MKT300

International Marketing
-Global market environment-
 -Learning objectives-

0 Compare and contrast the key aspects of high- and low-

context cultures.
0 Identify and explain the major dimensions of Hofstede’s
social values typology.
0 Explain how the self-reference criterion can affect
decision making at global companies and show how a
company can adapt to conditions in a global market.
 -Cultural context-

0 Context – circumstances that form the setting for an

event, statement, idea, in terms of which it can be fully
understood…
0 Cultural context – how society and culture affects
behaviour... incorporates learned values, norms, beliefs, &
meanings…
 -Cultural context-

0 Context in culture was brought to fore by Edward Hall

(1976) – Beyond Culture
0 High context cultures: Those where rules of
communication are primarily transmitted using
contextual elements, i.e. body language, status, tone of
voice…
0 Low context cultures: information is transmitted primarily
through language and rules are explicit.
 -High and low context cultures-

0 High context… 0 Low context…

0 Information resides in context
0 Emphasis on background, basic
values, societal status
0 Less emphasis on legal
paperwork
0 Focus on personal reputation
0 Messages are explicit and
specific
0 Words carry all information
0 Reliance on legal paperwork
0 Focus on non-personal
documentation of credibility

Saudi Arabia, Japan, Botswana Switzerland, U.S., Germany

-High- and low-context cultures-
 -Hofstede’s cultural typology-

0 Used to compare countries…

0 Individualism/Collectivism
Expected social
0 Power Distance
behaviour
0 Uncertainty Avoidance

0 Achievement/Nuturing Man’s search of truth

(Masculinity)
0 Long-term Orientation Importance of time
 -Hofstede’s cultural typology-
0 Individualism/Collectivism
0 the degree to which individuals in a society are
integrated into groups.
0 Power Distance
0 the extent to which the less powerful members of a
society accept—even expect—power to be
distributed unequally.
0 Uncertainty Avoidance
0 the extent to which the members of a society are
uncomfortable with unclear, ambiguous, or
unstructured situations.
 -Hofstede’s cultural typology-
0 Achievement/Nuturing (Masculinity)
0 Achievement- a society that is assertive, competitive,
and concerned with material success.
0 Nurturing- a society in which the social roles of men and
women overlap/balanced. Society is concerned with
issues such as the welfare of children, relatioships
0 Long-term Orientation
0 Long-term orientation–People look to the future and
value thrift and persistence
0 Short-term orientation–People value tradition and the
past
-Hofstede’s cultural typology-
-Hofstede’s cultural typology-
 -Self reference criterion and
perception-
0 Unconscious reference to one’s own cultural values;
creates cultural myopia
0 How to Reduce Cultural Myopia:
1. Define the problem or goal in terms of home
country cultural traits
2. Define the problem in terms of host-country
cultural traits; make no value judgments
3. Isolate the SRC influence and examine it
4. Redefine the problem without the SRC influence
and solve for the host country situation
 -Disney in France & Tokyo & the
Self reference criterion-
2. Europeans,
especially the
1. Unlimited French, are
demand for sensitive about
American American cultural
culture. Tokyo imperialism.
a huge success. Disney characters
No alcohol in are based on
parks. European folk
3. Compare Steps 1 & 2. tales. Real castles
American & Japanese here!
conditions are different. 4. Redesign the theme park in
Modify design for keeping with European cultural
European success. norms; allow the French to put their
identify on the park.
- Good day -