2. (TCO E) You lead a team of marketing professionals. At a recent team meeting, Curtis and Andrea got into an argument in front of you and are no longer speaking to each other. Curtis came to you and complained that Andrea always tries to get all of the attention. Andrea came to you with that same complaint about Curtis after the argument. Recently you and your entire team took the Life Styles Inventory (LSI). Andrea is Conventional while Curtis is Competitive. Your style is Humanistic-Encouraging. You plan to hold a meeting with the three of you. What four specific things will you cover and how will you approach each part of the communication differently based on the LSI results? (Points : 45)
3. (TCO F) Eagle Standard Inc., (ESI) a major engineering firm, specializes in designing aircraft parts for government contracts. ESI employs project managers and 42 engineers who are divided into project groups of six to seven members. The majority of project team leaders have spent time in France and Britain learning new technology.
The Eagle 6 Project Team, consisting of six engineers, is developing new equipment for a jet fighter. The project has been ongoing for 18 months, and all six engineers have been with this project group since its inception, working together on all of these projects. Eagle 6 works well together.
However, the Eagle 6 team has the most technical project, and its engineers have been working too much overtime. The senior project manager, Bruce Chalnick, interviewed and hired a new engineer to help out, Richard Hue. Richard has good qualifications and seems to be knowledgeable and motivated. The work is challenging and gives him the opportunity to showcase his computer skills and engineering knowledge. Two weeks in, he quickly became a contributing member of the team, showing initiative and the willingness to work overtime and weekends to research possible solutions to potential problems. Richard was particularly adept with the computer system, and Bruce is ecstatic about his new hire. Richard is a loner, on and off the job. He is from Country X, a small island with a high power-distance culture; all of the other members of the team were born and raised in the United States.
After 3 months, Richard's learning curve had just about peaked, and he began to suggest new ways of doing things. He offered to mentor the other engineers, but each time he was rebuffed. He then went to Bruce Chalnick and asked for another part of the program to work on. At that point, a senior member of Eagle 6, Tim Flossner, met with Bruce to discuss Richard. Tim stated he was speaking for the rest of the team, and said Richard is stuck up and arrogant. Tim said he and the other team members felt Richard flaunts his education and knowledge, and none of them like him. In fact, they can't stand him.
Bruce told Tim that Richard thinks that the rest of the team are slackers who talk about bowling and sports instead of working. Richard thinks he is dislik.
2. (TCO E) You lead a team of marketing professionals. At a recent.docx
1. 2. (TCO E) You lead a team of marketing professionals. At a
recent team meeting, Curtis and Andrea got into an argument in
front of you and are no longer speaking to each other. Curtis
came to you and complained that Andrea always tries to get all
of the attention. Andrea came to you with that same complaint
about Curtis after the argument. Recently you and your entire
team took the Life Styles Inventory (LSI). Andrea is
Conventional while Curtis is Competitive. Your style is
Humanistic-Encouraging. You plan to hold a meeting with the
three of you. What four specific things will you cover and how
will you approach each part of the communication differently
based on the LSI results? (Points : 45)
3. (TCO F) Eagle Standard Inc., (ESI) a major engineering firm,
specializes in designing aircraft parts for government contracts.
ESI employs project managers and 42 engineers who are divided
into project groups of six to seven members. The majority of
project team leaders have spent time in France and Britain
learning new technology.
The Eagle 6 Project Team, consisting of six engineers, is
developing new equipment for a jet fighter. The project has
been ongoing for 18 months, and all six engineers have been
with this project group since its inception, working together on
all of these projects. Eagle 6 works well together.
However, the Eagle 6 team has the most technical project, and
its engineers have been working too much overtime. The senior
project manager, Bruce Chalnick, interviewed and hired a new
engineer to help out, Richard Hue. Richard has good
qualifications and seems to be knowledgeable and motivated.
The work is challenging and gives him the opportunity to
showcase his computer skills and engineering knowledge. Two
weeks in, he quickly became a contributing member of the team,
2. showing initiative and the willingness to work overtime and
weekends to research possible solutions to potential problems.
Richard was particularly adept with the computer system, and
Bruce is ecstatic about his new hire. Richard is a loner, on and
off the job. He is from Country X, a small island with a high
power-distance culture; all of the other members of the team
were born and raised in the United States.
After 3 months, Richard's learning curve had just about peaked,
and he began to suggest new ways of doing things. He offered
to mentor the other engineers, but each time he was rebuffed.
He then went to Bruce Chalnick and asked for another part of
the program to work on. At that point, a senior member of Eagle
6, Tim Flossner, met with Bruce to discuss Richard. Tim stated
he was speaking for the rest of the team, and said Richard is
stuck up and arrogant. Tim said he and the other team members
felt Richard flaunts his education and knowledge, and none of
them like him. In fact, they can't stand him.
Bruce told Tim that Richard thinks that the rest of the team are
slackers who talk about bowling and sports instead of working.
Richard thinks he is disliked because he's from Country X.
Bruce wants to keep everyone in the company, and more
importantly within the team, so how should Bruce handle this
problem? Detail what he should do by applying at least two
conflict management methods to enhance group and team
performance. Include roles and decision making in your
response.
(Points : 45)
Annales Universitatis Apulensis Series Oeconomica, 11(2),
2009
3. 1019
CULTURE - MAJOR DETERMINANT
OF THE EUROPEAN CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
Constantinescu Lucreţia Mariana
1
,
Goldbach Ioana Raluca
2
,
Gavrilă Graţiela
3
ABSTRACT: Consumers put in the new circumstances of the
European Union area is in the process
of adapting behavior in market relations, the conditions in
which enjoys growing prosperity, the
increased degree of civilization. How businesses will respond to
their offer of goods to the
requirements of the consumers in the European Single Market
space is a management process of
4. identifying and meeting the needs of consumers outside the
national space enterprise, taking into
account the environmental factors specific to each market
external. Purchase decision process is
identical for all countries, different final decision to purchase,
because the influences caused by
socio-economic or cultural. Cultural environment is the
composition showing the highest rigidity
factor change action, therefore, usually followed by guided
conduct business in foreign markets is
the attempt to adapt and respect the cultural values of each
country. Our work aims to highlight the
influence of cultural factors, the expression of a specific market
requirement, which makes both
kinds of products, offered to consumers and purchasing
behavior and consumption of a consumer in
the EU.
Key terms: culture, lifestyle typologies of the buyers.
JEL classification: M16, M21, M31, O52
Introduction
5. The work of international marketing, the company aims to
achieve a guidance system of
organization in international market environment, the
opportunities of liberalization and
democratization of generalized economic, material, in terms of
marketing activity, the possibility of
simultaneous operation of more many markets by generating a
single tender offer for potential
international standardization. Companies operating in the Single
Market European Economic Area
must know best their central element reference - or more
precisely that the European consumer, the
consumer of the Community. "Their target" consumers can be
located on a different stage EU
territorial space - in the local markets, national / regional or
throughout the European Single
Market.
Consumer Behavior in the European Union (EU) is the
resulting complex interface between
endogenous and exogenous factors that individual determine all
their documents directly related to
the purchase of goods / services, which include making a whole
before, causing such
6. acts.[Engel,J.,F., & al., 1968, source cited in Dobre, C., 2000 ,
p. 8].
1
Management-Marketing Dept., Faculty of economic sciences,
University VALAHIA, e-mail|:
[email protected]
2
Management-Marketing Dept., Faculty of economic sciences,
University VALAHIA, e-mail:
[email protected]
3
Management-Marketing Dept., Faculty of economic sciences,
University VALAHIA, e-mail:
[email protected]
Annales Universitatis Apulensis Series Oeconomica, 11(2),
2009
1020
1. Exogenous factors affecting the behavior
7. Co attractiveness of market segments that make up the European
Single Market motivate
businesses that offer their addresses with the consumer goods
space in the reproduction of an
original approach to marketing solutions company proven in
other markets and the need to adapt to
new target. If national market environment is characterized by a
gradual evolution of the factors of
influence, which provides the cumulative effect of relative
stability of supply and demand situation
is of special significance for the European Single Market
approach. There are different approaches
to the factors consumer behavior and categories are included. In
an attempt of synthesis of complex
factors that influence the consumer behavior in the Community
of European Single Market can
group them in:
• Socio-economic variables (external factors);
• Explanatory variables individual (internal factors).
Companies that address their supply of goods / services such
consumers should have
information about external factors affecting the behavior of the
Community, to allow conclusions
8. concerning the economic and social factors, personal and
psychological influencing behavior the
consumer.
A. Consumption of goods / services may become the means of
expression of social
differentiation, given that the products / services that consumers
in EU space uses may be
considered signs, which allow them to express their social
position.
B. Membership in a social class required for consumer spending
that sometimes members
of a social class with discretionary income it can spend on
products in their class, not yet considered
necessary. There is an ostentatious consumption of certain
social categories, with the task of
demonstrating wealth / status of the individual in society (ex.
Mercedes car brand in France is the
symbol of a successful and upper class social climbing).
Gardner B. and S. Levy after admitting that
some brands enjoy a reputation for satisfying the demands of a
wide variety of consumers, noted
that "this is not easy to meet the needs of people" belonging to
middle class society and at the same
time to draw attention / interest buyers more "sophisticated",
9. belonging to class intellectuals
[Kotler, Ph., 1998, p. 366].
Multidimensional nature of social class consumers who can
make classification difficult, as
some variables (income, for example) to approach a class, and
as others (ex. culture and education)
to depart from it. These difficulties are added and the
phenomena of social mobility that some
people may leave their parents' social class to social access to a
new level. [Lendrevie, J., & Lindon,
D., 1997, p. 161]. Marketing opportunities for businesses as the
European consumer purchasing
behavior are different depending on the individual groups are
reported and that determines the
behavior and values.
C. Reference groups influence consumer behavior and the
Community in proportion to
perceived risk is very strong for products that express the social
status of the client - such as cars
and clothing. Sometimes the reference group may be
transformed into one of belonging, the
individual is included in the group, which radically changed his
consumer behavior and buying
10. purchasing. For example, public support for the ecological
products can be obtained not only when
such products are offered and made, but if customers have an
ecological behavior in the group
which included "green consumers". Green consumer is people
who actively seek out products with
a relatively low impact on the environment and with favourable
effects on life quality. Mostly they
are educated, informed and usually can even be opinion leaders
guiding acre ecological your
community living. Surveys show that more women attach
greater importance to the acquisition
criteria related to ecological optics, making them feel more
threatened by lack of attention paid to
environmental imperatives and to become more inclined to
accept environmental solutions related
reasons the quality of their most important customers and the
ability / power to influence their
purchasing decisions of the whole society and future
generations.
Annales Universitatis Apulensis Series Oeconomica, 11(2),
2009
11. 1021
The companies’ penetration in an EU market area means that
they will enter the high-
intensity contact with macro components -marketing
environment European Single Market and they
will be obliged to observe the influence of all these factors to
approch their consumers.
2. Culture - exogenous variable with significant impact on
consumer behavior EU
Community Area
Scale international cultural event has been studied by several
experts, including noted
research conducted by Geert Hofstede in the years 1980.1984
and 1991, which enabled him to
develop a model hierarchy of the world. They identified four
components that define national
cultural dimensions [Dumitru, I., 2004, p.115]:
• Distance from power - measuring the distance between
individuals are in different
hierarchical levels;
• Avoiding uncertainty - how people feel threatened or not
12. changes future;
• Individualism Vs. Collectivism - the relationship between
individuals and their peers
mainly manifested by individual activity / team;
• Masculinity. Vs. Femininity - an inclination to values that are
mainly two categories.
Cultural influences both in terms of elements within the culture
(ex. cultural variability, complexity
and cultural hostility) and intercultural elements represented by
the heterogeneity and cultural
interdependence affects the light action on consumer.
[Bradley,F., 2001, p. 164] are considered the
following components that change consumer behavior: cultural
factors, cultural messages and
making decisions by the consumer.[] [fig.no.1].
Fig.no.1- Influence of culture on the European consumer
Source, Jeannet, J., Hennessey, H., D. 1995, p. 71
Meaning "all values of the perceptions, desires and behaviours
13. acquired by a members of
society from their family or important institutions", culture is
reflected in a set of elements,
including material culture, religion, language, system values
and attitudes, customs, aesthetics,
social organization, education. Only by taking into account
cultural factors can "explain proper
consumption models and consumer behaviour in different
markets.[Kotler, Ph.. & al., 1998, p.250;
343].
How acting independently in these components of culture
creates cultural values - universal
or culture-specific - which generates local decision
standardization or adaptation of marketing mix
elements of the enterprise. [Danciu, V., 2001, p.77].
The main cultural value of a society depends on people's
outlook about themselves and
about others, about the various organizations, society, values
and univers.[Danciu, V., 2001, 78]
Related to meet their specific culture more secondary crops
materialized in " peaple groups -
different nationalities, religions, ethnic groups and geographic
regions - who share their value
14. systems based on common life experiences and situations. Many
of these secondary crops constitute
important segments of the market, which companies operating
in the EU must to meet their needs. It
should be borne in mind that consumers belonging to some
secondary crops will influence the
preference for certain foods, clothing items, agrement options
and objectives of their careers.
[Kotler, Ph.. & Al., 1998, p. 2].
In the EU Community noted several trends are notable:
Cultural
factors
Text messages
Process of
making
purchasing
decisions
Behavior
15. Annales Universitatis Apulensis Series Oeconomica, 11(2),
2009
1022
• A trend of homogeneity, the spread of the Nordic model,
characterized among other indices,
especially the structure of consumption expenditures, which
appear to be geared mainly for
housing, health and leisure beyond national borders. The result
of this trend is the
emergence of "euro-elite", yet minority, but technology-
intensive products and services.
Euroelitele possess usually a car, mobile phone, an international
credit card with unlimited
usage, speak English, they keep their body weight control (play
sports) and are sensitive to
issues of ecology. Were outlined as three segments of
consumers in the EU population,
which prove to be the most permeable mixing, in terms of
purchasing and consumption
behaviour:
� Young;
16. � Opinion leaders;
� Businessmen.
• A tendency to Mediterranean re-balance, (especially the
youngs) of the northern and
southern lifestyles, each leaving to win by a system of thought
and action belonging to other
cultural spheres. The notes to the young in Germany and
Denmark a trend characterized by
exuberance, greater sociability, challenging individual success
model focused on work and
money. Conversely, young people in Italy and Spain seem to
have attracted more than those
in the age of this model of individual success. Also noted a
greater tendency to equality of
persons, between the two groups of gender, dynamic economic
and social life by increasing
participation of women in such activities.
• A temporal approach in terms of representation in business
context, the economic Latin
temporal patterns normative Anglo-Saxon and particularly the
management of American
origin. The highlights thus produced European cultural
dynamics of international economic
17. changes, cultural patterns worldwide. However, during office
who gives the pulse of society,
remain in the European community still dominated by national
specificities of each country;
• The existence of large groups of people relatively
homogeneous in terms of social values
and lifestyles.
3. Lifestyle – essential element to characterize the behaviour of
European consumers
Lately manifested an increased interest in characterizing the
population - and hence the
Community consumer - in terms of lifestyle. Lifestyle shows, in
fact, generally in sour individual
acts in society, influenced by cultural and economic factors.
Over the life of a person can pass
through many lifestyles, each amounting to changes in its value
and its purchasing behaviours.
[Florescu, C., Mâlcomete, P., Pop, N., Al., 2003, p. 662]
The most common classifications relevant to the lifestyles of
consumers in the EU area -
named as consumer euro-typologies - belong Advanced
Communication Centre (ACC) and RISC
Institute, both in France, SRI Europe Europanel and SINUS
18. (Germany).
Research conducted by the ACC every five years - as landmarks
with materialism and
values, nomadism and rootedness - distinguished 6 groups and
17 subgroups lifestyles of
Europeans:
1) Ambitious : dandy, Rocky opportunistic businessman;
2) "Cocoons": Rocky-ego, Romantics, Squadra - provincial,
"withdrawn";
3) Materialists: Olvidados (frustrations), alert, cautious;
4) Nomanzii: protest, Pioneer;
5) Makers: scouts (scouts, hungry for knowledge, spirit
citizenship);
6) Notables: moralist, traditionalists and ultra-conservators.
SINUS Company GmbH in Germany has identified five social
classes and underlying values
that influence its European consumer lifestyle:
1) Basic guidelines with care to preserve the traditional;
2) Orientation to materialistic desire to have;
Annales Universitatis Apulensis Series Oeconomica, 11(2),
19. 2009
1023
3) Values Elementary: hedonism, delights;
4) Values that change: post-materialism - there;
5) Values ephemeral: postmodernism - have, to exist, to spoil.
The result of this request was to have identified two types of
values - traditional and
materialistic - and six social groups: conservative,
traditionalist, traditional working class, the
current trend, people who set the trend, vanguard, social critics
and non privileged. From the
perspective of three dimensions of lifestyles, apparent in these
studies – “progressive-conservative”,
“materialistic-spiritual” and “rational-emotional” ACC is
considered first and strongest contrast,
distinguishing interests "euro-progressives" (dude, business
people, protesters and pioneers) and
"euro-conservators" (careful, vigilant, low - bourgeois,
rigorous). The notes and another set of
beliefs - that of "Euro-rockers" - highly emotional and
materialistic, which is not manifest in any
20. of the specific ways the two styles.
All studies so far have confirmed the existence of European
lifestyles of different countries
beyond the space community, but the similarities are more
evident when Europeans richer than the
poor. It confirms what R. Lynch noted, already a decade ago,
that "European consumers can now
vary from individual groups, distinct, with little in common, in
those groups with a common
European identity”. [Lynch, R., 2001, cap.5, source cited in
Adăscăliţei,V., 2005, p.78-79].
In conjunction with this research specific final consumption
goods and services offered in
the market resulting expression in a much larger market to a
joint application of EU space for
durable goods to luxury items and even for some Non-durable
goods - pharmaceuticals and
cosmetics - as a result of their great homogeneity within the
EU. It is noted also for a range of
services - banking, insurance, consulting, etc. - A common
request in the Community, which also
calls for Euro-consumers.
21. Conclusions
Free movement of goods, persons and capital within the EU will
mean an increasing
homogenization of lifestyles of community citizens. Rising
competition compels companies to align
internationalization, because otherwise they are threatened by a
clear disadvantage in the
competition in the market. Conscious orientation towards
customer focus organization requires
business concern to know the needs, desires and problems
existing and potential customers. The
whole enterprise market is divided according to certain criteria
which market segments is working
on a conscious and nuanced.
In the EU economic space, a global market on the 27de
countries, for firms address their
supply of consumer goods / Customer Community market
success of this market offers alternative
processing Community standards or different, according to
national specificities that range for his
Th. Levitt "Think Global, Act Local".
European consumer behaviour requires experienced, analyzed in
terms of influences
22. manifested by action external and internal factors that can shape
behaviour or purchase and
consumption. While there are currently more cultural
similarities of the strong, it is the European
cultural environment in actually specifies an interpenetration of
convergence and the peculiarities
across the EU. European single market can be segmented by
criteria such as membership of a social
class, lifestyle, but also criterias related to European consumers
behaviour. The most important
cultural factors which affect international business are
considered the following: language, religion,
education, representations and consumer value judgments
manifested by the creation of reference
groups, social organization that generate different social
classes. Habits seen as a behavioural
dimension in market economy conditions, is the fruit of past
experiences, who put their mark on the
habit of buying, the manner of purchasing differences tooth
habits of the population in various EU
countries are marked by ethnic traditions, cultural or religious.
Entrepreneurs must researche the
formative factors of different patterns of consumption and their
mode of interaction, their intensity
23. of expression and relationship they have shopping habits.
Annales Universitatis Apulensis Series Oeconomica, 11(2),
2009
1024
Over to the EU market and the institutions of pan-European
decision making, sense of European
identity is growing. A pan-European marketing (Euro-
Marketing) will gain importance for SMEs
outside of the brands.
The future will belong to products with an European vocation
offered a common consumer-
the European consumer.
References:
1. Adăscăliţei,V., 2005. Euromarketing – 2
nd
edition, Edition Uranus, Bucharest.
2. Bradley, F., 2001. International Marketing, Edition Teora,
Bucharest.
24. 3. Danciu,V., 2001. Marketing internaţional – De la tradiţional
la global, Edition Economic,
Bucharest.
4. Dobre, C., 2000. Consumer Behavior, Edition Horizons
University, Timişoara.
5. Dumitru, I., 2005. Marketing strategic – O abordare în
perspectiva globalizării, Edition
Uranus, Bucharest.
6. Florescu, C., Mâlcomete,P., Pop, N.Al., 2003. Marketing:
Dicţionar explicativ, Edition
Economic, Bucharest.
7. Jeannet, J., Hennessey,H.,D., 1995. Global Marketing
Strategies, 3
rd
edition, Houghton
Co. Miffin., International Edition.
8. Kotler, Ph.., Armstrong,G., Sanders,J., Wong,V., 1999.
Principles of marketing, European
edition, Edition Teora, Bucharest.
9. Lendrevile, J., Lindon,D., 1997. Mercator, Théorie et
practique de marketing, Edition
Dalloz, Paris.
25. 10. Lynch, R., 2001. European Marketing, A Guide to the New
Opportunities, Kogan Page
Ltd., London.
11. Ries, A., Trout,J., 1981. Positioning: The Batlle of your
mind, McGraw Hill, New York.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
Assisting cross-border manager adjustment: Psycho-cultural and
socio-cultural interventions
Fish, Alan
Personnel Review; 2005; 34, 2; ABI/INFORM Global
pg. 225
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
26. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
27. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
28. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
#1. DUE Thursday 1/ 08 /2015 NOON…. Continue working
with the company you originally chose from the Fortune’s 500
Best List ( Johnson & Johnson)
http://archive.fortune.com/magazines/fortune/mostadmired/2006
/best_worst/worst8.html
Detail Directions (See Below) – CLASSROOM FORUM
DISCUSSION
1. Perform research (minimum of 2 sources in APA format).
2. Identify the country cluster (as identified in the text) for
both your Domestic and Global environments.
3. Include sociocultural factors that may help and hinder the
company and its operations in 2 different cluster countries.
4. Evaluate their successes and/or failures.
5. Minimum 4 complete paragraphs; a paragraph is a
minimum of 100 words.
29. *****Use this as one of the References: Use at least one of
the sources provided below in “Reading / Resources: “.
#2 . DUE Saturday 1/ 10 /2015- NOON . Continue working
with your chosen company from Fortune’s 500 Worst List (
Chosen Company is “Google”)
http://archive.fortune.com/magazines/fortune/mostadmired/2006
/best_worst/worst8.html
Detail Directions (See Below) – FORMAL PAPER
Assignment Instructions
1. Using your Domestic and Global Environments
(countries) and the opposing cultural clusters (as identified in
International business: theory and practice) identify which
cluster(s) your two countries fit.
2. Identify the socio-cultural parts of each country as related
to business for your company.
a. You will need to examine these with the aid of Geert
Hofstede.
3. Identify and discuss the various sociocultural aspects of
each country. Do they differ? How? What are the similarities?
4. How would these factors affect your company’s business
in your Domestic and Global Environments (countries)?
5. Research requirement: minimum 2 sources PLUS the text
and Hofstede.
6. Page requirement: 3 pages in APA format.
Note: ALL Assignments are submitted to turnitin.com and
checked for originality.
****Use this as one of the References: Use at least one of the
sources provided below in “Reading / Resources: “.
30. ADDITIONAL NOTES / INFORMATION:
The Social environment consists of how consumers, households
and communities behave and their beliefs. For instance, changes
in attitude towards health, or a greater number of pensioners in
a population. The sociocultural environment will be language,
aesthetics, education, religion, attitudes, values, social groups
& organizations, and business custom practices. You will now
begin to compare the social and cultural environments of the
domestic and global cultures of your chosen Fortune 500 Best
List Company. Continue to Lesson 6 for more information and
details.
What is sociocultural? Just as the political/legal environment
had many facets to it, so too does the sociocultural
environment. Its two main categories are society and culture.
Society can be defined as a political and social entity defined by
its geography. For instance, we have the US society, but we also
have the society of the south, the north, Midwest, and west. For
this week, just focus on the overall country’s society (i.e. the
US). Since people make up a society, the cultures will be vastly
different depending on where you go, even with countries that
speak the same language. Take the US and England, for
instance. Both speak English, but both are vastly different.
There is a cultural barrier that exists. A culture is comprised of
its attitudes, beliefs, and customs of its people. The
International business: theory and practice text incorporates a
great table (9.1) that symbolizes some common things in all
cultures, like time.
When deciding to become a global company, it is important to
understand the sociocultural factors of the country you want to
enter. For instance, what are the attitudes and beliefs about
work and leisure time? In the US, it’s work, work, and work. In
France, for instance, they are required to take a month for
vacation and it is usually in the summer (July or August). Their
31. typical work week is 35 hours.
Geert Hofstede is a well known researcher on various aspects of
this topic for numerous countries. He created 5 cultural
dimensions and shows where each country is with each
dimension. For instance, the Power Distance Index (PDI)
identifies how the power is distributed in the country among its
members (family and organizations, women and men). Japan,
for example, values the power of seniority; it is expected the
lower level workers show respect to the higher level employees
and the higher up you are the more power you have. How is this
helpful for a global environment? If you are an American
business person going into Japan to conduct business, you need
to be very aware of their hierarchy. Certain people can make
decisions. Certain people are not included in negotiations.
Remember, you are in their country. In addition, use
the BUSN310 guide for additional resources.
All Sources must be “Scholarly Article or Book”. A scholarly
article or book generally is based on original research or
experimentation. It is written by a researcher or expert in the
field who is often affiliated with a college or university. Most
scholarly writing includes footnotes and/or a bibliography and
may include graphs or charts as illustrations as opposed to
glossy pictures. In addition, articles that appear in scholarly
journals or book that are published by academic presses, are
subject to a peer-review process, which means that other
"experts" or specialist in the field evaluate the quality and
originality of the research as precondition of publication. The
peer-review (as opposed to editorial review) process is also one
thing that sets scholarly journals apart from journals that may
otherwise seem quite similar. Journals such as Foreign
Affairs, for instance, are generally not considers "scholarly
journals," because many of the articles are solicited by the
magazine's editors; in addition many of the articles are written
by policy-makers who may be expressing an informed view, but
whose article may not be based on original research.Scholarly
research is typically published by a academic association or a
32. university/academic press. In international relations and
comparative politics, representative scholarly journals
include Asian Survey, Comparative Politics, International
Organization, International Security Studies, Journal of
Comparative Politics, Journal of Democracy, and World
Politics.
Reading / Resources:
You are not limited to the below:
· Global Agricultural Marketing Management: Cultural
environment Chapter 3
http://www.fao.org/docrep/W5973E/w5973e00.htm#Contents
· Export Help: Socio-cultural environment
thttp://www.exporthelp.co.za/modules/1_considering_exporting/
env_sociocultural.html
· Geert Hofstede: http://geert-hofstede.com/
· Fish, A. (2005). Assisting cross-border manager adjustment:
Psycho-cultural and socio-cultural interventions. Personnel
Review, 34(2), 225-245, located in BUSN310 campus course
guide, articles.
· Mariana, C. L., Raluca, G. I., & Gratiela, G. (2009). Culture -
major determinant of the European consumer behavior. Annales
Universitatis Apulensis: Series Oeconomica, 11(2), 1019-1024,
located inBUSN310 campus course guide, articles.
· Livermore, David. Leading with cultural intelligence: the new
secret to success. New York: American Management
Association, 2010. Chapters 1, 2, 4, located in BUSN310
campus course guide, eReserves.
· Thomas, David C., and Inkson, Kerr. Cultural intelligence:
Living and working globally. Williston, Vermont: Berrett-
Koehler Publishers, 2009. Chapters 1, 4, 5, located in BUSN310
33. campus course guide, eReserves.
· Keping, Yu; Thornton, John L.; Li, Cheng. Democracy is a
good thing: Essays on politics, society, and culture in
contemporary china. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution
Press, 2009. Chapters 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 11, located in BUSN310
campus course guide, eReserves.