CHAPTER TWO

Cross-Cultural Variations
Cross-Cultural Variations
in Consumer Behavior
in Consumer Behavior
McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2004 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Learning Objectives
1. Understand what culture is, and why and
how it is influential in terms of consumer
behavior.
2. Know what is meant by cross-cultural
variations in consumer behavior and why we
study cultures other than our own.
3. Understand what cultural values are and how
they act to influence behavior.
4. Understand what is meant by cross-cultural
variations in nonverbal communications and
why this understanding is important to
marketers.
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Cultural Factors

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The Concept of Culture
• What is Culture?
Culture is that complex whole which includes
knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs, and
any other capabilities and habits acquired by
humans as members of society
• Culture …
… is comprehensive.
… is acquired.
… supplies boundaries within which most
individuals think and act.
… influences us in such a way that we are seldom
aware of it.
… is not static.
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Values, Norms, and Sanctions

Widely Held
Beliefs that
Affirm What is
Desirable

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Variations in Cultural Values

Other- Society’s view

oriented of relationships
values between people

Society’s view Consumption

Environment-
of relationships Purchase
oriented
with environment Communications
values

Objectives/
Self-
approaches
oriented
to life society
values
finds desirable

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Other-oriented Values

• Individual/Collective
• Extended/Limited Family
• Adult/Child
• Masculine/Feminine
• Competitive/Cooperative
• Youth/Age

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Environment-oriented Values

• Cleanliness
• Performance/Status
• Tradition/Change
• Risk taking/Security
• Problem-solving/Fatalistic
• Nature

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Self-oriented Values

• Active/Passive
• Material/Nonmaterial: Instrumental/Terminal
• Hard work/Leisure
• Postponed gratification/Immediate
gratification
• Sensual gratification/Abstinence
• Humor/Serious

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Language Issues…

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Factors Influencing Nonverbal Communication

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Nonverbal Factors
• Time
• Time perspective – Monochronic/Polychronic
• Meanings in the Use of Time
• Space
• Office Space
• Personal Space
• Symbols

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The Meaning of Numbers, Colors, & Symbols

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Nonverbal Factors (continued)
• Friendship
• The concept of guanxi from the Chinese:
Literally translated as personal
connections/relationships on which an
individual can draw to secure resources or
advantages when doing business as well as in
the course of social life.
• Agreements – contract law vs. relationship
• Things (e.g., gifts)
• Etiquette (e.g., meishi)
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Global Issues
• Global Teenage Culture?
• Global Demographics – size, structure, distribution

• Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) – based on the cost

in US dollars of a standard market basket of
products in each country

• Standardization vs. Customized Marketing Mix

• Different Cultures are…Different!
• Knowing and Addressing is the Trick
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Approaching a Foreign Market
• Geographic area Homogeneous or
Heterogeneous with respect to culture?
• Are needs the same?
• Size of market? Can enough people
wanting the product afford it?
• What values are relevant to the purchase
and use?
• Distribution, Politics, and Legal structures?
• How do we communicate?
• Are there any ethical implications?
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