History and Geography: The Foundations of Culture International Marketing 15th edition Chapter 3 History and Geography: The Foundations of Culture Philip R. Cateora, Mary C. Gilly, and John L. Graham

Opening Side Introduction To understand a society’s actions and its points of view, you need to appreciate: The influence of historical events The geographical uniqueness to which a culture has had to adapt Culture can be defined as society's accepted basis for responding to external and internal events To interpret a culture’s behavior and attitudes, a marketer must have some idea of a country’s history and geography Roy Philip

History Perspective in Global Business History helps define a nation’s mission How it perceives its neighbors How it perceives itself Its place in the world Insights into history are important for understanding current attitudes It is necessary to study culture as it is now as well as to understand culture as it was A country’s history Roy Philip

Geography and Global Markets Geography – an element of the uncontrollable environment that confronts every marketer Affects a society’s culture and economy Physical makeup limits a nation’s ability to supply its people’s needs Roy Philip

Climate and Topography Altitude, humidity, and temperature extremes South America British resistance of the English Channel Trade through the Alps Roy Philip

Geography, Nature and Economic Growth As countries prosper, natural barriers are overcome Environmental issues Disruption of ecosystems Relocation of people Inadequate hazardous waste management Industrial pollution Roy Philip

Social Responsibility and Environmental Management Environmental protection is not an optional extra Pollution is on the verge of getting completely out of control China has 16 of the world’s 20 most polluted cities Critical issue: the disposal of hazardous waste Sustainable development http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/0,28757,1661031,00.html http://www.forbes.com/2006/03/21/americas-most-polluted-cities-cx_rm_0321pollute.html Roy Philip

Resources (1 of 2) The availability of minerals and the ability to generate energy are the foundations of modern technology The principal supplements to human energy Animals Wood Fossil fuel Nuclear power Ocean tides Geothermal power The sun Roy Philip

Resources (2 of 2) United States in perspective 1942 – nearly self-sufficient 1950 – major importer 1973-2000 – increased dependency from 36% to 66% Mid-2000’s – predicted to be importing more than 70% of needs The location, quality, and availability of resources will affect the pattern of world economic development and trade well into the 21st century Roy Philip

Dynamics of Global Population Trends Global population trends determine today’s demand for goods Rural/urban population shifts Rates of growth Age levels Population control Changes in population will profoundly affect future demand The most important deterrent to population control is cultural attitudes about the importance of large families Roy Philip

Controlling Population Growth Procreation is one of the most culturally sensitive uncontrollable factors Perhaps the most important deterrent to population control is cultural attitudes about the importance of large families Family planning and all that it entails is by far the most universal means governments use to control birthrates, but some economists believe that a decline in the fertility rate is a function of economic prosperity and will come only with economic development Roy Philip

Rural/Urban Migration Result of a desire for greater access to: Sources of education Health care Improved job opportunities Roy Philip

Population Decline and Aging Population growth in many countries has dropped below the rate necessary to maintain present levels A nation needs a fertility rate of about 2.1 children per woman Not one major country has sufficient internal population growth to maintain itself Roy Philip

Summary A prospective international marketer should be reasonably familiar with the world, its climate, and topographic differences Geographic hurdles must be recognized as having a direct effect on marketing and the related activities of communications and distribution Roy Philip