Chapter 2: Cross-Cultural Variations In Consumer Behavior *

Front 1

Four Major World Citizens

Back 1

-Global Citizens (55%)

-Global Dreamers (23%)

-Antiglobals (13%)

-Global agnostics

Front 2

Culture

Back 2

the complex whole that includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by humans as a member of society

Front 3

cultural values

Back 3

widely held beliefs that affirm what is desirable

Front 4

The numerous values that differ across cultures and affect consumption include:

Back 4

-other-oriented values

-environment-oriented values

-self-oriented values

Front 5

Other-Oriented Values

Back 5

reflect a society's view of the appropriate relationship between individuals and groups within that society

Front 6

Environment-Oriented Values

Back 6

Prescribe a society's relationship to its economic, technical, and physical environment

Front 7

Self-Oriented Values

Back 7

Reflect the objectives and approaches to life that the individual members of society find desirable

Front 8

Individual/Collective

Are individual activity and initiative valued more highly than collective activity and conformity?

Back 8

-Strong emphasis on individualism

Front 9

Extended/Limited Family

To what extent does one have a life-long obligation to numerous family members?

Extended family critical in South/Central America

Back 9

-limited definition of family

-as a mobile society, many US children grow up without close interaction with aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, or nephews

Front 10

Masculine/ Feminine

To what extend does social power automatically go to males?

Back 10

American society has had a masculine orientation for a long time. While becoming less masculine oriented, the US is still clearly a masculine oriented society

Front 11

Competitive/Cooperative

Does one obtain success by excelling over others or by cooperating with them?

Back 11

America has long been a competitive society. This value remains firm. The US has an increased focus on cooperation, yet even this can be competitive

Front 12

Diversity/Uniformity

Does the culture embrace variation in religious belief ethnic background, political views, and other important behaviors and attitudes?

Back 12

-American culture has always valued individualism. However, historically, Americans historically insisted that immigrants quickly adopt the language, dress, and values of the majority.

-Since WWII, there has been a increasing valuing of diversity

Front 13

Other-Oriented Values

Back 13

-Individual/Collective

-Youth/Age

-Extended/Limited Family

-Masculine/Feminine

-Competitive/Cooperative

-Diversity/Uniformity

Front 14

Environment-Oriented Values

Back 14

-Cleanliness

-Performance/Status

-Tradition/Change

-Risk taking/Security

-Problem Solving/Fatalistic

-Nature

Front 15

Cleanliness

To what extent is cleanliness pursued beyond the minimum needed for health?

Back 15

Americans' strong focus on cleanliness seems to be declining somewhat: Messier homes are more acceptable but we're not happy about it

Front 16

Performance/Status

Is the Culture's reward system based on performance or on inherited factors such as family or class?

Back 16

American are shifting back to a focus on performance rather than status. While they will still purchase "status" brands these brand must perform and provide style and functionality.

Front 17

Youth/Age

Is family life organized to meet the needs of the children or the adults?

Are younger or older people viewed as leaders and role models?

Back 17

-slow reversal on the value of youth. As society ages, older citizens have developed political and economic clout with increasing disposable income and are using it

Front 18

Tradition/Change

Is tradition valued simply for the sake of tradition? Is change or "progress" an acceptable reason for altering established patterns?

Back 18

Americans have been very receptive to change. While still appreciative of change, Americans are now less receptive to change for changes sake

Front 19

Risk Taking/Security

Are those who risk their established positions to overcome obstacles or achieve high goals admire more than those who do not?

Back 19

-Risk taking remains valued as we look to entrepreneurs for economic growth and to smaller firms and self-employment to obtain desired lifestyles

-Varies with world events & economic activity

Front 20

Problem solving/Fatalistic

Are people encouraged to overcome all problems, or do they take a "what will be, well be" attitude?

Is there an optimistic, "we can do it" orientation?

Back 20

Americans take pride in being problem solvers

Front 21

Nature

Is nature regarded as something to be admired or overcome?

Back 21

-in the history of the Us nature has been an obstacle to overcome. Over the last 30 years this attitude has shifted dramatically

-83% of the public has changed their lifestyle to protect the environment

Front 22

Self-Oriented Values

Back 22

-Active/Passive

-Sensual gratification/Abstinence

-Material/Non material

-Hard work/Leisure

-postponed gratification/immediate gratification

-religious/secular

Front 23

Active/Passive

Is a physically active approach to life valued more highly that a less active orientation?

Back 23

American continue to value an active approach to life and take an active approach to leisure and problem solving

Front 24

Sensual gratification/Abstinence

To what extent is it acceptable to enjoy sensual pleasures such as food, drink, and sex?

Back 24

-Tied to the US religious orientation was belief in the virtue of abstinence. As US society became more secular, sensual gratification became more acceptable.

-This trend remains strong with importance being placed on fun and excitement

Front 25

Material/Nonmaterial

How much importance is attached to the acquisition of material wealth?

Back 25

American have maintained a strong material orientation. The US is a consumption-driven society

Front 26

Instrumental materialism

Back 26

is the acquisition of things to enable one to do something

Front 27

Terminal materialism

Back 27

is the acquisition of items for the sake of owning the item itself

Front 28

Hard work/Leisure

Is a person who works harder than economically necessary admired more than one who does not?

Back 28

-More Americans are working more now than at any time in recent history. While Americans value work, they also value leisure.

Front 29

Postponed gratification/Immediate gratification

Are people encouraged to "save for a rainy day" or to "live for today"?

Back 29

-American tend to indulge in immediate gratification which has led to high levels of personal debt

-In response to tough economic times, Americans started saving more and paying down debt

-However, as the economy recovers these trends have begun to recede

Front 30

Religious/Secular

To what extent are behaviors and attitudes based on the rules specified by a religious doctrine?

Back 30

The US is basically a secular society. A religious group does not control the educations system, the government, or the political process.

Front 31

Nonverbal Communication Systems

Back 31

the arbitrary meaning that a culture assigns actions, events, and things other than words.

Front 32

Time

the meaning of time varies between cultures in two major ways:

Back 32

-Time perspective

-Monochronic

-Polychronic

-Time Interpretations

-Use of Time

-Promptness

Front 33

Space

Back 33

Overall use and meanings assigned to space vary widely among different cultures

-Prestige

-Personal Space

Front 34

Symbols

Back 34

-colors, animals, shapes, numbers, and music have varying meanings across cultures

-failure to recognize the meaning assigned to a symbol can cause serious problems

Front 35

Relationships

How quickly and easily do cultures form relationships and make friends?

Back 35

-Americans tend to form relationships and friends quickly and easily

-Chinese relationships are much more complex and characterized by guanxi

Front 36

Agreements

How does a culture ensure business obligations are honored? How are disagreements resolved?

Back 36

Some cultures rely on a legal system; others rely on relationships, friendships, etc.

Front 37

Things

Back 37

-the cultural meaning of things leads to purchase patterns that one would not otherwise predict

-the differing meanings that cultures attach to things, including products, make gift-giving a particularly difficult task

Front 38

Etiquette

Back 38

generally accepted ways of behaving in social situations

Front 39

Global Cultures - A Global Teenage Culture?

Back 39

-Mass media and the Internet have had an impact of uniformity among teens around the world

-They tend to watch many of the same shows, see the same movies and videos, listen to the same music, and they tend to dress alike

-Technology is important factor but U.S. youth and brands no longer lead the way

Front 40

Demographics

Back 40

describe a population in terms of its size, structure, and distribution

Front 41

Purchasing Power Parity (PPP)

Back 41

based on the cost of a standard market basket of products bought in each country

Front 42

Considerations in Approaching a Foreign Market

Back 42

1. Homogeneous versus Heterogeneous with respect to culture?

2. What needs can the product fill in this culture?

3. Can enough people afford the product?

4. What values are relevant to the purchase and use of the product?

5. What are the distribution, political and legal structures for the product?

6. In what ways can we communicate about the product?

7. What are the ethical implications of marketing this product in this country?