norms that prevail in the society and which are essentially centered around the Islamic
religion, which in turn affects the consumer’s behavior and decisions.
When developing marketing plans and strategies by companies operating in northern
Iraq, many factors that may pose a serious threat to the company's success process must be
taken into consideration. These factors may be economic, demographic, technological, social,
political or cultural. In this study, the focus was on social and cultural factors, and the
researcher took upon himself the analysis of the religious factor and its effects on consumer
decisions.
Through this research, fifteen samples were taken from people with experience in the
field of marketing in northern Iraq. The samples were of both sexes with experience from
three months to nine years. Then the data was analyzed using MAXQDA. Eighteen primary
and seventeen secondary codes were obtained. The codes were analyzed to obtain twelve
patterns. These patterns helped the researcher obtain the desired results, which answered the
research questions.
Key words: Marketing environment, Organization strategies, Kurdistan Region of Iraq,
Kurds.
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Santrauka
Bet kurios bendrovės sėkmės veiksniai priklauso nuo rinkos aplinkos supratimo, kuris
savo ruožtu skirstomas į išorinius ir vidinius veiksnius, darančius įtaką produktų ir paslaugų
pardavimo procesui (Bahua, 2020). Šiame tyrime buvo aptarta rinka Šiaurės Irake (Irako
Kurdistano regione), kur vyrauja islamo kultūra. Vartotojų elgseną kurdų (islamo)
visuomenėje veikia visuomenėje vyraujančios idėjos, vertybės ir normos, kurios iš esmės
orientuotos į islamo religiją, o tai savo ruožtu turi įtakos vartotojo elgesiui ir sprendimams.
Kuriant Šiaurės Irake veikiančių bendrovių rinkodaros planus ir strategijas, reikia
atsižvelgti į daugelį veiksnių, kurie gali kelti rimtą grėsmę bendrovės sėkmės procesui. Šie
veiksniai gali būti ekonominiai, demografiniai, technologiniai, socialiniai, politiniai ar
kultūriniai. Šiame tyrime daugiausia dėmesio buvo skiriama socialiniams ir kultūriniams
veiksniams, o mokslininkas pats ėmėsi religinio faktoriaus ir jo poveikio vartotojų
sprendimams analizės.
Šio tyrimo metu iš žmonių, turinčių patirties rinkodaros srityje Šiaurės Irake, paimta
penkiolika mėginių. Mėginiai buvo abiejų lyčių, turinčių patirtį nuo trijų mėnesių iki
devynerių metų. Tada duomenys buvo analizuojami naudojant MAXQDA. Gauta
aštuoniolika pradinių ir septyniolika antrinių kodų. Kodai buvo analizuojami, siekiant gauti
dvylika modelių. Šie modeliai padėjo mokslininkui pasiekti norimų rezultatų, kurie atsakė į
mokslinių tyrimų klausimus.
Reikšminiai žodžiai: Rinkodaros aplinka, Organizacijos strategijos, Irako Kurdistano
regionas, kurdai.
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Acknowledgments
I would like to make use of this page to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude
to Dr. Donna Falloon for all the support she has given me during my journey in writing my
master's thesis. At the time when I needed her advice and wisdom, she was always there to
provide all support. I will remember her advice for a long time and I will keep them to
myself.
Words are not enough for me when I want to express my thanks to LCC International
University for the support they gave me during my journey. I thank all those I met at LCC
and dealt with, whether they were professors, administrators or classmates. I learned so much
from this wonderful place that it has been and will remain a bright spot in my career.
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1
Background ........................................................................................................................... 2
Overview of the Literature ..................................................................................................... 3
Gaps in the Literature ............................................................................................................. 6
The importance of the study ................................................................................................... 7
Key words .............................................................................................................................. 7
Research Questions ................................................................................................................ 8
Research hypothesis ............................................................................................................... 9
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................. 9
Chapter 2: Literature Review ................................................................................................... 10
Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 10
Overview .............................................................................................................................. 10
Strategic planning ................................................................................................................. 12
Cultural Factors .................................................................................................................... 13
Political and legal factors ..................................................................................................... 15
Consumer behavior .............................................................................................................. 16
Internal influences ................................................................................................................ 17
The Motives ...................................................................................................................... 17
The Needs ......................................................................................................................... 17
The Personality ................................................................................................................. 18
The Perception .................................................................................................................. 19
External influences ............................................................................................................... 20
The Family ........................................................................................................................ 20
Social Class....................................................................................................................... 20
Education .......................................................................................................................... 21
Conclusion............................................................................................................................ 23
Chapter 3: Methodology .......................................................................................................... 25
The Purpose of the study ...................................................................................................... 25
The research questions ......................................................................................................... 25
Sampling Method ................................................................................................................. 25
Research Design ................................................................................................................... 27
Methodology Design ............................................................................................................ 27
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Reliability and Validity ........................................................................................................ 28

Data Collection ..................................................................................................................... 31
Data Analysis ....................................................................................................................... 32
Aggregation .......................................................................................................................... 33
Disassembling ...................................................................................................................... 33
Reassembling ....................................................................................................................... 33
Translation ............................................................................................................................ 34
Conclusion............................................................................................................................ 34
Chapter 4: Data Analysis ......................................................................................................... 35
Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 35
The Purpose of the study ...................................................................................................... 35
The research questions ......................................................................................................... 35
Target population and sample size ....................................................................................... 36
Sampling Method ................................................................................................................. 38
Data Analysis ....................................................................................................................... 38
Compiling ............................................................................................................................. 38
Disassembling ...................................................................................................................... 39
Reassembling ....................................................................................................................... 41
Interpretation ........................................................................................................................ 43
Conclusion............................................................................................................................ 47
Chapter 5: Discussion .............................................................................................................. 50
Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 50
Discussion of Results ........................................................................................................... 50
Conclusions from the Results............................................................................................... 51
Practical Implications ........................................................................................................... 53
Limitation of The Study ....................................................................................................... 53
Recommendations for Future Research ............................................................................... 54
Conclusion............................................................................................................................ 55
References ................................................................................................................................ 56
Appendix 1 ............................................................................................................................... 61
Appendix 2 ............................................................................................................................... 62
Appendix 3 ............................................................................................................................... 63
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Table of Tables
Table 1. Participants ................................................................................................................ 38

Table 2. Primary Codes and Definitions .................................................................................. 41
Table 3. Secondary Codes and Definitions .............................................................................. 42
Table 4. Patterns and Code Relationships................................................................................ 43
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Chapter 1: Introduction
When talking about companies and their successes, we must address the market
environment, which is a set of internal and external factors and forces that directly affect the
company's performance and its ability to market products or services to customers.
Concerned with the internal environment, is the equipment, manpower, company owners, and
the work environment. As for the external environment, it is divided into two parts; the total
or the so-called broad environment and includes the societal forces that affect society as a
whole, and it is divided into six components: the economic, demographic, technological,
social, political and cultural environment (Pahwa, 2020). Partial includes factors related to
production, distribution, and promotion.
The beliefs, principles, values, and ideas that pervade society play a fundamental role
in influencing the behavior of individuals; this effect will be directly reflected on individuals'
decisions to purchase products or services. The individual acquires his culture by watching
and reading the surrounding society. Some criteria help as a basis for determining the partial
culture and thus the behavior of individuals. there are many people in the same country with
different nationalities, and although they belong to this country, they prefer to return to their
original consumption habits. Here comes the role of marketers in meeting the needs of these
people and providing them with suitable products, especially if these markets represent a
profitable market. Religions, the pattern of consumption varies within the same community
according to the religion that individuals profess. In societies predominantly Islamic; The
success of marketing some prohibited products cannot be guaranteed, as there are many
commodities that a Muslim individual cannot consume due to religious fatwas and on the
pretext that it conflicts with Islamic values and customs.

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Background
After World War II, marketing has made great progress due to the conviction that was
formed among those concerned with marketing affairs, which was built on the basis that
marketing activities should be directed to the benefit of the consumer. The modern concept of
marketing appeared and the consumer entered the field of scientific application as marketers
realized that their activity begins and ends with the consumer. A lot of advertising
organizations working in the field of advertising and promotion also appeared and became
prominent; this led to an increase in the demand for products and services, and thus led to an
abundance of production. This does not stop at defining the concept of the consumer but
extends to analyzing his behavior and studying the factors affecting him.
In the eighties of the twentieth century, Iraq became the third-largest economy in the
Middle East. This was due to the successful industrialization of the Iraqi government and the
initiatives launched by the government to develop infrastructure in the seventies (Blake,2021)
In September 1980, Iraq fought a war with Iran that lasted for eight years, which led
to great financial problems in addition to the great damage to oil export facilities, which
constituted about 99.7% of Iraq's economic exports (Blake, 2021). The government tended to
borrow and implement austerity measures that resulted in economic losses of no less than $
80 billion (Mundy, 2010). After the end of the war with Iran in 1988, the economy began to
recover again, but this did not last long as Iraq began a war with Kuwait, which was called
the Gulf War. Oil exports decreased to a quarter of the GDP in 1980 and continued due to the
international sanctions imposed on Iraq where the Iraqi government had the right to sell oil
for food to the United Nations.

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Despite the Coalition Provisional Authority’s attempt to modernize the Iraqi economy
after the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled the government of Iraq by reducing Iraq's foreign
debts, the economy began to deteriorate due to economic mismanagement. In 2009, oil
exports returned to good levels and the economy started to recover again.
Overview of the Literature
The evolution of the organization is fundamentally related to the market environment.
The influence of the organization’s strategies on the marketing process is reflected in the
organization’s development and success. The market environment affects the organization in
two ways, by providing market opportunities or creating environmental threats; also, how to
take advantage of market opportunities and avoid environmental threats.
“A company’s marketing environment consists of the actors and forces outside of
marketing that affect marketing management ability to build and maintain successful
relationships with target customers” Philip Kotler said (Pahwa, 2021)
Market orientation traces its origins from the market concept (also known as the
marketing concept) (Zhou et al, 2005) and it must be mentioned that it has major
consequences for the business strategy as a whole. The market concept is responsible for
guiding customers, innovation, and profit as a catalyst for creating a network of satisfied
customers. Theories regarding market orientation have been widely accepted by scholars and
academics either as organizational culture or as an implementation of the marketing concept,
or as a combination of both. To make it simpler, the market concept and the marketing
concept are used interchangeably. A market is a physical place and, in some cases, non-
material, the supply of goods or services will be disregarded, while marketing is the process
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of selling and buying that takes place through the processes through which those goods or
services are delivered to the consumer (Zhou et al, 2008).
Development and implementation of the marketing strategy are essential to the
success of the organization. This research is linked to an understanding of these activities
which is the key to demonstrating the importance of the academic discipline of marketing. A
better understanding of the state of knowledge of marketing strategy is also important for
developing a theoretical understanding of marketing. Knowing the theories that have been
relied on in previous research and marketing aspects.
The strategy that received little attention is the pre-indication of any attempt to
develop domestic marketing theory. Systematic analyses of the use of different research
approaches and methods in a particular field, and how they have changed over time, can also
reveal insights for developing new approaches and methods (Palmatier et al, 2018).
If we compare the population census of northern Iraq (the Kurdistan region of Iraq)
three decades ago and three years ago, we will find that the region three decades ago was still
witnessing rapid population growth, as about half of the population was under the age of 15
years. In 2018, the Kurdistan region of Iraq was about to enter the "demographic window"
and fertility rates were extremely low and pushing the population towards demographic
stability. The dependency ratio also decreased remarkably, as it decreased from 113 to 64
dependents per 100 persons of working age, and the average family size decreased from 6.2
to 5.1 individuals (IOM,2018).
This transformation may be caused by the massive urbanization process that has been
in place for the last thirty years, especially in the governorates of Erbil and Sulaymaniyah.
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There have been many cultural and social changes with the move from the countryside to
urban centers where the better environment for work and living.
Comparing 194 countries in the world, we will find that there are different economic
conditions and levels of economic development, and gross national income (GNI) per capita.
Worldwide gross national income 62 trillion US Dollars (purchasing power parity [PPP])
(Doole & Lowe 2008). But this does not mean that it is shared equitably among all countries.
The United Nations considers 75 percent of the world's population as poor, and only 11
percent of the world's population as rich. The United Nations also claims that the world's 50
million richest people share as much wealth as the poorest 3000 million. This large disparity
in the income of individuals poses challenges and obstacles especially for companies
operating in international markets as companies make a lot of effort to search for potential
market opportunities.
This demographic shift was accompanied by the establishment of the Kurdistan
Region, which is considered an administratively separate region from Iraq under the auspices
of the United Nations in 1991. After that, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq witnessed completely
different living conditions from the rest of Iraq. During the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, the
region witnessed no violence and enjoyed a better safe environment than the rest of Iraq
(IOM, 2018).
Thus, the Kurdish family (who lives in the Kurdistan region) enjoys a decent standard
of living, as most of them own most of the common household appliances, and three-quarters
of all families live in their own homes and enjoy public water and electricity networks better
than the rest of Iraq.

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Nevertheless, there are still serious challenges and about 85% of families have a
monthly income of less than $ 850 (1,000,000 Iraqi Dinars). It can be concluded that the
Kurdistan Region of Iraq fits the definition of a "rentier economy" with two-thirds of families
on the public payroll (IOM, 2018). The last economic crisis that began with the beginning of
the war on ISIS in mid-2014 and which has continued so far has led to private sector
pressure. Indeed, to the extent that it cannot employ 30% of the existing workforce. Due to
the lack of accurate statistics on economic indicators, there is a difficulty in quantifying.
According to the (IOM, 2018) report, 20% of young people (18-34 years) outside the
workforce reported That they lost hope in finding a job, this clearly shows the effect of the
recession.
Social and cultural factors also influence marketing tremendously. Differences in
social conditions, material culture, and religion affect the perceptions of the consumer and
thus influence the patterns of buying behavior. It can be said that this is the area through
which to determine the extent of the difference or similarity of consumers around the world,
this determines the potential of global brands and standardization (Doole & Lowe 2008). To
avoid failure, the cultural/social dimensions of the market must be understood.
Gaps in the Literature
Hardly any scientific research is devoid of difficulties and obstacles that differ from one
research to another and from one region to another. In this research, we faced several
difficulties that were hindering the various stages of completion, namely:

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1. Many changes occurred in the environment due to the Corona pandemic, and these
rapid changes were a challenge, and it required us to constantly review every step we
take.
2. The lack of references, the fact that the study covers northern Iraq, the references
were few, and likewise, the references and Arab studies showed a kind of
contradiction and difference.
3. The difficulty of conducting a field study in economic institutions for two reasons:
they do not show interest in the researcher and do not provide the required
information, and also because of the Corona pandemic, which led to the imposition of
roaming attendance most of the time.
The importance of the study
The research aims to try to study and analyze the impact of the marketing
environment on the marketing strategies used by companies operating in northern Iraq on
the target people and the relationship of the culture of society to the plans and strategies
used. The research also aims to determine the impact of the dimensions of the marketing
environment on the dimensions of marketing strategy planning and to know the
environmental dimensions that have a greater impact on strategic marketing planning to
obtain distinctive results.
Key words
1. Marketing environment: It is the market atmosphere that consists of the internal
environment, the macro environment, and the micro environment. Through it, various
organizational factors and forces that have a significant impact on their skills in
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marketing management are managed to develop and maintain favorable transactions
with their recognized clients (Prachi, 2020).
2. Organization strategies: It is a series of actions that companies take in order to achieve
long-term goals. These measures together form the strategic plan of the company.
Often times, developing strategic plans takes a long time to be well thought out
(Johnson, 2019).
3. The Kurdistan Region of Iraq: It means (“Land of the Kurds”), It is the northern
region of Iraq inhabited by the Kurds. It has enjoyed federal rule since October 1991.
It consists of three governorates: Erbil (the capital of the Kurdistan region),
Sulaymaniyah, and Dohuk. It is bordered by Iran to the east, Turkey to the north,
Syria to the west, and the rest of Iraq to the south. The official language is the Kurdish
language and then the Arabic language (BBC News, 2019).
4. The Kurds: a Muslim ethnic group concentrated in the regions of northern Iraq,
northwestern Iran, northern Syria, and southeastern Turkey. The Kurds were
originally Yazidis, but they converted to Islam because of the wars that were in the
period of Islamic wars in the period of the Islamic conquests (636 AD-639 AD)
(Minorsky, n.d).
Research Questions
1. How does the marketing environment affect the plans and strategies that companies
follow in the marketing process in northern Iraq (Kurdistan Region of Iraq)?
2. The extent of the influence of Islamic culture on the marketing process in the Kurdish
community?
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Research hypothesis
In order to obtain the research objectives, a hypothesis was formulated that clarifies
the research problem and answers its questions, which is that the culture of society and the
economic situation have a strong influence on strategic marketing planning. The qualitative
method was used to obtain the information and data that were relied on in this research.
Conclusion
Marketing strategic planning, which is adopted by companies, is affected by many
external factors represented by the marketing environment. Northern Iraq, being a part of the
Middle East, is affected by factors that affect the Middle East, whether they are economic,
political, cultural, social, or environmental. In recent years, the economy began to revitalize
the region after the economic system had collapsed in Iraq due to the wars and blockades that
were imposed on Iraq by the international coalition.
Although northern Iraq is considered a separate region from Iraq since 1991, it was
greatly affected by the siege that was imposed on Iraq during that period. The market is
considered an emerging and unstable market due to the environment to which it belongs.
The next chapter of this research will cover the literature review which will discuss
current information and knowledge, including the findings of previous research in addition to
theoretical contributions from scholars.

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Chapter 2: Literature Review
Introduction
In this chapter, the research and literature that has been previously worked on and that
is related to the influence of the marketing environment on strategic planning will be covered.
This chapter also provides a brief overview of the studies that contributed to our discussion
that we will deal with in this chapter. After providing a broad explanation of the marketing
environment, the factors that involve the marketing environment are discussed, including the
external factors represented by economic, cultural and political factors, and the internal
factors represented by incentives, need, personality, perception and education.
Overview
The strategy that received little attention is the pre-indication of any attempt to
develop domestic marketing theory. Systematic analyses of the use of different research
approaches and methods in a particular field, and how they have changed over time, can also
reveal insights for developing new approaches and methods (Palmatier et al, 2018).
International marketers must have a sufficient understanding of economic
developments and the extent to which they affect the marketing strategy. At the global level,
understanding these developments is very important as the infrastructure for global trade such
as trade agreements has been developed to promote international trade and global institutions
in terms of regional trade integration and at the state/market level (Doole & Lowe 2008).
Companies must be fully aware of the economic policies of countries as well as the trends in
which certain markets are developing economically to obtain an assessment to see whether
they can profitably meet the demands of the required market and compete with companies
already in the market.

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The relationship between products or services providers and the marketing
environment in which they operate is unique. For many companies, the boundary between the
"outside world" and the company is distinct. The manufacturers see, there is one world inside
the factory, and another world outside it. For many service providers, there is a special place
to pay for the service they provide, and it can be managed. Changes that occur in the outside
world as well as competing customers will greatly affect these companies. The impact of
external changes can be mitigated by planning and some conciliation and thus companies can
be allowed to continue (Gee et al., 1994).
Collecting information about competitors and other companies working in the same
field is not sufficient unless the organization knows how to use the information they obtained
in strategic planning. Marketing managers must understand the current and future status of
the marketing environment and know the challenges and opportunities that they may face due
to the development and changes that may occur in the environment. It also helps in evaluating
the current performance of marketing efforts and developing future marketing strategies. In
light of these facts, appropriate marketing plans are drawn up.
National or international political factors influence international marketing. Politics
plays its role as an important factor in many international business decisions, and more so
those related to how to invest and develop the market. Unstable political systems may cause a
lot of trouble to foreign companies because of The government's attitude towards business
and the extent to which companies are allowed to operate freely in the market. Often, the
tendency of governments to change regulations has a very profound effect on international
strategy in terms of providing opportunities and threats. The invasion of Iraq in 2003 led to
great volatility in the region as it destroyed the market for some, and for others, it was an
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opportunity to develop the market. In the Middle East, we observe the increasing awareness
of companies regarding the importance of monitoring political factors in the markets in which
they operate due to instability and the continuing threat of terrorism. The market in northern
Iraq is considered an emerging market, so it poses high political risks, even if it is trying to
pursue reforms to solve political problems. Tightening of these reforms could produce civil
unrest and increased opposition to governments, as happened in Brazil and Argentina
(Clerides et al, 2010).
Through analysis and marketing screening, changes in the marketing environment can
be monitored with high efficiency. Screening is the process of collecting the process of
gathering information about the forces affecting the marketing environment and determining
the interpretation of possible developments (Clerides et al, 2010).
Strategic planning
Strategic planning is the most important step in marketing, helping managers to see a
clear future and to think in a systematic way. It is the audit of external and internal marketing
environments. It also gives them a clear vision and sufficient awareness of the strengths and
weaknesses of their companies which mainly depends on interactions between the company’s
CEOs and their functional areas, including; information technology, operations, finance, and
human resource management. In addition to that, their efforts and support will help the
company achieve the required performance standards. Thus, it pushes the company in the
direction that leads to the refinement of its goals and a good preparation for sudden changes
and developments. Effective communication of the strategic plan enables employees to know
what the company aims to achieve and what the company requires of them (Camilleri, 2017).
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Modern marketing, first adopted by Philip Kotler, says that the primary role of
marketing is to create value that profitably meets current and future customer needs.
"Marketing is activity and a group of institutions and processes for creating, communicating,
presenting and exchanging offers of value to customers, customers, partners and society as a
whole," he argues. (American Marketing Association, 2013).
Cultural Factors
Since the nineties of the last century, many pioneers in marketing have devised the
rationale for the concept of marketing and the relationship of community culture to
marketing. In contrast, many companies did not implement it and remained focused on
"product" or "sales" in their traditional ways (Brown and Brown, 2018).
At the present time, as we all know more than ever, the large multinationals have
become more sophisticated because they have become more prevalent in multiple markets
and serve many people from different cultures and groups. Cultures differ from one region to
another and from one state to another. For these companies, it is imperative that companies
review their product lines and services and develop new services and it may often change
their operating models - that is, the way they organize themselves to create and deliver new
forms of value to their customers (Brown and Brown, 2018).
Cultural factors represented by education, accumulated experiences, historical and
civilizational values affecting individual and group behavior, level of cultural and scientific
development, quality of life, lifestyle, nature of society and its willingness or lack of
readiness to change the collective and individual theory to the past, present and future, and
the impact of each dimension on the formation of personality and cultural personality the
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human act. Cultural and social factors have a significant impact in determining the direction
of management plans and strategies for companies operating in their original environment or
companies trying to settle in a place other than their original environment (Kotler, 1997).
There is a big difference between customer focus and customer culture. Focusing on
customers means different things to different people, which range in meaning from good
customer service to putting customers in the first place, understanding clients' psyche and
meeting their needs as appropriate. This cannot be achieved unless the organization has a
culture that is based on focusing on customers and understanding the saying, "the best for
customers is
the best for business." This summarizes that the company must have a customer culture to
obtain customer focus (Brown and Brown, 2018).
Trying to integrate customer culture into teams and people is done through induction,
direction, processes, leadership, key performance measures and a common language for
doing things. More important than this is the realization that the customer’s culture is a
system of a common set of skills and behaviors that can be improved and developed and
practiced to be habits that lead to better personal and business outcomes. (Brown and Brown,
2018).
Customer culture does not mean that the company must respond to all requests and
improvements, whether in the products or services that the customer or client’s demand.
Sometimes this is unprofessional and unprofitable for the company and does not allow the
company to focus on the main customers that the company serves at the best value.
Companies must follow a clear strategy and must have a clear knowledge of the target
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customers, understand their requirements and needs, and deliver them with superior value and
expertise. A strong customer culture is in line with corporate strategy, managers and
employees understand and respond to current and future needs of targeted clients. The
discipline and skill lie in knowing when the company is not able to meet the needs of certain
customers and help them find the solution in another place. "Customer culture is a culture in
which people in the business interact with clients and non-clients alike in a way that shows
their interest, either by solving the customer problem or by referring non-customers to other
companies that can better meet their needs." (Brown and Brown, 2018).
Consumers in the Middle East in general are drawn to following cultural and religious
traditions, INSEAD Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior, Frederick Godart says,
that consumerism by its very nature is attracted to luxury as a tradition of conspicuous
consumption rooted in the deep historical roots of the Middle East. “The luxury is a way for
the new members of this class to express their social ascendancy. At the heart of luxury lies
the apparent consumption, and the need to express the social standing and strength of the
individual through manufactured things” (Azmi 2014). Chalhoub, CEO of the Chalhoub
Group, the largest retail operator in the Middle East, says that consumers in the Middle East
"tend to seek individuality in whatever they buy (limited editions, custom items) while
adhering to strong social norms, respecting traditional values and family rules." (Peters &
Shea, 2013).
Political and legal factors
Local political considerations are of primary concern to many organizations. Also, the
organizations involved in international operations face an additional dimension of
development that undertakes exports and has a joint risk or subsidiary companies abroad and,
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in many countries, especially the so-called developing countries, the local political and
economic situation is less stable. Marketing organizations operating in volatile conditions
must carefully monitor the local political situation, and many legal, economic and social
developments in our society and other societies are a direct result of the political decisions
put in place, for example the privatization of public industries and the control of inflation
(Leezenberg, 2015).
Therefore, political and legal changes at the local and international levels affect
operating organizations (Lancaster & Reynold, 1998) in the environment, which requires
them to fully understand these changes. The factors of the political environment are linked to
the political system in the state and the philosophy adopted by that system in governing and
managing the affairs of that state, which The various activities that take place within the
scope of its borders are reflected in the laws, regulations and legislation it enacts, and since
marketing is one of these activities, it will certainly be affected by the legal and legislative
frameworks defined by the existing political system in the country.
Consumer behavior
Consumer behavior is the interrelated processes for an individual or group of
individuals to choose, buy, and use a product, service, idea, or even experience, and to
evaluate products and services for the purpose of satisfying needs and desires (Sama, 2018).
The consumer faces many influences that control his final behavior and direct him towards
the purchase and use of a specific good or service, and these influences differ according to
the individual consumer in terms of his nature, his cultural and social background, and the
nature of the market he deals with, and these influences are divided into external and internal.
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Internal influences
The Motives
Motivation is an influencing component of an individual's ultimate consumer
behavior because it directs and controls his behavior, with the goal of achieving a specific
goal. These motives may be innate that have existed since a person was created, and are
related to his physiological needs such as his need for water, food, air, and shelter, or motives
acquired from the surrounding environment and daily experiences. When the individual feels
the impulse, the motive is called an emotional one - such as his desire to travel - but if he is
unable to determine the motive behind his doing the work, then it is called an unconscious
motive. The motives are either positive that the individual desires to do, or negative ones that
prevent the individual from doing something like fear of boarding a plane, and because the
individual’s income in general is limited in exchange for his unending purchasing needs, he
must arrange his motives into primary, selective and transactional purchase motives.
Likewise, emotion and reason control the purchasing motives of the individual and thus
determine the individual's need for the good or service (Anjum et al, 2018).
The Needs
The need is the starting point from which to identify what the consumer needs and on
the basis of which goods and services are produced to satisfy the desires of the individual.
Needs are also known as a feeling of lack of something, and thus they contribute to directing
behavior to fill this deficiency. There are several theories that explain human needs, including
Maslow's theory, which includes arranging the needs of the individual in a hierarchical
manner, because they are hierarchically important, and the individual's fulfillment of these
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needs begins with the task from it and then moves to the least important, and the individual's
needs are characterized as constantly changing, where a new need appears (Anjum et al,
2018).
The Personality
They are the groups of traits in the individual that distinguish him and determine his
behavior and the way he interacts with everything in his environment, and there are several
theories that have talked about personality, including psychoanalytic theories that view
personality as a mixture of biological and sexual needs, and these needs are what control the
behavior of the individual. This theory divides the personality of the individual into the ego,
which is the instincts and needs of the individual, the self, which is the conscience that
controls the behavior of the individual, and the superego, which are the convictions in which
the individual believes and is assumed to coincide with the values of society, and this theory
is used in the field of marketing products to the consumer, placing them in the markets and
choosing sites Ad-appropriate (Zia, 2016).
Individuals are affected by the change of goods and services with the passage of time,
as the individual moves from buying infant formula and food for himself in early childhood
to food with special specifications in the later stages of life, and consumers' tastes change
with the difference in age, such as clothes, furniture, entertainment and others. The purchase
decision is also affected by the stage of the family’s life. The buying pattern differs when an
individual is single or married, then the father of a family, and so on. The interest of the
marketing manager lies in knowing and studying the age and the family life cycle in order to
struggle to formulate a marketing program consistent with these changes, because the goal of
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shopping and this situation is to satisfy and meet the needs and desires of consumers in their
different stages of life (Zia, 2016).
The Perception
Perception is the sensory experience of the world. It involves identifying
environmental stimuli and actions in response to these stimuli. Through the process of
sensory perception, we obtain information about the characteristics and elements of the
environment that are crucial to our survival. Perception not only creates our experience of the
world around us; It allows us to act within our environment (Cherry, 2020).
This applies to the consumption process, as consumer behavior is related to the image
that he creates about the product offered to him, and accordingly the purchasing decisions
consist of three cognitive processes: the consumer's interpretation of the information, the
evaluation of the product based on the information in order to be able to choose between
several products, and remember some information about other products or For the same
product and use it to help him in the selection process. It is worth noting that the cognitive
process goes through several steps, namely:
 Individual reception of stimuli through his five senses.
 Understanding the stimuli that the individual thinks are important to him.
 Consumer's understanding of the surrounding environment, and his awareness
of different situations and circumstances.
There are factors that affect the perception process, including what is related to the
thing that was perceived. the stimulus itself, such as its size, color, location and method of
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presentation, or factors related to the environment, and the last factor is related to the
consumer's traits and characteristics such as his needs, income level, and mood (Anjum et al,
2018).
External influences
The Family
The family has a great influence on the individual and the way he behaves as a consumer
from his childhood through the acquisition of skills, values and attitudes from his family
surroundings. Those interested in marketing operations have to come up with strategies that
are commensurate with the role played by the father or mother or other individuals within the
family because the family plays an important role in the marketing process and affects the
behavior of its members and controls their purchasing decisions (Anjum et al, 2018).
Children have an important role in the family’s purchasing operations, but their role
varies according to the child's age, as older children usually tend to consume higher-priced
goods such as computers, bedrooms, trips, etc. As for younger children, their consumption is
directed towards chocolate and games (Cherry, 2020).
Social Class
According to Lasswell (1966) in his book Class and Stratum; An Introduction to
Concepts and Research, "Social class is a relatively permanent and homogeneous division
of society in which individuals and families share the same lifestyles, and behavior can be
classified."
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According to Dommermuth (1984) in his book Analysis of Promotion, Creativity and
Strategy, "social classes are very broad groups of individuals who hold roughly similar levels
of society arranged in a hierarchy from divisions from low to middle class to upper class. "
We can notice that the definition focused on treated persons in the same social class who
have similar standing, status, and similar values in life.
We conclude that there are two different ideas for separating social classes, but there
seems to be a consensus about the factors that should determine the existence of a separate
class. The two classes are: exclusive, exclusive and influential, meaning the necessity of a
clear separation between one class and another based on fixed criteria.
Education
Education is the change that occurs in an individual's behaviors as a result of past
experiences. Here we must mention that education does not include behavioral changes
resulting from growth or temporary states that occur on the individual, such as fatigue,
hunger, sleep or instinctive reactions (Zheng. J et al, 2019).
Learning is a continuous and changing process. Learning may be the result of a practice
or experience that leads to changes in a person's behavior. For example, if someone wanted to
learn the game of soccer, they might take a training course to gain experience by getting
familiar with the rules of the game, or he may learn the game by reading a book about how to
play without practicing playing on the ground, meaning that the experience is not necessarily
physical.
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Non-experimental learning is common in consumer behavior. The consumer may want to
buy a bottle of juice and then ask the seller about its taste, and he tells him that it tastes
similar to the taste of cranberry, and because the consumer does not like this taste, the
consumer refrains from completing the purchase, thus the consumer learns that he does not
like This type of juice without being tasted. Because of this, marketers seek out "opinion
leaders" who inform others about the advantages and disadvantages of products in the
marketplace.
Not seeing immediate evidence of learning is not evidence that education has not
occurred. It is a feature of learning that changes may be delayed or immediate. Human by
nature can store learning until it is needed. For example, a consumer is willing to learn about
the benefits of a product even though he or she does not expect to purchase them in the near
future.
The learning process occurs over time as the consumer assimilates new information. The
most prominent of the theories dealing with learning, the most prominent of which is the
theory of socialization established by Frued (1865-1939), which claims that the knowledge,
desires and skills that an individual acquires affect his interaction with society (Zheng. J et al,
2019).
Socialization theory also deals with the sources of influence or social factors that transfer
behavioral and cognitive patterns to the learner. In the case of the consumer, this process
occurs through the interaction of the individual with others in multiple social situations,
knowing that the sources of influence include any person, company, or information source
interacting with the consumer.

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The consumer obtains information from the external environment, either through social
interaction, reinforcement education, or simulation. Mimicry means the consumer imitating
other people. For example, a consumer may become more inclined to buy a product because
he wants to imitate his friends. Marketers can exploit marketers, as they use this aspect such
as gigantic brands hire famous people like famous soccer players to advertise a product
(Zheng. J et al, 2019).
As for reinforcement education, it includes the use of the method of reward and
punishment. For example, a customer's attraction to a brand can be enhanced through good
product performance, excellent post-purchase services, or other positive experiences (Zheng.
J et al, 2019).
Conclusion
To summarize what was mentioned in this chapter, the US invasion of Iraq in 2003
led to market fluctuations. These fluctuations had the largest impact on the Iraqi market,
whether negative or positive. Iraq opened up to world markets after it was closed due to the
previous government. Next, the strategic plans and their importance for marketing managers
are discussed before venturing into the market. Strategic planning is very necessary as it
gives a clear view of managers and informs them of the risks and opportunities in the
required market.
In addition, it was found that the marketing environment depends on many internal,
external and internal factors. External factors; political, economic and cultural factors, which
have been found to directly affect the marketing environment, in addition to internal factors;
incentives, need, personality, perception, and education.

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In the next chapter, Methodology, the research methods that we will use will be
explained to give more insight into the topics covered in the literature review, and how the
marketing environment affects marketing plans in Northern Iraq.

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Chapter 3: Methodology
The methodology section focuses on the method of data collection. The scientific
method that was used in this research is the qualitative method. It also explains and
understands data and samples, determines the relationship between factors, makes
comparisons, and draws conclusions based on the data.
The Purpose of the study
As discussed in the first chapter, the main objective of this study is to show the impact
of the marketing environment on the marketing strategies used by companies operating in
northern Iraq and the extent of the influence of societal culture on the plans and strategies
used by these companies. The research also deals with the impact of the dimensions of the
marketing environment on the dimensions of marketing strategy planning and knowledge of
the environmental dimensions that have a greater impact on strategic marketing planning to
The research questions
follow in the marketing process in northern Iraq (the Kurdistan region of Iraq)?
2. What is the extent of the influence of Islamic culture on the marketing process in
Kurdish society?
Sampling Method
The technique adopted for sampling is accidental non-probability sampling, this
technique will help us gain the cooperation of trust from the respondent. Non-probability
sampling can be defined as a process of sampling that does not provide or show a basis for
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any opinion of the probability that elements in the universe would have the opportunity to be
included in the study sample (Etikan & Bala, 2017).
Accidental sampling
This type of sampling is based on non-random identification of people based on some
fixed ratio. If we go deeper into this type, there are two types of quota system sampling, they
are proportional and disproportionate. In quotas, the main characteristics of the population are
studied by taking proportional samples from them. For example, if the percentage of females
represents 40% of the total population and males represent 60%, and the sample size is 100
samples, then samples should be taken based on these ratios, meaning that 40 females and 60
males are chosen. These samples must fulfill the specific characteristics that the class will be
based on, such as gender, age, standard of living, marital status.
As for the sampling of non-proportional quotas, which was relied upon in this study, it
is less restrictive in terms of matching sample numbers with population proportions. In this
method, the researcher determines the minimum number of samples he wants from each
category, provided that there are enough samples to ensure that all categories are addressed,
no matter how small (Trochim, 2017).
In this study, 15 samples were taken from different backgrounds living in northern Iraq
(Dohuk and Erbil). The participants were employees of companies (working in the field of
marketing or having a direct contact with the marketing department) operating in various
fields in northern Iraq.
It should be noted that the participants were working in international and local
companies, with experience from three months to nine years in involvement in marketing.
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Research Design
Research design is very necessary to know the tools and methods that used to prove
the reliability of the data which collected, their use and reliance on them in this research. The
qualitative study, like the one did in this research, needs certain methods to document the
data. The qualitative approach used in this study to obtain comprehensive answers that
represent the participants' vision in an accurate manner, as well as delve into the merits of the
questions asked and to provide a detailed explanation of the purpose of the study and clear
answers to questions.
The data was collected by creating a Google Form and publishing it on Facebook as
well as sending it to people with marketing experience in Northern Iraq (Kurdistan Region of
Iraq) via LinkedIn. The people who participated in this study were working, part of them in
local companies and the other part in international companies. Therefore, the type of
companies was not determined, but the study was comprehensive in terms of the companies’
field.
Methodology Design
Qualitative research is based on collecting and analyzing non- numerical data. The
data may be video, text or audio. This approach enables an understanding of experiences,
opinions, and beliefs, and also clarifies the reason for beliefs to gather insights, in other
words, analyzing the opinions and the reasons behind those opinions and verifying them to
reach the reasons that resulted in those ideas (Bryman & Bell, 2007).
The study of factors that influence consumers' choices when shopping. In this
research, the focus was on people who have experiences in marketing in northern Iraq. The
sample that was relied upon in the research is a mixture of males and females.
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Reliability and Validity
Reliability indicates confidence in the results of the research (Kvale & Brinkmann
2009). The results of the research are subject to change with a change in time that affects the
environment, and thus the answers that are obtained from the participants. According to
Mackenzie & Knipe (2006), reliability reflects the validity of the research findings whether
the research results are supported by evidence.
The reliability and validity of any study increases when the researcher presents the
processes through which the study was carried out by explaining the processes to the reader
(Silverman, 2006). The researcher must allow the reader to reach the procedures and
observations that are considered essential and that were used in the study, including the
interview guide.
To ensure the credibility of the research, the steps and procedures that were taken
during the research process must be documented. Validity is also considered very important.
Silverman (2006) stated that validity means whether a research was accurately measured and
what it was intended to measure.
Validity is the stringent procedures to be applied in research methodology including,
assessing the quality and accuracy of derivations (Creswell, 2009). In a qualitative study, the
evaluation is considered a bit complicated because it focuses on the reliability of all research
steps such as the research question, sampling, strategy of taking and analyzing data
(Creswell, 2009).
Therefore, to enhance and increase reliability and credibility, the researcher will take
the following steps:

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1. Before sending the Google form link, the researcher sent a message via LinkedIn or
Facebook to people who have experience in the field of marketing in northern Iraq
and asked them to participate in the study and give them a simplified explanation of
the study in order to obtain their consent to participate. Sending the form to people
without prior knowledge may have a negative impact on the study because most of
them are busy with their work, even if the message is opened by the person to whom
it is addressed, he may delay in responding or neglect it.
2. When communicating with the participants, the researcher starts with introducing
himself, the purpose of the study, and the time the participant needs to answer the
questions, in addition to informing the participant of the confidentiality of the
interview.
3. After obtaining answers from people who were contacted and obtaining their
consent, the researcher sent the Google form, which contains the questions that are
supposed to be answered. When opening the form, the participant finds that the first
page consists of the informed consent form, which contains all the details that
participants must know before starting to answer the questions.
The Google has been relied on for several reasons:
 Due to the circumstances the world is going through due to the Corona
pandemic, it is difficult to visit companies and meet people with experience in
marketing.
 It is difficult for the researcher to visit the companies in person due to the
distance between the areas covered by the study.

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 It is difficult to interview marketers because they simply do not have that time
or even if they do, they will not want to give their time to the researcher.
 In the case of using the Google form, it is easy to send it to the targeted people
through the LinkedIn program. It can also be sent to many people, thus
increasing the researcher's chances of getting answers.
 The participants may answer some questions on the first day, and then come
on the second day to answer the rest of the questions if the Google form is
used. In interviews, he/she cannot do that.
4. The researcher is based in a town near Dohuk Governorate - Northern Iraq, where he
used a home Wi-Fi network to send the form to participants. The researcher's personal
computer has been used for the purpose of communicating with participants.
5. After the participant answers the questions, a notice appears to the researcher that the
participant has completed the answers. Then, the researcher expresses his thanks and
gratitude to the participant for his participation in the study. He also assures the
participant that the information mentioned in the form will not be used for other
purposes.
6. After completing the data collection, the researcher saved the obtained answers in a
special file on the researcher's personal computer and gave a code to each participant.
7. The form was in both Arabic and English, in order to get the greatest number of
participants because some of the targeted people may not be able to answer in
English. Most of the answers were in English, but some answers were obtained in
Arabic. The researcher used his laptop to translate the Arabic answers into English.
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8. After obtaining the translated version of the answers, the researcher used the
MAXQDA qualitative analysis program and applied it to the data for the purpose of
identifying and coding the participants.
MAXQDA is a professional quantitative, qualitative and mixed data analysis software
that works on both Windows and Mac operating systems. It analyzes interviews,
reports, surveys, online schedules, target group, videos, audio files, photos, and much
more. Released in 1989, it has a long history of providing researchers with powerful,
innovative and easy-to-use analytical tools that aid in the success of research projects
(Kuckartz et al, 2019).
To prove the correctness of what has been mentioned, copies of the documents that were
dealt with and which were relied upon in this study are attached:
1. A copy of the message that was sent to the participants in order to obtain their
consent to participate.
2. An informed consent form which put in the first page of the google form that was sent
to the participants.
3. a copy of the questions that was sent to the participants.
Data Collection
As previously mentioned, the participants were contacted via Facebook and LinkedIn
in order to get answers as soon as possible. It was not possible to meet the targeted people
face to face because of the Corona pandemic, as well as because of the distance of people
from each other and the difficulty of meeting them at the time specified for data collection.
The target people work with companies and it is difficult to find a suitable time during
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working hours to conduct an interview, as most of the participants have shared their answers
during the weekends.
The Arabic language has been added to the Google form that was shared with the
participants in order to make it easier for the them and not to face difficulty in terms of
language. Many of the target samples speak Arabic as their mother tongue, though, and most
of the answers were in English.
The Google form that was shared with the participants consisted of 13 questions. The
first three questions were asking about the duration and type of work the participant does. As
for the rest of the questions, they were open questions that allowed the participant to answer
in depth and they had enough space to clarify the answers and support them with examples.
Some responses were obtained from the participants because the questions were open
and therefore needed time to answer them, and some of them mentioned that they prefer
questions that can be answered with yes or no.
After the end of the specified period for data collection, which was two weeks, it was
found that the number of participants was 15 participants. The sharing form link was stopped,
and then the data obtained were downloaded and saved in an encrypted private file on the
researcher's laptop that no one can access except for the researcher himself. To avoid the risk
of data loss, a copy of it was kept on an encrypted hard disk and kept in a safe place.
Data Analysis
The Yin approach was used in analyzing the obtained data. The Yin approach consists
of five steps for analyzing the textual data and they are (1) Aggregating the data for group
development; (2) Deconstructing the data to reduce and eliminate static themes of the
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phenomenon; (3) Reassemble basic group data; (4) Interpretation of the data meaning. And
(5) conclusion of the data and summarize them in an individual structural description of the
experiences (Yin, 2016).
Aggregation
At this point, after translating the answers obtained in Arabic into English, the final
copies were saved securely on an encrypted hard disk, and the researcher also kept a copy of
the final data on his personal laptop. To enhance the reliability of the data, a graduate student
from the College of English Literature was hired to be a third party and check the translation
and conformity of the Arabic version. It should be noted that the raw data that was worked on
is still in a file on the drive and on the hard drive for reference as needed. Thus, the data was
collected and organized for coding and analysis.
Disassembling
In the disassembly stage, the MAXQDA app from Google was used, the researcher
installed it on his personal laptop and the 1-month free trial feature of MAXQDA was used.
The online version of MAXQDA was not used for security reasons as the data should be kept
confidential and it was better not to upload them online. The participants are then divided into
different folders according to the participant's status in the application. In the end, all
participants received tokens starting with S1 and ending with S15.
Reassembling
In the assembly stage, a table was created by the researcher to collect the main and
sub-codes in order to break them into patterns. To confirm the accuracy of the data, the
researcher reviewed all the answered forms to verify the symbols used by the participants. As
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a step to developing the obtained data, the researcher constructed tables to collect the relevant
patterns. Thus, the axes on which the data used are based were formed.
Translation
In the translation phase, the collected themes, patterns and symbols represented by the
different marketers' behaviors were reviewed. To do so, it required a thorough review of all
forms as well as review of the coding system used in MAXQDA, and review of previously
obtained patterns. Also, note that the topics were supported by the quotes that were
mentioned in the answers by the participants.
Conclusion
In this chapter, the research and design methods on which it is based, as well as the
methodology that was used, are discussed. Depending on the nature of the research questions
and the method that has been used, an appropriate design had been chosen, which is an
exploratory case study, which uses qualitative methods by collecting data from the
participants through interviews and semi-structured observations to arrive at an accurate and
extensive examination of the case approach (Bryman & Bell, 2007), in addition to the size
and nature of the sample chosen for the study. In the next chapter (Data Analysis), the obtained
data will be analyzed and the methods used to analyze and decode the data and how to extract
information from it will be discussed.

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Chapter 4: Data Analysis
Introduction
In this chapter, the data obtained by means of an online survey conducted through
Google Forms is analyzed. Fifteen responses were obtained for the reasons mentioned in the
previous chapter (methodology). The researcher worked on analyzing the data in ways that
will be discussed in detail in this chapter. Through this chapter, the researcher will explain
the results, compare and understand them in depth through some graphics or tables.
The Purpose of the study
As discussed in the first chapter, the main objective of this study is to show the impact
of the marketing environment on the marketing strategies used by companies operating in
northern Iraq and the extent of the influence of societal culture on the plans and strategies
used by these companies. The research also deals with the impact of the dimensions of the
marketing environment on the dimensions of marketing strategy planning and knowledge of
the environmental dimensions that have a greater impact on strategic marketing planning to
The research questions
follow in the marketing process in northern Iraq (the Kurdistan region of Iraq)?
2. What is the extent of the influence of Islamic culture on the marketing process in
Kurdish society?
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Target population and sample size
The researcher selected people who have experience in the field of marketing in
northern Iraq. The Google form was sent to about 60 targeted people, but only 15 responses
were received. Most of those who participated in the study were sending a message to
confirm their participation and to send their answers. The researcher does not have the
slightest idea about the religion or race to which the participants belong, but the participants
were distributed over the governorates of the Kurdistan region of Iraq (Northern Iraq).
Among the 15 participants were males and females with experience ranging from three
months to nine years in the field of marketing within the region.
A large number of people who were invited to participate in the study neglected to
participate because of the open questions that were included in the sent form. The study is a
qualitative study and aims to collect as much information and points of view that may be
similar or different. Below is a table with the details of the participants.

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Participants
Experience
Sample
Related to Role / Type of involvement Type of company
Code
Marketing
marketing planning in
Less than 2
S1 companies marketing in Marketing globalization
years
northern Iraq
S2 several years small business Clothes
S3 3 years Decision in companies Organizations

Designing and distributing
S4 3 months Travel Agency Company
posters
Marketing management and
S5 9 years Retail company
operations management
S6 15 months Marketing Manager sports equipment

S7 4 years Intermediate role Beverage Industry
S8 3 years High related Food industry and FMCG

Small and medium
S9 2 years related to marketing
companies
In each company I had work Training and consulting
with I tried to share my Academy, Language
S10 3-4 years
marketing ideas and strategies institute, Travel Agency,
to fit with the work market Construction Company
S11 8 years Business plan FMCG
S12 1 year a lot of involvement Small company
making the marketing

S13 6 years decisions, such as what to sell supermarket
and at what price
The most common marketing
planning is analyses of current A company working with
S14 3 Year
situations and determine the humanitarian NGO
needs of the community
A company working with
S15 3 Year Market assessment
humanitarian NGO
Table (1): Participants
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Sampling Method
It was not possible to conduct face-to-face interviews with the participants for several
reasons, the most important of which was the Corona pandemic. People with experience in
the field of marketing in northern Iraq were contacted, but the contacted people were from
different backgrounds, although most of them were Iraqis, but there were foreigners who had
experience in the field of marketing in northern Iraq (the Kurdistan region of Iraq). This does
not mean that among the persons participating there are foreigners, perhaps none of the
foreigners participated.
The aim of targeting this type of people is to try to understand the different opinions
and experiences about marketing in northern Iraq to help the researcher to find answers for
the research questions.
Data Analysis
The method of data analysis was discussed in the methodology chapter. The Yin
method was relied upon, which is based on the use of a five-stage cycle: collecting sufficient
data for the study, dismantling the collected data, recompiling the data, interpreting it and
then completing it (Yin, 2016). The researcher used the five stages in order to extract the
information required to complete the study.
Compiling
The first stage: The researcher finished collecting the data using the Google form.
After that, closed the responses to the form and was satisfied with the number of participants
in the specified time period, which was two weeks. The answers were downloaded
individually to the researcher's personal computer and a copy was taken on a hard disk to
ensure that they were not lost. The answers obtained were checked to ascertain whether the
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participants answered all the questions or not. The researcher then collected the participants
in a table (Table 1) and gave symbols to each of them.
Disassembling
In the second stage, all the obtained forms were uploaded to the MAXQDA tool in
order. The researcher coded the participants as mentioned earlier in this chapter, then, relied
on the literature by entering 25 codes into MAXQDA, on which the participants’ answers are
likely to focus. The data was carefully reviewed, and it was found that only 18 Primary codes
were the focus of the participants. Consequently, the researcher removed the codes that were
not the focus of the participants. On the other hand, there were 17 secondary codes that the
participants mentioned in the answers. All codes were saved in the MAXQDA tool.
After that, the researcher reviewed the collected data to ensure the accuracy of the
data. The primary codes that were focused on were mentioned by the participants several
times. All the primary and secondary codes were transferred to an Excel document and two
separate tables were created for the primary and secondary codes. Merriam-Webster
dictionary was used to give definitions for the codes. Then, the tables were transferred to a
Word document, and the Word and Excel documents were kept on the researcher's personal
laptop for reference in case of need. Tables 2 and 3 below include the primary and secondary
codes with their definitions.

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Primary Code Definition

interactions among individuals, normally within the same species, that are
Social Behavior
usually beneficial to one or more of the individuals.
Customer a person who buys services or goods from business
Freedom the quality or state of being free
Marketing Strategy a plan of action designed to promote and sell a product or service
the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of the Muslim
Islamic Culture
people
the limitation or control of someone or something, or the state of being
Restrictions
restricted
a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together

Community
within a larger society
Financial Situation The economic situation
Conservative tending or disposed to maintain existing views, conditions, or institutions
Prohibited Not allowed
societal rules, values, or standards that delineates an accepted and

Cultural norms
appropriate behavior within a culture
two or more organizations or Companies engaged in commercial or

Competitors
economic competition with each other’s
Religious background The religion or beliefs a person believes in

the words, their pronunciation, and the methods of combining them used
Language
and understood by a community
the action of calling something to the attention of the public especially by

Advertising
paid announcements
Promotion publicizing of something so as to increase sales or public awareness
the act of reasoning or pleading with someone to accept a belief or course

Persuading
of action
Irritate Customers Disturb the peace of mind of the consumer

Table 2: Primary Codes and Definitions
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Secondary Code Definition

the current position with regard to conditions and
current situations
circumstances
open-minded willing to consider new or different ideas
needs to have as a requirement
respect a feeling of great approval and liking
tradition an inherited or established way of thinking, feeling, or doing
undesirable bad, harmful, or unpleasant
tendency an established pattern of behavior
quality degree of excellence
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally
unethical
unacceptable
determined fully committed to achieving a goal
acceptable of a level of quality that meets one's needs or standards
protest a feeling or declaration of disapproval or dissent
involvement to include or contain as a necessary part
Face to face
Direct Marketing (personal communication) with clients
advertising
Humanitarian having or showing a concern for the welfare of others
unconsciously Doing something without fully knowing what one is doing
Any outdoor advertising that promotes the products and
outdoor advertisement
services of the business
Table 3: Secondary Codes and Definitions
Reassembling
The third stage: the researcher created the patterns based on the codes from
MAXQDA. The number of common patterns has become 12 (Table 4). These codes were
arranged in a table in the Word software by the researcher, and the codes and patterns were
included to facilitate data analysis. The researcher once again reviewed all answers in the
Google form to ensure the accuracy of the data.

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Pattern Primary Code Definition

interactions among individuals,
is not easy to know about
normally within the same species,
the social behavior of Social Behavior
that are usually beneficial to one or
customers
more of the individuals.
customers tend to buy only
those products that are a person who buys services or goods
Customer
culturally and religiously from business
acceptable
Customer’s freedom to
purchase goods and
services is restricted by Freedom the quality or state of being free
social, cultural, and
religious norms
good marketing needs good a plan of action designed to promote
Marketing Strategy
marketing Strategy and sell a product or service
Marketing plans affect by the customary beliefs, social forms,
the Islamic Culture in Islamic Culture and material traits of the Muslim
northern Iraq people
the limitation or control of someone
Customers are surrounded
Restrictions or something, or the state of being
by societal restrictions
restricted
a group of people with a common
disadvantage to the non-
Community characteristic or interest living
Muslim community
together within a larger society
Marketing strategies
depends on the Financial Financial Situation The economic situation
Situation in the area
tending or disposed to maintain
Many people are
Conservative existing views, conditions, or
conservative
institutions
though some products not
Prohibited Not allowed
prohibited by the state
societal rules, values, or standards
It is crucial to be aware of
Cultural norms that delineates an accepted and
cultural norms
appropriate behavior within a culture
the words, their pronunciation, and
diversity of cultures,
Language the methods of combining them used
religions and language
and understood by a community
Table 4: Patterns and Code Relationships
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Interpretation
Fourth stage: The penultimate stage of the Yin cycle, in this stage the researcher
interprets the results obtained in the third stage. The research questions were answered by
interpreting the data.
After analyzing the data to try to answer the research questions that lead to an
understanding of the impact of the market environment on the strategic marketing planning in
northern Iraq and the impact of Islamic culture on the development of marketing plans, one
theme states that social and cultural norms tend to influence the buying habits of consumers.
Through the answers obtained, it was found that many marketers suffer from marketing
products that may be contrary to Islamic social norms. For example, it is socially and
religiously undesirable to sell some types of meat, alcoholic drinks and some types of
clothing and jewelry in the markets of Dohuk and Erbil. Thus, when making marketing plans
about purchasing products, the marketers need to ensure that the products do not conflict with
the Islamic values prevalent in the region. Likewise, it is usual to buy products that other
customers buy; this is especially true for women who have a high tendency to buy certain
types of jewelry and use make-up products that were used by other females.
One of the participants said that it is necessary to make the product spread among
people not only through social media, but through the customers themselves, gaining the trust
of some customers, therefore, the customers themselves will market the product
unconsciously by explaining the product to coworkers, friends and the people around him.
Customer’s freedom to purchase goods and services is restricted by social, cultural,
and religious norms. For example, customers cannot freely buy sexual products such as
sexual toys, meat products such as pork, and revealing clothes. In fact, I would go further to
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say that no customers dare to buy, at least publicly, any types of products and services that
are not socially approved of.
"Get a crystal-clear picture in your head of exactly who you're targeting," says Nicole
Beckett, former OPEN Forum community member and chair of Premier Content Source.
"Think about what makes these people happy, sad, afraid, comfortable, and then think about
how to make their lives a little easier." (Davis, 2019).
Customers in northern Iraq tend to make direct decisions when paying for products
and services. That is, a large percentage of customers do not verify information about
products. Thus, marketers have to hire people who are highly skilled in persuading customers
to buy certain products and services. A small percentage of customers check the information
before buying; However, they do not verify this information online, and instead ask their
friends, family, and relatives about the quality of the "requested" products and services. The
way marketers deal with these customers may seem a bit unethical. Marketers insist that the
initial waves of products are of good quality; later, the waves of products were of lower
quality even though they seemed identical to the earlier products. What this does is that it
spreads confusion among the customers who are checking the information; that is, some
people say the product is good while others say it is bad. Since customers tend to have good
news about the products they want to buy, they often end up paying for these products.
“Objective deception occurs when the expectations caused by the marketer are not
fulfilled” (Xie and Boush, 2011). Regardless of the source of the expectation, it is necessary
to find a specific source of expectations as opposed to constructing general uncertainty,
which contains all kinds of expectations that are not fulfilled. At this stage the client must
distinguish between objective deception and satisfaction/dissatisfaction and the reason for
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this is that the satisfaction is the result of a well-researched study of uncertainty (Oliver,
1980, 460 f.).
“Satisfaction is the brief psychological state produced when the emotion surrounding
uncertain expectations is coupled with the consumer’s prior feelings about the consumption
experience” (Oliver, 1981, 27). Thus, it is certain that dissatisfaction causes damage to the
psychological state of the consumer, which is originally the result of the customer's
experience with the product or service (Vanhamme, 2002, 71). In contrast, positional
deception is the result of market action and takes place outside the consumer's mind. It is not
necessary for the consumer to be aware of this procedure. Sometimes, consumer
dissatisfaction is a possible consequence of objective deception due to marketers deceiving in
the product trial process. In addition to what has been mentioned, failure to confirm every
type of expectation may lead to complacency.
Certain types of products and services are desirable in Islamic culture while others are
prohibited. This allows industries and companies to specialize in the production of particular
products, meaning that industries and companies tend to produce large quantities of products
and services that are desired according to Islamic culture. This increases the return which in
turn increases profits. On the other hand, since the majority of people in northern Iraq adhere
to Islamic culture and values, industries and companies cannot freely target people from other
cultures when developing marketing plans and strategies. This is due to the fact that Islamic
culture prescribes the type of goods and services that can be sold in northern Iraq. For
example, while customers from other “secondary” cultures may be allowed to purchase
products or services that are not desirable in Islamic culture, since such products are
prohibited in Islamic culture, companies do not dare sell these products. Selling products and
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services that are not approved by Islamic culture is likely to provoke resentment and violence
among "Islamic" customers, leading them to protest against businesses.
In marketing, consideration should be given to religious beliefs, which are cultural
differences that greatly influence the sale of goods or services. It has an impact on the way
society perceives services or goods. The company must understand well the extent to which
the market is affected by culture and the extent of the influence of religion in society. For
example, in Islamic markets, including northern Iraq, marketing some products such as some
types of clothing, types of food, drinks and accessories is not appropriate because these areas
are subject to Islamic culture, which in turn prohibits these products. On the other hand, some
marketing messages or advertisements may be inappropriate for this market. For example,
underwear advertisements are very strange in this market, and people may react violently
because of their great influence on the Islamic culture, which considers these acts indecent.
Companies should view debt as a very important aspect that must be studied well before
starting to market products, especially if the companies are international and trying to enter
the market.
One of the participants mentioned that language is a key factor in reaching the
consumer. "The consumer should be addressed in the Kurdish language and not use the
Arabic language. The consumer in northern Iraq (the Kurdistan region of Iraq) may take a
decision not to buy a particular product because of the language through which the product
was marketed regardless the quality of the product." Language is an important factor in
marketing. The language difference between northern Iraq and the rest of the regions within
Iraq must be taken into account. The Kurdish language is the main language in northern Iraq.
The majority of citizens in northern Iraq do not speak Arabic well, and therefore addressing
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them in Arabic when promoting a specific product or service may not be in the company's
best interest.
Conclusion
The purpose of this study is to understand the extent to which strategic marketing
planning is affected by the marketing environment and the impact of Islamic culture on
marketing plans in northern Iraq (Kurdistan Region of Iraq). Through the results obtained and
illustrated during this chapter, the results fulfilled the purpose of the study. The results
obtained answered my two research questions.
One of the research questions is (How does the marketing environment affect the
plans and strategies that companies follow in the marketing process in northern Iraq (the
Kurdistan region of Iraq)? The results showed that cultural, social and religious norms restrict
the freedom of the customer when he wants to buy a particular service or commodity. There
are many commodities that the customer wants to buy them, but confining him to religious
and social norms prevents him from buying them.
It also shows that the language that should be addressed to the customer must be the
Kurdish language, which is the main language in the region, and the use of Arabic Language
in promotion may anger many customers and thus the failure of the marketing plan.
The strategy of using the customer as a marketer may be very successful in the
northern Iraq market. Making the customer comfortable so that he relays information about
products or services to the circle around him, which may be family members or friends, is a
successful strategy. This may be due to the cultural character. The society in northern Iraq is
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largely social, so the circle of friends is large for people, and this helps the information spread
quickly.
The other question was (What is the impact of Islamic culture on the marketing
process in Kurdish society?). By analyzing the data obtained it was found that Islamic culture
dominates the market to a large extent. It cannot be said that the customer has sufficient
freedom to purchase services or products. Rarely are there some products prohibited in Islam,
such as some types of meat, alcoholic beverages, and some types of clothing and accessories,
in the markets.
Companies in northern Iraq are very careful not to promote goods or services that
conflict with Islamic values. Extremist Islamic ideas are spreading in the Muslim community
and Islamic religious sermons are increasing. The strategic planning of marketing must fit
with the ideas adopted by the Muslim consumer which constitutes an overwhelming majority
of the population, a part of the society influenced by strict Islamic ideas.
In this chapter, the purpose of the study, the questions that this study tries to answer,
the target population, the size of the eye, and the method used in sampling were discussed,
and in the end, these data were analyzed using the Yin cycle method, which consists of five
stages, which are data collection and data disassembly. The data were collected, recombined,
interpreted, and then supplemented. MAXQDA software was used for data analysis.
Emphasis was placed on the process of data analysis and diving into the details of the results
obtained.
The results of the research were explained in detail and linked with the research
questions. The study showed the aspects around which the study centered, and it was found
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that the Islamic culture has great effects on the marketing plans in northern Iraq. It was also
found that the societal culture in northern Iraq is largely dominated by the Islamic religious
character.
In the next chapter, the data analyzed in this chapter will be discussed. The
conclusions reached as a result of the data analysis will be addressed as well as practical
implications, limitations, and future recommendations.

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Chapter 5: Discussion
Introduction
This chapter discusses the results obtained through this research in addition to the
practical implications, limitations of the study and recommendations for future studies. The
purpose of this study was to know the effects of the marketing environment on strategic
marketing planning in northern Iraq and the extent of the impact of Islamic culture on
marketing operations in the region.
Discussion of Results
This study dealt with how the marketing environment in northern Iraq affected the
marketing plans and strategies, as well as the impact of Islamic culture on them. Data were
taken from 15 samples with work experience ranging from three months to 9 years in the
field of marketing in northern Iraq. The data were collected using an online Google form for
several reasons that will be mentioned later in this chapter.
The data were analyzed using the Yin method, which consists of five stages, starting
with data collection, disassembly, regrouping, interpretation, and ending with data
completion. During the analysis process, 18 primary and 17 secondary symbols were
obtained. After that, 12 patterns were created based on symbols. Based on the patterns, the
results obtained in the previous chapter (data analysis) were deduced. The results obtained
answer well the research questions by showing the topics and behaviors expressed by the
participants.
Customers have fears of buying services or goods that are not socially approved,
because the Kurdish society is clan-based to a large extent, most of the residents know each
other through the knowledge of the clan or family that knows each other. Society is of a clan
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nature and therefore, a person may feel ashamed to buy some goods that may violate societal
custom.
Sometimes services or products may meet the needs of the consumer, but at the same
time, it may create another problem related to the environment and society. For example,
some products that satisfy the consumer led to problems within the community because of
their conflict with the societal culture. Thus, it may tarnish the reputation of the brand,
especially when it does attract the attention of the public or the media.
Most of the customers in the search area rely on the surrounding circle such as
friends, relatives and family when searching for a product or service. They also make
purchase decisions directly without reviewing product or service information such as quality.
This type of customer is an easy catch for unethical marketers. Some companies supply the
market with a certain type of high-quality goods, then after a certain period those high-quality
goods are replaced with another similar type of poor quality. This trick is widely spread in the
northern Iraqi market.
Conclusions from the Results
The consumer in northern Iraq is greatly influenced by the surrounding Islamic
environment. Although the society consists of several different religions, including Islam,
Christianity and Yazidis, the Islamic culture is dominant in the market because the majority
of the population are Muslims (Kurds). Some products or even services that are contrary to
the teachings of Islam can only be marketed in the region in a very specific way, regardless of
whether those products or services are compatible with the cultures of people of other faiths
living in the same region. Some types of meat, accessories, clothing and alcoholic beverages
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are not compatible with the Islamic religion and therefore it is very difficult to promote these
products.
There are some shops that sell alcoholic beverages and are licensed and protected by
the government. These stores are located in small numbers and in specific places. In
December 2011 in the Kurdistan region, specifically in the border towns of Zakho, Semel,
and Duhok center, Muslim citizens attacked after Friday prayers liquor stores and some
hotels with massage parlors and nightclubs due to the teachings of Islamic clerics in the
region (Al-Barzanji, 2011). At that time, the government of the United States of America
pressured the Kurdistan Regional Government to take measures to stop the violations that
were described as serious and that would threaten the lives of citizens of other religions such
as Yazidis and Christians.
Culture and religion in northern Iraq are intertwined and cannot be separated because
of the great influence of religion on the personality of the individual and thus on his way of
life. The marketing potential of the region must be considered in a more comprehensive
context of Islamic culture and principles. If a company wants to obtain opportunities in the
market, it should know that it is dealing with a fundamental Islamic market despite the rapid
changes that occur in the region in terms of urban and economic terms.
Muslim consumers are the majority in northern Iraq, it is important to understand
them well in order to properly meet their demands. Through the data obtained and analyzed
in this study, it was found that religion is a basic reference point, and this is something that
must be taken into account when developing a good marketing strategy and plans. It is
necessary to promote strategies related to marketing communication, for example, those
strategies related to the visual appearance of products and advertisements.

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Practical Implications
The most influential environmental dimensions in the strategic planning process are
represented by religious, cultural, social and economic factors. The marketing environment
has many dimensions and has been addressed according to its importance in this study.
Studying and understanding these factors is a positive indicator for achieving the company's
goals. All changes, represented by opportunities and threats in the marketing environment,
must be taken into consideration. This will lead to the effective activation of the strategic
marketing planning function.
The study yielded important results and conclusions, which were based on the
analysis of the data that were taken from the participants. These results are important for
companies that want to enter the northern Iraqi market and whose consumers are
predominantly Muslim. Companies should develop marketing plans and strategies that are
commensurate with the prevailing Islamic culture. Consumers' choices, whether of goods or
services, revolve around Islamic religious norms. The Kurdish society is of a clan character,
each clan has a chief and the individuals are under his command. These clans have customs
based on Islamic norms, and therefore, consumers' decisions are influenced by those norms.
Limitation of The Study
The answers obtained may not represent the participants' real point of view. The
answers were obtained online using a Google form, and some of the answers were obtained in
Arabic and translated into English. There are some participants who left some questions and
did not answer, which may be due to technical errors or their desire not to answer them. Due
to restrictions that were imposed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the researcher was
unable to meet the participants face to face.

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Questions that require open-ended answers were used in a Google Form, and this may
cause the participants to get upset because the participant may not want to expand on the
answers. It may also be because of the open questions, many of those who were invited to
participate did not participate.
This study was conducted in northern Iraq only for the purpose of understanding the
challenges that companies may face when developing marketing plans and strategies to
market a product or service. The results may be different if the study is applied to the rest of
Iraq.
The study targeted people who have experience in the field of marketing in northern
Iraq, and the data were taken from 15 models only. It would be better to get a larger number
of samples in order to be more accurate.
Recommendations for Future Research
The study can be expanded to include the quantitative and qualitative methods (mixed
method) to attract a largest number of participants and a wider coverage. A lot of data will be
taken representing different points of view about the study, which will give the reader a
broader understanding of the study. This study was limited to qualitative questions that may
be boring for participants to answer.
Conducting face-to-face interviews with participants instead of using Google Forms
would increase the accuracy of information and data. When the interviews are face to face,
the researcher can understand the participant more through the gestures that the participant
may show. When using Google forms, the participant may leave some questions unanswered,
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but when the interviews are in person, the researcher will try to get all the answers from the
participant.
This study focused on the perspectives of people who have experience in the field of
marketing in northern Iraq. In future studies, taking consumer perspectives may give the
study more strength. The opinion of consumers may be different from that of marketers.
Conclusion
In this chapter, the researcher discussed the results and data that were analyzed for the
purpose of linking the results to the research questions. The researcher started by discussing
the results that depended on the data. These results showed clear answers to the research
questions. Then, the conclusions of the research were referred to, in this section the
researcher explained the conclusions of the study. For example, the conclusion about how the
marketing environment affects the plans and strategies of companies, and what is the
conclusion about the extent to which Islamic culture affects the marketing process. Also, the
practical implications in which the researcher dealt with how to use the results of the study in
the field of business and how it can be used more practically for institutions to make them
more effective and efficient in the international business environment.
In addition, the limitations were addressed, which are the factors that led to the
restriction of the study and how they affect the data and, consequently, the research results.
Finally, the researcher touched on the recommendations for future studies, which focused on
the factors that could help in future studies.

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Appendix 1
Informed Consent Form for All Participants
Dear Participant,
Please consider participating in a study about the impact of the marketing environment on
the marketing strategies in the northern Iraq. This study is part of my master’s thesis
program in International Management and business at LCC International University in
Klaipeda, Lithuania. Participation in this study is completely voluntary. You are under no
obligation to participate in the study and, if you do decide to participate, you may stop at any
time. There will be no consequences for deciding not to participate or for deciding to stop
participation in the study.
If you decide to participate, you will be asked to answer some questions related to your
marketing experience and clarify some points related to the marketing methods you take.
The interview will take about 30 minutes to complete.
The information you provide during your participation in this study will remain confidential.
The results of the study will only be reported in aggregate form and no identifying
information will be released. To further safeguard your confidentiality, please do not write
your name or any identifying information on the study instruments. The information you
provide during the course of this study will not be used for any purpose outside the scope of
this research project. All raw data will be destroyed by August 31, 2021.
There are no risks involved in this study.
There is no cost to participate in this research project.

This research project is being conducted by Riadh Qasim, as part of the master’s thesis
process at LCC International University in Klaipeda, Lithuania. The thesis advisor is Donna
Falloon, PhD. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this research project, please
contact Riadh Qasim, 07508225339, rqasim17@students.lcc.lt or Donna Falloon,
dfalloon@lcc.lt .
Thank you for your time.
Riadh Qasim
May 1, 2021
I, __________________________, consent to participate in this research.
_________________________________________________
Signature of participant/date
62

IN NORTHERN IRAQ
Appendix 2
Interviews Questions
Personal questions:
1- What type of involvement have you had in marketing planning or decisions in

companies marketing in northern Iraq?
2- How many months or years of experience do you have in marketing?
3- In what kind of companies, you had / have involvement in marketing department?
Core questions:
1. In your experience, do customers care about the society, culture when they purchase a
product or service? If yes, how does this affect your marketing plans and strategies?
2. In your experience, what do customers in northern Iraq do before purchase to get
information about the product or services that they want to purchase? How does this
process affect your marketing plans and strategies?
3. To what extent do you think that the culture of society dominates the market in
northern Iraq? Why, and in what ways?
4. In your experience, which type of advertising, promotional methods, or
communication with the consumer work more in northern Iraq? Why?
5. To what extent do you think do you think that customers have freedom in shopping in
northern Iraq? Why?
6. What are the obstacles that hinder the customer when shopping in northern Iraq?
7. How do you employ different marketing plans and strategies when you are targeting
people from different culture?
8. How have the IDPs crisis and IDPs settlement impact your marketing plans and
strategies, given that these IDPs have various cultural background?
9. What are the positive effects of Islamic culture on the marketing plans and strategies
of companies in northern Iraq?
10. What are the negative effects of Islamic culture on the marketing plans and strategies
of companies in northern Iraq?
63

IN NORTHERN IRAQ
Appendix 3
The official letter to the Participants
Dear Sir/Madam,
Hope you and your family are doing well.

I am Riadh Qasim, I am a second-year student in master’s program in International
Management and Business at LCC International University based in Lithuania. I am working
on my thesis and it will be appreciated if you could participate in it.
My thesis is about the impact of the marketing environment on the strategic marketing
planning in northern Iraq.
If you had worked or currently working in involvement in marketing planning or decisions in
companies in northern Iraq. I kindly invite you to participate in this study. It will take about
45 minutes.
Please be noted that all information that you will mention (in case you accepted to
participate), will be used only for this study and will be confidential. However, no names will
be mentioned in the study.
Appreciate your time and contribution,

Riadh

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THE IMPACT OF THE MARKETING ENVIRONMENT ON STRATEGIC

MARKETING PLANNING IN NORTHERN IRAQ

A Thesis Presented to LCC International University

in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the

M.A. in International Management Degree

Advisor: Donna Falloon, PhD

LCC International University

MARKETING ENVIRONMENT IMPACT ON STRATEGIC MARKETING PLANNING

Statement by the Author

THIS THESIS HAS BEEN APPROVED ON THE DATE SHOWN BELOW:

MARKETING ENVIRONMENT IMPACT ON STRATEGIC MARKETING PLANNING

The success factors of any company depend on understanding the market

religion, which in turn affects the consumer’s behavior and decisions.

When developing marketing plans and strategies by companies operating in northern

Key words: Marketing environment, Organization strategies, Kurdistan Region of Iraq,

MARKETING ENVIRONMENT IMPACT ON STRATEGIC MARKETING PLANNING

visuomenėje veikia visuomenėje vyraujančios idėjos, vertybės ir normos, kurios iš esmės

Kuriant Šiaurės Irake veikiančių bendrovių rinkodaros planus ir strategijas, reikia

veiksniai gali būti ekonominiai, demografiniai, technologiniai, socialiniai, politiniai ar

kultūriniai. Šiame tyrime daugiausia dėmesio buvo skiriama socialiniams ir kultūriniams

veiksniams, o mokslininkas pats ėmėsi religinio faktoriaus ir jo poveikio vartotojų

devynerių metų. Tada duomenys buvo analizuojami naudojant MAXQDA. Gauta

mokslinių tyrimų klausimus.

Reikšminiai žodžiai: Rinkodaros aplinka, Organizacijos strategijos, Irako Kurdistano

MARKETING ENVIRONMENT IMPACT ON STRATEGIC MARKETING PLANNING

MARKETING ENVIRONMENT IMPACT ON STRATEGIC MARKETING PLANNING

MARKETING ENVIRONMENT IMPACT ON STRATEGIC MARKETING PLANNING

Reliability and Validity ........................................................................................................ 28

MARKETING ENVIRONMENT IMPACT ON STRATEGIC MARKETING PLANNING

Table 1. Participants ................................................................................................................ 38

MARKETING ENVIRONMENT IMPACT ON STRATEGIC MARKETING PLANNING

company's performance and its ability to market products or services to customers.

production, distribution, and promotion.

pretext that it conflicts with Islamic values and customs.

MARKETING ENVIRONMENT IMPACT ON STRATEGIC MARKETING PLANNING

initiatives launched by the government to develop infrastructure in the seventies (Blake,2021)

for food to the United Nations.

MARKETING ENVIRONMENT IMPACT ON STRATEGIC MARKETING PLANNING

Overview of the Literature

The evolution of the organization is fundamentally related to the market environment.

take advantage of market opportunities and avoid environmental threats.

“A company’s marketing environment consists of the actors and forces outside of

relationships with target customers” Philip Kotler said (Pahwa, 2021)

academics either as organizational culture or as an implementation of the marketing concept,

MARKETING ENVIRONMENT IMPACT ON STRATEGIC MARKETING PLANNING

services are delivered to the consumer (Zhou et al, 2008).

Development and implementation of the marketing strategy are essential to the

success of the organization. This research is linked to an understanding of these activities

relied on in previous research and marketing aspects.

to 5.1 individuals (IOM,2018).

MARKETING ENVIRONMENT IMPACT ON STRATEGIC MARKETING PLANNING

This demographic shift was accompanied by the establishment of the Kurdistan

than the rest of Iraq.

MARKETING ENVIRONMENT IMPACT ON STRATEGIC MARKETING PLANNING

the lack of accurate statistics on economic indicators, there is a difficulty in quantifying.

Social and cultural factors also influence marketing tremendously. Differences in

avoid failure, the cultural/social dimensions of the market must be understood.

Gaps in the Literature

difficulties that were hindering the various stages of completion, namely:

MARKETING ENVIRONMENT IMPACT ON STRATEGIC MARKETING PLANNING

contradiction and difference.

roaming attendance most of the time.