1. Factual vs. Interpretive Knowledge
Factual Knowledge -- facts & statistics
Interpretive Knowledge -- nuances surrounding facts & statistics; interpreted within the context of the culture

2. What is culture? the total range of activities and people.
the combination of learned meanings, values, norms and customs shared by a society

3. How do we get culture? learned through the process of socialization
social learning results in shared expectations, norms
norms are used to evaluate objects, people and events
Cultures & subcultures

4. Components of culture Material culture Social institutions
Belief systems (Humans & universe)
Aesthetics
Language

5. Religion and Its Impact on Marketing Practice
Protestant Religion – stresses hard work and frugality
Judaism – stresses education and development
Islam – focus on rules for social interaction
Hinduism – encourages family orientation and dictates strict dietary constraints
Buddhism – stresses sufferance and avoidance of worldly desires

6. Cultural Values - Hofstede’s Research
Individualism/Collectivism
Power Distance
Uncertainty Avoidance
Masculinity/Femininity
Need Gratification

7. Individualism/Collectivism
Extent to which a country values independence of self vs. loyalty to others
Example:
Japan: Collectivist – impt to know one’s place; don’t shame family, avoid standing out
U.S.: Individualist – express yourself (Cingular Wireless) & your opinions; show status (American Express); be an individual (Dr. Pepper)

8. Power Distance
High PD: A society’s expectation that power/status is distributed unequally
Example:
India: High PD, caste system, hierarchy; strong dependence of lower social classes on higher classes; respect for authority
U.S.: Low PD, people are created equal; ok to question or even defy authority

9. Masculinity/Femininity
Values for achievement/success (masculinity) vs. values for caring & quality of life (femininity)
Examples:
Scandinavian countries: feminine – not supposed to hurt feelings; respect the loser, or underdog
U.S.: masculine – winning important, in your face; competition and aggressiveness count

10. Uncertainty Avoidance
The extent to which uncertainty and ambiguity are considered threatening
Examples:
Germany: high uncertainty avoidance – a structured education system with lots of rules, experts specialize in distinct areas with recognized qualifications
U.S.: low uncertainty avoidance – liberal arts and general business degrees are valued; anyone can be an expert because there are no rules to define expertise

11. Long-term Orientation
The extent to which a country exhibits pragmatic planning for future vs. “live for the moment” short term perspective
Examples:
China: LT orientation – values perseverance, thrift, respect for tradition
U.S.: ST orientation – values immediate gratification; initiative and entrepreneurship; innovation

12. Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions
U.S. Values
Individualism: Independence
Low power distance: Equal opportunity
Masculinity: Power, success, winning
Low uncertainty avoidance: Obsession with change; new & better
Short term orientation: Credit card culture
Japanese Values
Collectivist: group harmony
High power distance: status, loyalty to superiors
Masculinity: power, success (but don’t flaunt it)
High uncertainty avoidance: structure, job hierarchy
Long term orientation: cash culture
De Mooij, Marieke (1998). Global marketing and advertising: Understanding Cultural Paradoxes. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

13. National/Regional Character
Different cultures have different approaches to these concepts.
Time Orientation
Socializing
Gender Roles
Status Concern and Materialism
Management outlook
Communication

14. High vs. Low Context Cultures
Low-Context cultures: What is said is precisely what is meant
High-Context cultures: The context of the message is more meaningful:
the message source
his or her standing in society or in the negotiating group
level of expertise
tone of voice
body language

15. Cultural Norms
Norms are derived from values and defined as rules that dictate what is right or wrong, acceptable or unacceptable
Imperatives
customs that must be recognized and accommodated
What an outsider must or must not do
Exclusives
customs that outsiders should not attempt to adopt
Adiaphoras
customs that are optional but still appreciated
What an outsider may or may not do

16. Business Ethics