Free Marketing Dissertations - As Trompenaars (1997) Writes: The Essence Of Culture Is Not What Is Visible
As Trompenaars (1997) writes: the essence of culture is not what is visible on the surface. It is the shared ways groups of people understand and interpret the world.
Today’s international business managers face a number of challenges and need to be equipped with the right knowledge and tools to be successful in the current, highly competitive business environment. Trompenaars (1997) also writes:
if business people want to gain understanding of and allegiance to their corporate goals, policies, products or services, wherever they are doing business, they must understand what those and other aspects of management mean in different culture.
Typically, Anglo-Saxon countries still seem to underestimate and neglect cultural differences perhaps due to the global presence American companies have achieved. We have described only one example of a society not being able to adopt a specific management application. Unfortunately, many more examples exist and it is the managers’ task to identify which management systems are most likely to be meet success in a specific country. The only way to achieve this is by studying cultural differences and interactions.
Ideally, when considering the marketing mix, the organisation should have already been educated on how to manage cultural differences. For instance, if a company is to undertake any promotional activity in a foreign country, it is necessary that it is aware of what is regarded as ‘acceptable’ by that society. For example, in Italy is perfectly fine to show a girl wearing ‘tiny’ underwear’ on a billboard. In America, this would be against the norm.
Likewise, products and services need to be adapted to the local tastes and needs. An example is Coca-Cola it does not taste the same in every country. In some countries is sweeter than in others. In Germany, consumers like ‘sparkling apple juice’.
Additionally, prices have to be adapted to the local standards of living and economic situations. Not to mention the fact that each country ‘values’ a product in a different way.
To compete successfully in the global market, companies have to develop sustainable international strategies but most of all, they need to be aware of cultural differences that exist among countries and learn to manage them. Cultural factors have a greater impact n an organisation, than non-cultural factors and this is clearly demonstrated by the failed attempt to impose one management style on all a distinct difference exists on how people view and regard management applications and theories.
Bibliography.
Trompenaars, F.; Hampden-Turner C. 1997.
