Cross-Cultural Aspects in the Global Market - Coursework Example

Cross-cultural aspects in global market Student’s name Institution The levels of economic development around the world vary differently due to the cultural diversities which have led to variations in production activities and information systems. This effect of diversity has to be considered by the organizations in conducting global businesses for effective performance. The business enterprise has to incorporate the following elements that will create logical cultural patterns in their conduct of business around the world. Daft, J. Murphy, H. Willmott (2010) pointed out the main elements as cultural identity, intercultural communications, authority, consumer class and self-analysis. Thus, the employment of these elements will aid in achieving a centralized global marketing. Jameson (2007) identified that it will pose a great challenge to the global enterprises in conducting their businesses without integrating the five elements of logical cultural patterns. His argument was supported by Edward hall (1990) by stating that it is intercultural communications that will tend to hold every participant (consumer and producer) in the global market captive. However, without paying special attention to geographical areas of marketing and cultural diversities, the success of business will be frustrated since different cultures have different perceptions on different products. Normally, global business organizations should recognize the characteristics and traits of different consumer cultures around the world so as to develop products that will suit their needs. To analyse the satisfaction of consumer needs, Danielle Medina Walker, Thomas D. Walker, Joerg Thomas Schmitzed (2003) identified three vital insights: culture is much in built in our social interaction, cultural force is only experience by the consumers in the global society and language should not be relied upon in the understanding a certain culture. Though language is of importance in determining the mode of channelling information to the intended potential consumer in the market, it also affects business communications they shift across different cultures in the global marketing. In most cases, the purchase decision by consumers on certain product is based on their inhibited cultural values. The findings by Marieke K. de Mooij (2009) showed that there is a positive relationship between consumption of different consumers buying behaviour and the cultural identity values which provide a clear proof of cultural influence that at any point cannot be avoided by different consumers in the world. The mutual relationship that exists therefore will develop an effective cross-cultural marketing plan for the product in the market. For geographical location of the potential consumers, the enterprise should analyse and have a well defined knowledge on the various cultural identities in order to provide them with the right products according to their taste and preferences. Cultural congruency is another element of cultural identity that provides a large platform for marketing of products. This aspect is developed when there is an interaction of different global consumers that leads to the change in the purchase behaviour of the influenced consumers. The result of these cultural interaction leads to the emergence of a unique culture which can be easily identified by the global marketers. This unique culture is not only identified geographically but also by analysing the existing gaps in the marketing strategy s in thus the marketers in this case will incorporate the elements of marketing mix in order to cover the rising needs of the consumer affected by the foreign intrusion of other consumers. Marketers should always take advantage of an increase in potential consumers so as to gain a competitive advantage in the market (Felix Zimmermann, 2009). Global markets in most cases should monitor the consumer’s movement from one place to another since this movement tends to affect the demand of products in the places where they migrate into as well as they migrate from. Consumers maintain their cultures in their new places they visit either to work or live permanently. This perhaps will call for marketer to be more focused on any strategic change that is initiated by these movements. They should as well check on the supply chain management in order to maintain their sales volume. This happens since consumers rarely change their cultural attitudes towards consumption and utilization of products. Linda Alcoff (2006) argued that for any migration, marketers from different localities will tend to develop a homogeneous culture since migrants influence the existing behaviours. This homogeneous culture developed by marketers will harmonize the consumption behaviour in the formed identity (Linda Alcoff, 2006). Ali Mohammad (1989) strongly suggested that when approaching global culture, marketers as well as consumers should avoid attitude driven strategy in realizing cultural identify, but they should clearly examine the factors of translation, mutation and adaptation in order to comprehensively create a successful marketing plan for the existing product to the consumers. If at all the business enterprise understands and incorporate these factors, they will realize hybrid marketing skills. Tim Coles and Colin Michael Hall (2008) narrowed down intercultural communication to only tourism businesses and too acknowledge how this has become very vital when it comes to the case of network marketing. Intercultural communications and competence, according to Linda Alcoff (2006) helps in identification of cultural differences that will aid marketers in developing essential hypothesis for their products in the market. Marketers should consider the relationship between different cultural backgrounds to aid them in furnishing the difference requirements of different cultures. For instance in the case study on intercultural relationship of Germany enterprises and Moroccan businesses depicted how important concepts are interplayed in daily business grounds. Germany used the tourism sector to drive the growth of its economy through intercultural relationship with the Moroccan government (Tim Coles, Colin Michael Hall, 2008). From this concept, intercultural communication should be interactional based not on how cultures communicate but how individuals communicate so as to develop their behaviours. Different traditional consumers perceive that cultures are normally homogeneous within a given culture but in real sense they are heterogeneous. This is from the research of Levitt (1999) which they concluded that intercultural communications tend to localize global consumers hence helping marketers in developing diversified market for their brands. Furthermore the intercultural awareness of one’s culture does not limit the chances of understanding other cultures preferences. According to the research by Edward Hall (1960),he found that intercultural communication tend to create a wider concept of cultural identity that will make the consumers to adopt self information that would help in resolving business issues concerning the distribution of products regionally among the potential consumers. This concept of intercultural communication bridges several consumers geographically located in different parts of global market. Sometimes intercultural conflicts may affect insights from intercultural communication hence impacting negatively on the consumer behaviours in relation to the product. The influence has been demonstrated well by Hofstede (1998) when he stated that there is an evolution of communication from anthropology to psychology that drives at initiating new insights to the consumers to develop interest in the new products in the market. The evolvement of communication has been an historical issued in passage of essential information for the consumers globally. As far as language is defining culture, it also remains as an essential element of business communication. In Europe for instance, language has been an outstanding business communication that unify organized global business meetings on the issue of strategizing consumer needs. According to Charles and Marschan (2002) any native language will not affect the culture at all. But in cross-cultural situations in a society, language usually develops cultural orientations to the consumers. Precisely, self power advocates different practises and legitimization of global business consumers. This is according to Thomas Olesen (2011) who interpreted that power of an individual (consumer) creates global awareness of the product in the market that will make consumers in different geographical locations of the world to develop or rather in other cases be aware of the product in the market. The power may be an advocatory reaction from the strategic plan of the new product or may be instituted by the consumers themselves in exercising any power within the market, Thomas Olesen (2011) emphasis the following guidelines should be well understood; that markets are very fragile and any change or a move can lead to a modification of consumer behaviour, in most cases, profit margins of any business unit is realized from globalization of products and legitimating cannot be purchased but rather developed by the existing market participants. Self analysis in the market is the very potential of element that makes consumers realize their geographical locations in the global market. Mary Ann Littrell and Marsha Ann Dickson (1999) clarified from his research that every consumer in the global market has the responsibility to establish his own self-identity. What is the significant of self identity as put by Mary Ann Littrell and Marsha Ann Dickson (1999)? When consumers have this identity, he become conscious of fair trade believe, practise and products being marketed from his location. This merely helps in identifying useful traits that will move towards developing individual’s personal style of adapting to any changes in the global market. Self analysis also helps different individuals in the global market to realize the very class he belongs in the society. In conclusion, economic development in global businesses is normally enhanced by incorporating the five elements of logical cultural patterns which guides all the geographical differences. Although the incorporation may look as an exhaustive task, it is high time for the consumers to realize their potentiality on the product being brought o the market and also the marketers to understand the geographical difficulties that the consumers perhaps may face during purchase decision making. Therefore, for harmonized global market, diversity in cultural parameters (cultural identity, intercultural communications, authority and power) should be a important factor in the development marketing plan of a product. Reference Daft, J. Murphy, and Willmott, H. (2010). Organization Theory and Design. United Kingdom: Cengage Learning EMEA. Edward, T., H. And Mildred, R.,H. (1990). Understanding cultural differences. Germany: Intercultural Press. Danielle, M., W., Thomas, D., Walker, J., and Thomas, S. (2003). Doing Business Internationally: The Guide to Cross-Cultural Success. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional. Marieke, K. and Mooij. (2009). Global Marketing and Advertising: Understanding Cultural Paradoxes. London: SAGE. Felix Zimmermann. (2009). Local and Global Management of Branding, Identity and Image. Great Britain: GRIN Verlag. Ali Mohammad. (1989). Food production and food problem in India. India: Concept Publishing Company. Linda Alcoff. (2006). Visible Identities: Race, Gender, and The Self. Syracuse University: Oxford University Press. Ed Lowry, Charlie Foy, and Paul M. Levitt (1999). Joe Frisco: Comic, Jazz Dancer, And Railbird. University of Colorado: SIU Press. Geert H. Hofstede. (1998). Masculinity and Femininity: The Taboo Dimension Of National Cultures. London: SAGE. Tim Coles and Colin Michael Hall. (2008). International Business and Tourism: Global Issues, Contemporary Interactions. Hallam University: Routledge. Juan, C., Palmer-Silveira, Miguel, F. Ruiz-Garrido, and Inmaculada Fortanet-Gómez.(2006). Intercultural and International Business Communications: Theory, Research and Teaching. Uppsala University: Peter Lang. Mary Ann Littrell and Marsha Ann Dickson. (1999). Social Responsibility in The Global Market: Fair Trade Of Cultural Products. London: SAGE. Thomas Olesen. (2011). Power and Transnational Activism. Denmark: Taylor & Francis Read More