"IMPACT OF CULTURE ON INTERNATIONAL MARKETING"

AUTHOR:

MD. JOYNAL ABDIN

BBA (GUB), MBA (SEU)
CELL: +88 - 01813-318620
E-MAIL: mdjoynal@gmail.com

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EXECUTIVE SUMMERY

Culture is the totality of our life style & personality. At a glance is can be said
that, culture is that what we are i.e. our way of dressings, specking, eating,
thinking, learning, attitude, believes, values, norms etc all included in our
culture. International marketing is the marketing activities of a company
outside their country of origin.

Culture has a great impact on international marketing. A marketer must

have to study about the local culture in-depth before offering a product to
them. Because of every marketing promotion has done to promote the
product i.e. communicating product feature to the customers and influence
customers to buy it.

To have an effective communication one must send the message according to

the receiver’s culture, customs and learning process. There are some major
barriers by which effective communication can be hampered. Self Reference
Criterion (SRC) and Ethnocentrism can make the effort worthless.

Here we can draw an example how SRC can make all effort worthless. As we
know that Disney land is a name of success in the amusement park business
around the globe. But when they have started their journey in France they
faced a tremendous problem and fall in billion Dollar loss.

In USA, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan they earned a great amount of
profit. But why they failed in France? Disney management started a study
and fined out that self Reference Criteria of American managers make the
French people hart. As a result they do not used to be here in Parish Disney
Park.

Not only in France out of every ten US managers eight have to replace from
Saudi Arabia within three month of their joining. It is because they fail to
cope with the Saudi culture and customs.

It is human nature that, everything want to judge according to self learning

process and Cultural measurement. But a single thing can have different
meaning in different culture. For example showing thumb carries the signal
of all right to the western but it carries a serious negative meaning to the
Bengali rural people.

For this reason a marketer in international market must have to convert his
all thinking into the culture of the local people. Sometime marketer fails to
make this conversion successfully as a result they fail to have local people
attention and make huge loss.

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OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

As the topic of my study is “Impact of culture on international marketing”

this paper must have to make crystal clear thought of the following
understanding:

 Identified elements of culture and examined how they affect marketing

practices

 Described national and regional character and cultural variability

worldwide

 Discussed impediments to mutual understanding and cooperation

 Analyzed the global consumer culture

 Examined the depth and effect of different cultural influences on

international marketing

Nature and Impact of Cultural Environment on International Marketing

Knowledge of a culture can be gained by probing its various aspects – but
which aspects? Since culture is such a vast concept, it is a vast concept; it is
desirable to develop a field for cultural understanding. From the viewpoint
of a marketer, one way of gaining cultural understanding is to examine the
following cultural elements within a country: material life, social
interactions, language, aesthetics, religion and faith, pride and prejudice,
and ethics and mores.

METHODOLOGY

We know that research has done based on two types of data e.g. Primary
data and Secondary data. Primary data are collected from the respondents
directly for the current research. Secondary data are the information
collected from pre published articles or books.

Here in this paper we collect mainly secondary data to prepare this paper.
We also add our personal thinking, teachers lecture and local peoples
thinking about the topic. In this sense, this paper consists of both types of
information Primary and Secondary data.

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Primary data is our thinking, teachers lecture and local people’s opinion
about the topic. Secondary data is the ideas collected from some specialist’s
articles we collect from internet.

PERIOD OF THE STUDY

July & August 2008.

BENEFIT OF THE STUDY

This study consists of a clear picture of culture’s impact on international

marketing. So this paper can be helpful for the marketers in following issues:

a. Marketer should be more conscious about local consumer’s

expectations.
b. Advertisement should be constructed after thinking about the cultural
views of locality.
c. Product design and packaging should hold local traditions
accordingly.
d. Self Reference Criterion should be abolished.
e. Ethnocentrism should be void.
f. Finally, an international marketer must have to convert all his
thinking into local people’s thinking according to their culture &
customs.

LIMITATIONS OF THIS STUDY

As a full time student we have to attend several classes, examinations, &

other works during this study as a result some limitations may be here in
this paper. Limitations may be described as follows:

A. Time is limited so elaborations may not be done as it should do.

B. We have budget constraint as a result we did not get access to some
specialized articles. These may equip this paper up to a standard.

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BEGINNING

Before discussing the impacts of culture on international marketing lets try

to define –

i. Culture & international marketing clearly.

ii. Identify the elements of culture and examine how they affect marketing
practices around the world.

iii. Describe national and regional character based on dimensions such as

time orientation, business practices, gift giving, socializing, gender
roles, and materialism

iv. Discuss cultural variability in terms of the Hofstede dimensions with

appropriate examples and address cultural change in a marketing
context

v. Address the self-reference criterion and ethnocentrism and describe

how they impeded mutual understanding and cooperation, with direct
negative effects on marketing practices

vi. Describe the global consumer culture as it manifests itself around the
world

Then we will discuss cultural variability in terms of the Hofstede dimensions

with appropriate examples and address cultural change in a marketing
context. Address the self-reference criterion and ethnocentrism and describe
how they impeded mutual understanding and cooperation, with direct
negative effects on marketing practices.

i. DEFINING CULTURE & INTERNATIONAL MARKETING

A. CULTURE:

Culture is that what we are! Our way of speaking, eating, dressing, believes,
norms, values and judgment everything included in our culture.

Studying culture of a nation includes the overall study of a nations lifestyle,

living standards, way of interaction everything they do from the morning up
to go to the bed in late night included their culture. Not only that, believes,
values, norms, and judgment also included into their culture.

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According to some specialists culture can be define as follows:

a. Culture is a continuously changing totality of learned and shared

meanings, rituals, norms, and traditions among the members of an
organization or society.

b. Set of commonly held values, a way of life of a group of people includes

knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, customs and habits.

c. Everything that people have, think and do as members of their society.

d. An integrated system of learned behavior patterns those are

characteristic of the members of any given society.

e. Dutch management professor Geert Hofstede refers to cultures as the

“software of mind” and argues that it provides guidance for human
being how to think and behave; it is a problem solving tool.

f. Anthropologist & Business consultant Edward Hall provides a

definition even more relevant to international marketing managers: “
The people we were advising kept bumping heads against an invisible
barrier, we knew that they were up again was a complete different
way of organizing life, of thinking and of conceiving the underlying
assumption about the family and the state, the economic system and
even the man himself”.

g. Hodson, former U.S ambassador to Japan describe culture as a

“thicket” this last metaphor holds hope for struggling international
marketers. According to the ambassador thickets are tough to get
through, but effort and patience often leads to success.

h. Most traditional definition of culture is “Culture is the sum of the

values, rituals, symbols, beliefs, and thought process that are learned,
shared by a group of people, and transmitted to generations to
generations”.

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THE ORIGIN OF CULTURE

The origins; elements, and consequences of culture can be shown in the

following figure at a glance:

Origins

Geography (Climate,
Topography, Flora, Fauna,

Histor

Technology and
political economy
Adaptation

Social Institutions (Family, Religion,

School, Media, Government,
Corporations)
Socialization /
Acculturation
Peers Elements of Culture
n (Values, Rituals, Symbols,
Imitatio Beliefs & Thought Process)
Application

Consequences
Consumptio
n decisions Management Style
& Behaviors

Figure: Origins, Elements, and Consequences of Culture

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B. INTERNATIONAL MARKETING:

In general understanding, international marketing is the marketing

activities of a company outside its home country territory. Let’s try to know
the specialists views;

I. International marketing is the performance of business activities design

to plan, price, promote and direct the flow of company’s goods and
services to consumers or users in more than one nation for a profit.
Here the author has given priority to the 4ps of marketing i.e. Product,
price, place (Outside the home country), promotion and distribution. The
most significant part of this definition is more than one nation. If
transaction occurs inside the territory than it is known as domestic or
native marketing. The last and final part is for a profit, if any transaction
occurs without profit then it may know as donation or grants. But to be
international marketing transaction must be occurred for a profit.

II. International marketing is the profitable transactions of goods &

services between two or more countries.

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ii. IDENTIFY THE ELEMENTS OF CULTURE AND EXAMINE HOW
THEY AFFECT MARKETING PRACTICES AROUND THE
WORLD.

Culture is a wide topic its elements include everything of a nations day to

day living. Major elements of culture are as follows:

A. Language (Spoken/Written Language): Same language can provide

difference meaning in different culture. One particular language can have
several regional formats. For example, in Bangladesh & West Bengal we are
speaking Bangla but it has a clear distinction. Not only that, inside
Bangladesh the people of Chittagong, Sylhet and North Bangle all speaks
Bangla but in different tone and with different special words.

A marketer must have to know the local language and tone to do marketing
well. Otherwise he will fail to communicate his product or service to the local
communities. Translator can be used in this purpose but it’s costly and may
not be such effective.

B. Nonverbal communication: Not only verbally but sometimes people

used nonverbal body language or other means of communications like,
Proxemics, Postures, Orientations, Oculesics’ Chronemics’ Haptics’ Kinesics’
Paralinguistic Appearances, Olfaction’s. One particular body sign may carry
different opposite meaning to the people of different language. For example
we can say that, show thumb to some body means he is neglecting any effect
or actions of the person to home it is shown on the person who show in
Bangladeshi rural culture. Showing thumb is a negative sign according to
Bangladeshi rural culture. But in the Western society it means all right.

A marketer must have to know the local meaning of body language or

postures and gestures that being used by the general people of that
community. Otherwise serious mistake can be done and all market
promotions may be worthless.

C. Low versus High Context Cultures:

Low-Context cultures: What is said is precisely what is meant
High-Context cultures: the context of the message — the message source, his
or her standing in society or in the negotiating group, level of expertise, tone
of voice, and body language—are all meaningful.

D. Religion and Its Impact on Marketing Practice: Religion is

another powerful element of culture having most powerful impact on

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consumer behavior which controls buying process & product choice resultant
on major impact on marketing as well as international marketing.

For example we can say that beef & pork both is protein provider. But
consumers are not same only for religious effect. Muslim can not select pork
in his menu & a Hindu can not select beef in his menu. A marketer must have
to think about the religion on the local community before offering a product
to them. View point of different religions as follows:

i. Protestant Religion – stresses hard work and frugality

ii. Judaism – stresses education and development

iii. Islam – focus on rules for social interaction

iv. Hinduism – encourages family orientation and dictates strict

dietary constraints

v. Buddhism – stresses sufferance and avoidance of worldly desires

vi. Business days – Business day of a community also be selected based

on their religious believes. For example most Muslim country
celebrate Friday as a holiday because of Jumma prayer on the
other hand Christians prefer Sunday as weekly holiday.

vii. Gender roles – Role of male female in the family, society as well as
in the economy also be selected by following their religious
instructions. For example according to the Islamic law “Men will
lead the family women are followers” it is well practiced in the
Muslim society on the other hand there are some tribal people their
religious trends to offer female leadership. Women are family
leader as well as wealth holders. In a men leadership society
usually male choice is valuable in case of product selection & vice
versa.

viii. Gift giving – Giving gift to anybody is a very responsive action of

culture. But choice of selecting gift item also determine by the local
peoples practiced religion. Religious impact on human action
should not be neglected. Because it plays a vital role in every aspect.

ix. Marketing practices – marketing pattern of a community also

regulated by the religion. For example most of the devoted Muslim
family used not to go in the market. Though this trend in reducing
with the modernization but till now it is a vital fact in many
localities.

E. Cultural Values:

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 (1) Enduring beliefs about a specific mode of conduct or desirable end-
state.

(2) Guide the selection or evaluation of behavior

(3) Are ordered by importance in relation to one another to form a system

of value priorities

(4) Enculturation: Process by which individuals learn the beliefs and

behaviors endorsed by one’s own culture

(5) Acculturation: Learning a new culture

(6)Assimilation: Maintenance of the new culture, and resistance to new

cultures and to one’s old culture

F. Cultural Norms: Norms are derived from values and defined as rules
that dictate what is right or wrong, acceptable or unacceptable
(A) Imperative: What an outsider must or must not do
(B) Exclusive: What locals may do but an outsider cannot
(C) Adiaphora: What an outsider may or may not do

G. National/Regional Character:

►Time Orientation: The people of different region of the world

are habituate to do their jobs according to different times. Time orientation can
be divided in two times. M-time & P-time people. Monochromic time or (M-time)
people think only one thing at a time. But Polychromic people used to think about
a lot of work at a time they are P-time people.

►Business Hours – business hour of different community differs based

on their native culture. For example, business hour in Indian subcontinent is ten
am to five pm. But it is eight am to two pm at most of the western countries.

►Socializing – we human being is socialized animal. Our social ethics

or actions are regulated by our culture. Culture reflects our individualism or
collectivism nature of the society. Most of the western society used to practice
individualism thinking rather than collective one. But we in Indian sub-continent
used to think about family life, social role in a word collective achievement.

►Gender Roles – Gender role is mainly dominated by the culture. In

male lead society father is the owner of wealth as a result he used to dominate in
the family. On the other hand in some area mothers are the wealth owners, as a
result they used to take major decisions of the family according their choice. Not
only that, in male dominating culture males used to have more than one married

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on the other hand women used to have more than one married at a time in female
dominated culture.

►Other – for example, access (transportation by bicycle, personal

automobile, public transportation

H. Cultural Variability:

□ Power Distance – Power distance means the distance between two

people during mutual interaction. We the Muslims and Indian sub continental
people used to be closer during interaction. On the other hand the western
Christians used to hold a gape between two interactive people. Muslim thinks
that westerns are not friendly and they think Muslims are pushy. But it is because
of their culture power distance is barring here.

□ Uncertainty Avoidance – we are always try to avoid uncertainty and

happy with that what can be found certainly. But on the other hand westerns are
risk lover. They used to take challenges during any action.

□ Masculinity versus Femininity – Culture define the priority of decisions in

the family, society and in the country. In some tribal community live in the
northern region of India they are mother lead society, wealth owner and earning
member is mother in the family. As a result women decide what ought to be, what
have to do. On the other hand in male dominant society father is the owners of
wealth and earning member of the family. As a result here father’s decision is the
final one. This masculinity and femininity has a great impact in case of product
selection / brand choice and final purchasing decision. As a marketer he must
have to know what types of society he is offering product. Who has to be
highlighted in their promotional campaign and advertisements?

□ Individualism versus Collectivism – Maximum western country is

suffering from their individualistic mentality. I have this, I have done it, I want it,
etc. but in our sub continental culture we think collectively. We have this, we have
done it and we need it. This individualistic and collective thinking has a great
effect on their product choice as well as purchase of product.

I. Cultural Change & Marketing: Marketers need to identify the

symbolic elements that are important to a market segment and use them
effectively in creating the marketing mix.

In an advertisement, if the above are perceived as faces, censors might

* erase them; if Page 12 perceived as a vase, they would not
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 J. Obstacles to Cultural Understanding:

◘ Ethnocentrism: A related belief that a particular culture is superior to

another and that strategies that are used in the home country will work just
as well abroad.

◘The Self-Reference Criterion: The unconscious reference to one’s own

value system

K. Global Consumer Culture:

* Shared consumption-related symbols and activities those are meaningful

to segments

* Often attributed to the diffusion of entertainment from the US to the rest

of the world

L. Global Consumer Culture Trends:

 Proliferation of transnational firms and the related globalize capitalism

 Global brands

 Globalize consumerism and the desire for material possessions

 Homogenization of global consumption

M. Material Culture: This includes technology and economic aspects of

that country.

N. Social Institution: This includes the consideration of social

organization, education system, and political system of the foreign country.
The belief and family system its kinds are also be considered. And the last but
not the least, is the language of the foreign market.

A firm desirous of entering international market must consider these factors

and it should also evaluate the degree of influence and involvement of these
factors, on the decision of international marketing policies.

There is also a tendency, commonly present in all economies, to regard

foreign goods as the things of social status. One more reason for the

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indication towards foreign products is the inferior nature of the domestic
products; this feature is more common to the developing economies.

Thus for a successful international marketing, proper understanding of the

culture is essential.

O. Material Life: Material life refers to economics, that is, what people do
to derive their livelihood. The tools, knowledge, techniques, methods, and
processes that a culture utilizes to produce goods and services, as well as
their distribution and consumption, are all part of material life. Thus, two
essential parts of material life are knowledge and economics.

Material life refers the standard of living and degree of technological

advancement. Suppose a large proportion of a hypothetical population is
engaged in agriculture. Agricultural operations are mainly performed by
manual labor; mechanization of agriculture is unknown. Modern techniques
of farming such as use of fertilizers, pesticides, and quality seeds are
unfamiliar. Opportunities for multinational business in a primitive
environment will be limited.

People live in urban centers and have such modern amenities as television,
cars, VCRs, newspapers, and so on. Money is the medium of exchange. In
such a culture, business across national boundaries would make sense.

The material life of any given society will fall on a continuum between
traditional and industrialized poles. For example, Brazil and Pakistan are
both developing countries, but the study of material life in the two countries
would show that Brazil is ahead of Pakistan, offering market opportunities
for electrical appliances, stereos, and television sets. In Pakistan, which is
still emerging from total dependence on farming, agricultural tools would be
more important.

P. Social Interactions: Social Interactions Social interactions establish the

roles that people play in a society and their authority/responsibility
patterns. These roles and patterns are supported by society’s institutional
framework, which includes, for example, education and marriage.

Consider the traditional marriage of a Saudi woman. The woman’s father

chooses the husband-to-be. After agreeing on a small payment for the bride,
the two men hold hands in front of a judge to finalize the marriage. The
woman sees her husband for the first time when he comes to consummate the
marriage. The social role assigned to women in the strict Islamic world is
one of complete dependency on men, whose authority and command cannot
be questioned. A woman’s place is always in the home. Outside the home, if
women are seen at all, they are veiled.

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Social roles are also established by culture. For example, a woman can be a
wife, a mother, a community leader, and/or an employee.

Behavior also emerges from culture in the form of conventions, rituals and
practices on different occasions such as festivals, marriages, informal get-
togethers, and times of grief or religious celebrations. Likewise, the authority
of the aged, the teacher, and the religious leader in many societies is derived
from the culture.

The educational system, the social settings, and customs and traditions
prescribe roles and patterns for individuals and groups. With reference to
marketing, social interactions influence family decision-making and buying
behavior and define the scope of personal influence and opinion. In Latin
America and Asia the extended family is considered the most basic and stable
unit of social organization. It is the canter for all economic, political, social,
and religious life, providing companionship, protection, and a common set of
values. In contrast, the nuclear family is the focus of social organization in
the U.S.

Q. Material Life: Material life refers to economics, that is, what people do
to derive their livelihood. The tools, knowledge, techniques, methods, and
processes that a culture utilizes to produce goods and services, as well as
their distribution and consumption, are all part of material life. Thus, two
essential parts of material life are knowledge and economics.

Material life refers the standard of living and degree of technological

advancement. Suppose a large proportion of a hypothetical population is
engaged in agriculture. Agricultural operations are mainly performed by
manual labor; mechanization of agriculture is unknown. Modern techniques
of farming such as use of fertilizers, pesticides, and quality seeds are
unfamiliar. Opportunities for multinational business in a primitive
environment will be limited.

People live in urban centers and have such modern amenities as television,
cars, VCRs, newspapers, and so on. Money is the medium of exchange. In
such a culture, business across national boundaries would make sense.

The material life of any given society will fall on a continuum between
traditional and industrialized poles. For example, Brazil and Pakistan are
both developing countries, but the study of material life in the two countries
would show that Brazil is ahead of Pakistan, offering market opportunities
for electrical appliances, stereos, and television sets. In Pakistan, which is
still emerging from total dependence on farming, agricultural tools would be
more important.

R. Pride and Prejudice: Even the culture most backward in the eyes of a
westerner will foster a certain pride in its people about its traits and ways.

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Indeed, developing countries sometimes evince more pride-and prejudice-
than developed countries. The Chinese are jealous of their cultural heritage,
and they speak of it with great emotion.

So do the Egyptians of their heritage. In contrast, many Americans express

feelings of being deprived of cultural history in a country so young and
diverse by nature.

Cultural pride and prejudice make many nations reject foreign ideas and
imported products. But the reverse also occurs: a perception of greatness
attributed to another culture may lead to the eager acceptance of things
reflecting that culture. For example, the Japanese are proud of their culture
and economic achievement and prefer to buy Japanese manufactures.

S. Cultural Analysis: The analysis of cultural differences is necessary for

the formulation of international marketing strategy. Conceptually, cultural
analysis may be based on any of the following three approaches:
ethnocentrism, assimilation, and primacy-of-host-country viewpoint. The
ethnocentrism approach assumes, “We are the best.” Many U.S. companies
assume that what is good at home will work in foreign markets as well. The
assimilation approach is somewhat similar, assuming that since the U.S. is a
cultural melting pot, the cultural traits demonstrated in U.S. society are
relevant anywhere.

The third viewpoint, the primacy of- host-country approach, bases decisions
on the cultural traits of the host country. This approach considers domestic
information inappropriate to successful operation in markets outside the
U.S. An assessment of a country’s culture for marketing’s sake involves
analyzing the people’s attitudes, motivations, perceptions, and learning
processes:

1. Determine relevant motivations in the culture. What needs are fulfilled

with this product in the minds of members of the culture? How these needs
are presently fulfilled? Do members of this culture readily recognize these
needs?

2. Determine characteristic behavior patterns. What patterns are

characteristic of purchasing behavior? What forms of division of labor exist
within the family structure? How frequently are products of this type
purchased? What size packages are normally purchased? Do any of this
characteristic behavior conflict with behavior expected for this product?
How strongly ingrained are the behavior patterns that conflict with those
needed for distribution of this product?

3. Determine what broad cultural values are relevant to this product. Are
there strong values about work, morality, religion, family relations, and so
on that relate to this product? Does this product connote attributes that are

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in conflict with these cultural values? Can conflicts with values be avoided by
changing the product? Are there positive values in this culture with which the
product might be identified?

4. Determine characteristic forms of decision-making. Do members of the

culture display a studied approach to decisions concerning innovations or an
impulsive approach? What is the form of the decision process? Upon what
information sources do members of the culture rely? Do members of the
culture tend to be rigid or flexible in the acceptance of new ideas? What
criteria do they use in evaluating alternatives?

5. Evaluate promotion methods appropriate to the culture. What role does

advertising occupy in the culture? What themes, words, or illustrations are
taboos? What language problems exist in present markets that cannot be
translated into this culture? What types of salespeople do members of the
culture accept? Are such salespeople available?

6. Determine appropriate institutions for this product in the minds of

consumers. What types of retailers and intermediary institutions are
available? What services do these institutions offer that are expected by the
consumer? What alternatives are available for obtaining services needed for
the product but not offered by existing institutions? How do consumers
regard various types of retailers? Will challenges in the distribution
structure be readily accepted? The information contained in this exhibit
attempts to relate cultural traits to marketing decisions. For example, simply
knowing about the religion or morality of a culture is not enough. What must
be analyzed is whether or not the product was slated to be introduced into
the country has any direct or indirect connotations that conflict with the
cultural patterns of the society. Similarly, an examination of advertising,
themes, phrases, words, or expressions should confirm viability of
promotional decisions.

The cultural values of a nation may be studied through either observation or

fieldwork. Observation requires living in a culture over a long period in
order to become deeply involved in its pattern of living. Fieldwork, on the
other hand, involves gathering information on a set of variables relative to
the culture. The study of culture in the realm of international marketing must
be based on fieldwork.

One way to conduct the cultural analysis of a country for the purpose of
making marketing decision is to answer the specific marketing-related
questions raised by Engel and his colleagues.

Primary Message System of Edward Hall’s Map of Culture:

1. Interaction: The interaction with the environment through different modes

such as speech and writing.

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2. Association: The structure and organization of society and its various
components.
3. Subsistence: The perspective of activities of individuals and groups that
deal with livelihood and living.

4. Bisexuality: The differentiation of roles and functions along sex lines.

5. Territoriality: the possession, use, and defense of land and territory.

6. Temporality: The division and allocation of time and its use for various
activities.

7. Learning: The patterns of transmitting knowledge.

8. Play: The process of enjoyment through relaxation and recreation.

9. Defense: The protection against natural and human forces in the

environment.

10. Exploitation: The application of skills and technology to turn natural

resources to people’s needs. A different way of understanding foreign
cultures is recommended by Edward T.Hall. His framework, which he calls a
map of culture, is a two-dimensional matrix containing different human
activities, which he calls primary message systems. These activities are
interaction, association, subsistence, bisexuality, territoriality, temporality,
learning, play, defense, and exploitation. A person interested in learning
about a culture need not study all 10 aspects, but by examining any one of
them fully can gain an adequate understanding of the culture.

The use of Hall’s framework for international marketers is shown in Exhibit

8.4 in an analysis of the play activity for a toys and games company.
Presumably, perspectives of play vary from one culture to another. Hall’s
framework creates 18 categories of questions. For example, categories 13
and 14 deal with learning as it emerges in play and play as it leads to
learning.

Business Application of Edward Hall’s Map of Culture And Other Primary

Sample Questions Concerning Cultural Patterns Message Systems
Significant for Marketing Toys and Games –

1. Interaction/play: How do people interact during play as regards

competitiveness, instigation, or leadership?

2. Play/interaction: What games are played involving acting, role-playing,

or other aspects of real-world interaction?

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3. Association/play: Who organizes play, and how do the organization
patterns differ?
4. Play/association: What games are played about organization for
example, team competitions and games involving kings, judges, or leader-
developed rules and penalties?

5. Subsistence/play: What are the significant factors regarding people such

as distributors, teachers, coaches, or publishers who make their livelihood
from games?

6. Play/subsistence: What games are played about work roles in society such
as doctors, nurses, and firemen?

7. Bisexuality/play: What are the significant differences between the sexes in

the sports, games, and toys enjoyed.

8. Play/bisexuality: What games and toys involve bisexuality-for example,

dolls, and dressing up, dancing?

9. Territoriality/play: Where are games played, and what are the limits
observed in houses, parks, streets, schools, and so forth?

10. Play/territoriality: What games are played about space and ownership-
for example, Monopoly?

11.Temporality/play: At what ages and what times of the day and year are
different games played/Play/temporality What games are played about and
involving time-for example, clocks, speed tests?

12. Learning/play: What patterns of coaching, tuition, and training exist for
learning games/Play/learning what games are played about and involving
learning and knowledge-for example, quizzes?

13. Defense / play: What are the safety rules for games, equipment, and
toys?

14. Play/defense: What war and defense games and toys are utilized?

15. Exploitation/play: What resources and technology are permitted or

utilized for games and sport-for example, hunting and fishing rules, use of
parks, cameras, vehicles, and so forth?

16. Play/exploitation: What games and toys about technology or exploitation

are used-for example, scouting, chemical sets, and microscopes?

Hall’s approach provides an overall perspective on the culture through

analysis of one or two primary message systems. In relation to the needs of

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business, this system works well, because the time and expense for a
comprehensive cultural perspective are not required... Only the particular
element of the culture directly related to a particular international market
decision needs to be analyzed.

FINDINGS

From this long discussion it is quit clear that, culture has a direct impact on
consumer behavior as well as on their choices, buying behavior and so on. As
it is impacting buying process so it has a great impact on international
marketing as well.

An international marketer must have to think first which product he is

offering for whom and their cultural background. Because of different parts
of the world possess different cultural behavior, different tests, choices,
norms, values and attitudes.

One marketer must have to promote them according to their choice and
believes. In this case SRC & Ethnocentrism may be two major barriers. So a
marketer in international market must be aware of his / her SRC &
Ethnocentrism. Every situation must be translated according to local
culture.

Local culture should be given first priority in case of taking any marketing
action by an international marketer.

RECOMMENDATIONS

In international market a marketer must be SRC free and never affected by

ethnocentrism. Think according to your view point but you must have to
transform it into local cultural heritage. Never make any comments it is
right or wrong or mine is the best in international marketing. You just cope
with the culture where you are offering your product. Know in-depth of local
history and culture and offer them accordingly to have their attention.

Whatever your culture think about the fact forget it, you just cope with the
local thinking up to the permitted level. That means be French when you are
in France.

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APPENDIX:

a. Research Design:

As our topic is “The Impact of Culture on International Marketing” a very

wide topic. It is a qualitative research topic. Fore this reason I have to collect
a variety of papers on this topic written by the marketing experts of different
culture.

I collect nine papers written by the world famous marketing specialist from
different parts of the globe and express their views on the same. I read all the
papers attentively and reach to the summery of all papers.

I start writing this paper with the gist of their thinking and having my own
cultural thinking, believe attitude, norms and values. Thus this paper
consists of the global views with my Bangladeshi cultural thinking as well.

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 b. References:

This paper holds information and views from the following sources:

i. International Marketing by Professor Philip R. Cateora & John L.

Graham.

ii. Gist of the class lecture of Dr. M. Zillur Rahman, Assistant Professor,
School of Business Studies, Southeast University.

iii. “Adapting Your Home Culture to International Business” by Dr. John

W. Bing (Ed.D University of Massachusetts) published by ITAP.

iv. “CROSS-CULTURAL MARKETING” the impact of Polish culture on

marketing in Poland. Published by ClusterStar.

v. “CULTURAL DETERMINANTS OF INTERNATIONAL

FRANCHISING:AN EMPIRICAL EXAMINATION OF HOFSTEDE’S
CULTURAL DIMENSIONS” by Mark Toncar, Lycoming College, Ilan
Alon, State University of New York Oneonta David McKee, Kent State
University.

vi. “Cultural Influences on International Marketing” by Dana-Nicoleta

Lascu.

vii. “International Business Culture” by Dr. Balbir B. Bhasin, Sacred

Heart University College of Business.

viii. “International Marketing & Branding” by Leif Rasmussen, Denmark’s

International Study Program.

ix. “The Impact of Culture and Relationships on International Marketing

at the Bottom of the Pyramid” by Richard Fletcher, University of
Western Sydney.

x. “Cultural Environment and its Impact on International Marketing”

Published in the Social Science Research Network, USA.

xi. “Consumption Market & Culture” by A. Fuat Firat Alladi Benkatesh

published by Harwood Academic Publishers.

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