Competitive pressures caused by globalization, deregulation, and discontinuous
technological changes seem to have forced many organizations into considering radical
change as a way of surviving and growing. A big part of this radical change has to do
with accepting and handling cultural differences among other nations. Organizations
pursue change to enhance their competitive positions and to grow.
Cultural Change
Culture changes over time, despite the fact that one of the more important
attributes of culture is that it is conservative and resistant to change. When marketing a
new innovation to a foreign country, the marketer must possess a thorough knowledge of
that country’s culture in order to be successful there, as
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There
are a number of ways in which this can occur.
One of the ways this can occur is when countries’ cultures are considered similar
on the basis they speak the same language. However, in instances where this occurs,
often a lot of words have a very different meaning in one country than another, a good
example being the difference here in Ireland with the U.S. Consider the question “Was
there any craic?” here, meaning was it fun or a good time, while the same question in the
states would be interpreted as was there any drugs as in “crack”. The same
question but two very different meanings!
Another mistake is where different cultures are lumped together as one. In
western society it is commonly thought that most Asian groups such as the
Japanese, Chinese and Koreans for example have similar cultures when in
fact they are quite different. Failure to recognize the differences could have serious
consequences for a marketer. Even within a country, a marketer must be aware of the
existence of subcultures. There is no better example than the U.S. with people of all
ethnic backgrounds.
Ethnocentricity
People who are familiar with only one cultural pattern may believe they have an
awareness of cultural differences elsewhere, when in reality they do not. Unless they
have had occasion to make comparisons with other cultures, they are probably not even
aware of the important
International marketing or business is uniquely different from the local market because the product price, place and promotion is vastly different from what is been offered to local customers (Johansson, 2000) With the emergence of the information technology, cross border marketing has never been a distant dream. However, it has never been easier even for giant multinational companies to face challenges that come in international business. The biggest challenge comes from the culture which varies from country to country.
Culture is an observable, powerful force in any organization. “Made up of its members’ shared values, beliefs, symbols, and behaviors, culture guides individual decisions and actions at the unconscious level. As a result, it can have a potent effect on a company’s well-being and success” (One Page, n.d.).
Change is inevitable, and in the event of change taking place, some issues need to be addressed to make the necessary steps towards the attainment of the change that people want. In the view of what happens, there should be some hidden yet strong force that pushes
We all recognize that change comes at a cost and that at each crossroad we have the opportunity to determine which road to follow. We can accept challenges, making them work to our benefit, or we can resist progress.
Culture is an important factor that should be considered in today’s market. In fact, many adult Americans are starting to embrace cultural diversity. Culture helps in shaping one’s perspective on the world including his
The following examines the nation of China and its trade relations with the world, particularly the United States. The focus is primarily on China’s culture and how it impacts business dealings with other countries. Areas examined include: Religion, Management Philosophy, and Business Etiquette. Also discussed is China’s growing status as a world super power and how that has impacted the global business landscape. Likewise, various trading partners are examined and the effects of doing business with China, specifically for the United States. Points of concern for the United States are things such as the
Change can be unnerving for everyone, but how one approaches it determines an ultimate outcome. Growing up in a society filled with opportunity and acceptance is an eye opener to how I can be a helping factor to a completely new atmosphere. Every community has its own unique characteristics, and being able to add to them helps improve the unity as a whole. These positive aspects require the acceptance of change and diversity, as well as commitment.
Change is a process that takes a lot of work and willingness to try new things.
North America is one of the bigger landmasses in the world. Her extension is from Aleutian Islands in the North to Isthmus of Panama at South. North America involves the next nations: Canada, the United States, Greenland, Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and the island nations and terrains of the Caribbean Ocean and western North Atlantic Ocean.
Reading this weeks assignment reminded me of when I was working for a very large bank in the area as a sales and customer service representative and their motto before they roll out a new program was “change is good”. This was imprinted into our brains because all changes were good and beneficial for us until they closed the company and moved to Mumbai, India for much cheaper labor. Everything around us is changeable but not all change is good. Grasping the concept that everything is changeable depends on a person’s mindset. If you are a person who makes lemonade when you get lemons or see the glass as half full (or as Dr. Cedillos said, take the half full glass and pour it into a smaller glass and you will have a full glass to sip and enjoy),
In today’s economy I see business like Wal-Mart, McDonalds, and HEB Grocery is always making changes. Changes in organizations like these are challenging aspect to implement. If an organization applies strategies and they do not yield the expected result for a successful operation, it is important to change and try out new ways. It is the organization responsibility to implement the change. The major challenges that change faces include resistance and strategies to incorporate the new ways of operation. Failure to adopt new strategies results from the failure to implement the changes successfully. It is therefore important to ensure that an appropriate change model is used to ensure that the changes are embraced by the organization.
From the issues raised in the section above, it can be seen that change is complex and there is not a single solution. However, a number of key areas of focus emerge.
Another possibility is the integration of different cultures, which is a diversified phenomenon by participating fully into the dominant society that may lead to some shared values and features, while keeping their own distinctive cultures (Berry,
One way for Kafka to do market research for his new business is to utilize information provided by Euro monitor International. Euro monitor offers many different reports on different business sectors and information such as “Who Eats Out Where.” This report has information on the number of businesses, demographic information, and growth and trend information. If Kafka utilizes well-researched information on the food industry prior to creating his business plan and pricing structure, it could provide a very solid foundation to build on. Kafka can also perform his own personal research, and he can also conduct some focus groups with local residents on possible attitudes and price information on a specialty pizza such has the Chicago-style pizza. Kakfa should also investigate the eating habits of the 3.8 million foreign tourists that visit the city each year.
Globalization simply defined is the intensification of global interactions. The case studies we have studied depict two of the main types of globalization. Economic Globalization, which is the production, exchange, distribution, and consumption of goods and tangible services, and Cultural Globalization, the exchange of materials and symbols that represent facts, meaning values and beliefs. When Globalization occurs it usually has a major impact on indigenous cultures. Optimists or “champions” state that the relationship between culture and globalization has positive effects as it creates a balance between nations. Conversely, critics state that relationships between the two have negative effects, leading to the loss or deterioration of a