Cultural Factors Influencing Consumer Behaviour

Take a moment to think about the following question: what is culture? Culture is everything a person does, believes in, creates, came from, and has done. It is also so much more than this simple list, but this is a good idea of what it generally is. Culture affects a lot of things as well. It can affect what you do, how you do certain things, and how you see things comparison to others. Culture is a major factor in how people perceive the world and those around them. Everybody sees the world differently through their cultural glasses. Some people see things as foreign and confusing, while others see the same things as daily life. The idea of different cultural viewpoints is shown in many articles throughout the years. Each of these stories

Cultural diversity is a concept that is crucial to the basis in the understanding of consumer behaviour. It includes abstract ideas, such as individual values or ethics, and the material objects or services. As a perspective, various cultures belong to the sharing of meanings, rituals, and with the norms or traditions that are amongst society.

1. When selecting a UPL the Commander must take into consideration which of the following qualifications? The commander appoints an officer or non-commisned officer ( e-5 r above) on orders as the UPL

1- Based on the definition of Ricky W. Griffin, Michael W. Pustay in their book international business a managerial perspective in chapter four they defined culture in saying, culture is the collection of attitudes, beliefs, values, customs, and behaviors that distinguish one society from another. A society’s culture decides the rules that govern how firms operate in the society. many characteristics of culture are worth noting for their relevance to international business.

In an article called Cultural Factor Highly Influences On Consumers & Their Buying Behavior – In Indian Context, the basic characteristics of culture are described:

In my opinion, I feel that consumers can get too much of a product. American culture of consumerism appears to be quite addictive. Shopping can become a drug for some. For example, with every new clearance rack at any given department store or buying multiple items because you think there is a big savings when using coupons. Consumers become fueled with the need to fill a void within their daily lives. In recent years I have notice the change of coupon use compared to many years ago has become very addictive for some to the point that it is not saving money. Don’t get me wrong, I consider myself to be one who loves discounts and a good savings. I often hear people say you can never have too much of one product especially if you purchased it

     Cultures are varying among different parts of the globe. People with different cultures have different characteristics and viewpoints on the subjects due to diverse understanding and method of learning. During the past few decades, the international trade grows in a very rapid rate due to the advantages that it provides; “increased sales, operational efficiencies, exposure to new technologies and broader consumer choices” (Heslin). Therefore, when considering the culture aspect to current business world, it is crucial for business to understand the culture aspect because of the tremendous growth of international business as well as utilize the international market to its maximum

Social-cultural factors outlines the basic beliefs and values of consumers. It is the forces that influences an individual’s way of thinking, lifestyles and behaviors. Marketers must take into consideration the various characteristics of the consumers it is going to sell or target as this is vital in the development of marketing strategies, therefore, making the product or services appealing to customers. One important development is the changing and growth in racial and ethnicity, affecting the changes in culture as new values, ideas and attitudes are learned and shared by different social groups. Sociocultural factors can have an impact on marketing activities which are influenced by the improvements or advances in technology and the ability to instantly transfer ideas via the internet. There are also the advancement of connectivity through social media (i.e., Facebook and Twitter) and telecommunication (i.e., Skype or Viper Chat). In the past, none of these technologies existed, most communications were done via letter writing, telegram and not many had access to computers or the internet. In today’s society, with all these new technologies in our grasps, this gives the consumer the advantage to research about the product or services and comparing prices before buying. It also allows the consumer to buy with safety, security and control in mind. The marketing department of a company need to be aware of the current needs and wants of consumers in order to develop a

Culture is always changing and it defines an individual’s every day life. Everyone experiences culture differently, which it is why it is difficult to give a definitive definition. The simplest way to define culture is as, an experiences that shapes a person’s worldview. Some of the different factors that shape culture are race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, religion, age, education and geographical location. Culture is not static; it is spread amongst societies and embraced in different ways. Learning about someone’s cultural experience is the key to learning about that person and truly getting to know them because their culture defines who they are.

Understanding consumer buying behavior entails marketing, relationships, and consumer behavior. Consumer behavior comprises all the consumer decisions and activities connected with the choosing, buying, using and disposing of goods and services. Marketers must pay very close attention to consumer behavior that occurs before the purchase and after the particular product has been used. Studying consumer habits is one of the steps in marketing search and analysis. In addition to other basic principles of consumer buying habits, marketers also need to study the decision and actions of real people. Until recent history the study of consumer behavior was focused on generalized consumer decisions. With

What is culture? Culture—according to many scholars is “a system of values and norms that are shared among a group of people and that when taken together constitute a design for living” (Hill, 2009). Because, culture is characterized by individual persons; race, ethnicity, and creed are not always common, thus the existence of pop and hip-hop cultures. As businesses continue to operate on a global level, diversity is becoming inherently important. When a firm decides to send managers abroad;

Undoubtedly, culture is known to be a wide area depending on the areas it may be referring to, and different studies have provided detailed yet unique definitions for this notion. This paper is revolving around the specific role of culture in international market while considering the fact that it is an important element for successful business operations in international domain. Researchers of different areas have been providing different definitions for this term resulting in sufficient explanations about the ways it is being perceived among different populations. The first known scholar, who stepped into the analysis of culture as per the market sector is Geerte Hofstede. Therefore, the paper is focusing on different approaches towards culture, that is, the ways through which cultural differences are able to influence the marketing operations across the globe.

The culture of India is the way of living of the people of India. India's languages, religions, dance, music, architecture, food, and customs differ from place to place within the country. The Indian culture, often labeled as an amalgamation of several cultures, spans across the Indian subcontinent and has been influenced by a history that is several millennia old. Many elements of India's diverse cultures, such as Indian religions, yoga and Indian cuisine, have had a profound impact across the world.

Culture can be defined in many ways due to the fact that everyone can have their own distinct and traditional beliefs and values. “ Culture is fluid, it is not a static entity which one takes out of the box on occasion. It is with us daily” (Cultural Handout). Someone’s culture is set as the characteristics of the group practices in language, religion, types of food, social traits and habits, and the distinct arts and music. There are a variety of different cultures for example, Western Culture, Eastern Culture, Latin Culture, Middle Eastern Culture, and African Culture. All of these different cultures have their own ideas, values, and individualism, laws that are implied, civil rights, and even technology. In our, “ Culture Handout” culture is defined as the tool of the mind, “ it is an individual’s way seeing and interacting within the world. It encompasses one’s values systems, beliefs, and perceptions of the world around them. Race, socio-economic class gender, sexual orientation, ability, geographic location, age, religion language, etc. all impact the formation of culture, but these various context are not culture” (Cultural Handout).

What makes someone decide to buy ? Many consumers investigate to find the best deals, while others tend to impulse buy. There are four factors that influence consumers behavior. Cultural factors are from the different components related to culture or cultural environment that the consumer belongs. Social factors are the factors that influence consumer behavior significantly. Personal factors influenced by the characteristics of each consumer. Lastly is the psychological factors influenced by the consumers behavior.