Geographical Considerations in Cross-Cultural Marketing - Term Paper Example

?Running head: GEOGRAPHY IN CROSS-CULTURAL MARKETING Geographical Considerations in Cross-Cultural Marketing Insert Insert Grade Insert Tutor’s Name 08 November 2011 Geographical Considerations in Cross-Cultural Marketing Introduction Globalization has been in the increase in the recent past with several large organizations expanding their operations onto the global scene. There has been increase in global linkages (Czinkota and Ronkainen, 2007, p.6). With the extended operations across borders, organizations experience certain challenges like the cultural differences in different regions. In as much as globalization is accused of killing certain cultures, it may also promote and cultivate different cultures (Tomlinson, 2003, p.270). The operations of a multinational corporation are often performed in a multicultural environment and their successes require the managers to have deeper insights about these forces. The managers of such organization cannot succeed in the global market if they only have an understanding of their domestic cultures (Becker, 2000, p.2). One of the components that constitute the culture of a group is the geographical location. This paper focuses on geography as determinant of culture as well as how managers can utilize it in corporate management. Thesis Geography is an important component culture that has to be considered when planning operational strategies like products/ services promotion, setting prices, advertising or market segmentation. The Culture of a Group of Individuals The culture of a particular group of people defines the way of life that is practiced by these people. It entails the social laws, values, beliefs, and practices that are considered appropriate for life among a given group of people. It has been termed as the ‘coherent, learned, shared view of a group of people about life’s concern that ranks what is important, furnishes attitudes about what things are appropriate, and dictates behavior’ (Jameson, 2007, p.210). The individuals in a given geographical location will tend to share beliefs and values that define their culture. The culture will define what the group of individuals consider right or wrong and it provides a check to the acceptable behavior of the individuals within the group. The culture of a particular group of people can emerge from different dimensions. It can be defined biologically, geographically, by the language, at places of work (vocation), through a social class, or based on some philosophical principles (Jameson, 2007, p.210). The culture of a given community also affects the consumer behavior in the community (Onkvisit and Shaw, 2008, p.185). The language as another important component of culture is very influential in the ability of individuals to interact in a multicultural environment. As one traverses across cultures, he will experience tone variations in different language, ethnic or racial groups. An individual that is to operate in such diverse cultural settings is required to be conversant with the language perceptions in these distinct groups. Geography as a key Component of Culture Geography is an important component of culture that has to be considered by businesses that operate on the global scene. It has been noted that the culture of a given group of individuals can be defined by different factors. The geographical location of a group of people is one important component of their culture that creates distinct cultural groups. Individuals can develop a given culture because they are of the same nationality (Jameson, 2007, p.213). Similarly, within the national boundaries are further differences that may reflect on the culture. The way of life of individuals in a given region within a country can be significantly different from the way of life in another part of the country. The life style in the cities and other urban regions in a given country may not be the same as the life style in the rural areas. The attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviors of these groups of individuals often differ. Such differences have been witnessed in countries like Italy where the Southern region is significantly different from the northern region in terms of the culture. Other than nationality regional differences, the place of residence also affects the culture of an individual or groups of individuals. An individual may be from a different country/nationality but has resided in another country for a long period. Similarly, an individual may have come from a different region within a country but has resided in another region. These individuals will adopt the cultural values and behaviors in these places of residence irrespective of their origins (Jameson, 2007, p.213). Thus, it is necessary to note that in as much as geographical boundaries of different countries may define some cultural groups, other aspects within and across the borders define these cultural groups as well. Influence of Geographical Component of Culture on Global Business Operations The geographical component of culture has key influence on the operations of a multinational organization that is to operate in several countries, as the management has to adapt to the different cultures. The culture of a community in which a business organization intends to carry out its operations will have significant effects on the operational strategies of the organization. There are different challenges the managers experience when dealing with multicultural workforce (Jameson, 2007, p.200). The diverse origin of workforce that is drawn from different geographical settings will affect the cohesion within the team that is essential for effective team delivery. The decision-making process in such teams may not be very easy due to different perceptions of the individuals. It may also be difficult to develop an organizational culture that accommodates all the diverse cultures in the workforce of an organization. Each of the members of the team is then needed to have an understanding of the way of life of every other member and the accepted codes of conduct in their culture. The situation is exacerbated for multinational corporations. A multinational corporation is an organization that has operations in several countries (Dlabay, Scott & Scott, 2010, p.121). Certain difficulties are encountered when the management of organizations deals with clients from across the globe. This calls for a differential approach to be applied in each region since the cultures are defined and instituted differently. What is desirable in a given culture may not be desirable in another culture. Similarly, the culture of a group of people will dictate other aspects like tastes and preferences that are essential considerations for the developer and dealer in a particular product. This will dictate the types of product/services to be provided by a given multinational organization in a given country or region. How the Firms Can Consider Geography in Designing Marketing Strategy Marketing of the products or services is a key step in the operations of the organization and it should consider the influence of geographical locations on the culture and ultimate consumer behavior of customers. Marketing is one of the fundamental processes involved in business operations. Various changes are recorded in international businesses that have different implications for the organizations (Gilligan & Hird, 1986, p.1). After developing a product or services, a company is challenged with the responsibility of getting the customers to know about, and purchase, the products and services. Thus, developing proper marketing strategy does not only consist in developing quality product but also on the ability to develop relationships with the clients. By understanding that cultural diversity exists among the clients, the management of an organization is able to develop a good connection with the stakeholders, especially the clients. It enables them to build trust and strong relationships (White et al, 2005, p.3). The mode of advertisement used by a company may affect how the company carries on in a given region. The geographical factors may affect the kinds of media that are accessible by a given population. For instance, it is likely that individuals residing in cities and large urban centers have more exposure to modern technology media like internet as compared to their counterparts in the rural areas. The individuals in the remote rural regions may have access to other media sources like radio as compared to the internet or newspapers. Thus, an organization will choose on the appropriate mode of advertisement depending on the regions that it wishes to have establishment. Companies that fail to recognize the cultural market segmentation in advertisement are likely to suffer in the future market (James & Swartz, 2005, p.44). Other than accessibility to different advertisement media, the geographical locations are also characterized by variations in tones terminology. The marketing department should capture the subcultures through cross-cultural advertisement campaigns (Cho, Holcombe, and Murphy, 2004, p.4).The marketing executives have to learn to communicate differently in the different regions according to the conventional systems of communication. The advertisement should consider the type of individuals to be attracted (Evins-Ketron, n.d, p.5). Geographical factors are also an important consideration in market segmentation. The tastes, values, and traditions vary across different geographical regions. A proper corporate strategy will then call for the development of a variety products that meet the needs of customers in different regions (Jameson, 2007, p.213). Due to the interaction with a number of other factors, the market among individuals from the same ethnicity, racial origin, or nationality and within the same industry is often different in different geographical locations. Jameson (2007) observes that, within the US grocery industry, the Hispanic market in Miami is significantly different from the Hispanic market in another place like Kansas. Some groups have also been culturally assimilated and practice different cultures when at different places (Radzievsky & Radzievsky, n.d). Conclusion The culture has a strong influence on the success of business organization that operates across several counties. The geography, as a component of culture, is essential in developing the marketing strategy to survive in such a market. The culture has a strong hidden force that affects the interactions between individuals especially on the global scene. The culture of a group of people will define their way of life including their consumer behaviors towards certain products and services. The variations in culture are a serious challenge to the organizations that operate in several countries across the globe. Geographical locations of individuals are a key determinant of the culture associated with the individuals. Thus, a proper marketing strategy for international business organizations will be developed if the geographical components of culture are considered at the initial stages of the business strategy development. References Becker, K. (2000). Culture and international business. London: Routledge Cho, C., Holcombe, J., & Murphy, D., (2004). Multicultural Marketing in Contemporary U.S. Markets Insights Marketing Group. Retrieved from http://www.insights-marketing.com/Documents/Multicultural+Marketing+in+Contemporary+US+Markets.pdf Czinkota, M., & Ronkainen, I. (2007). International marketing. Eighth edition. OH: Cengage Learning. Dlabay, L., Scott, J., & Scott, J. (2010). International Business. Fourth edition. OH: Cengage Learning. Evins-Ketron, B. (N.d). Market evolution: Marketing to the Mexican American female. Retrieved from http://web3.unt.edu/honors/eaglefeather/wp-content/2009/02/evins-ketron-bethany-pdf.pdf Gilligan, C., & Hird, M. (1986). International marketing: strategy and management. Beckenham: Taylor & Francis Jameson, D. (2007). Reconceptualizing Cultural Identity and Its Role in Intercultural Business communication. Journal of Business Communication, 44(3): 199-235. James, J., & Swartz, J. (2005). The multicultural paradigm. Journal of Integrated Marketing Communications. Retrieved from http://www.pwhoffmann.com/jimccurrent.pdf#page=45 Onkvisit, S., & Shaw, J. (2008). International marketing: strategy and theory. Fifth Edition. New York: Taylor & Francis. Radzievsky, Y., & Radzievsky, A. (N.d). To Be or Not to Be Depends on Who You Want to Be Multiculturalism, at a Crossroads, Needs to Redefine Itself. Retrieved from http://multicultural.com/multicultural_markets/multicultural. Tomlinson, J. (2003). Globalization and Cultural Identity. Retrieved from http://www.polity.co.uk/global/pdf/gtreader2etomlinson.pdf. White, K. et al. (2005). Cultural Identity and Teaching. On Point Series. Retrieved from http://urbanschools.org/pdf/cultural.identity.LETTER.pdf. Read More