A Critical Review of Cross-Cultural Issues in Marketing Rese

“Culture is a learned, shared, compelling, interrelated set of symbols whose meanings provide a set of orientations for members of a society. These orientations, taken together, provide solutions to problems that all societies must solve if they are to remain viable” (Joynt & Warner 1996, adapted from Terpstra & David). There are a variety of issues that affect all marketing research. This essay will give a brief insight into cross-cultural marketing and attempt to examine four cross-cultural issues that concern international marketing research: Measurement Unreliability; Equivalence; EMIC versus ETIC; and Ethnocentricity.

Theories of globalisation and standardisation of marketing practises are widespread. On the one hand, the world is becoming more homogeneous, and distinctions between national markets are not only fading but, for some products, will disappear altogether.

‘The world is becoming a common market place in which people – no matter where they live – des

Adaptation of marketing research methods may be required across different cultures due to varying factors. However, this adaptation raises questions over the reliability of any data gathered. “There is evidence that insufficient attention is given not only to non-sampling errors and other problems that can exist in improperly conducted multicultural studies, but also to the appropriateness of consumer research measures that have not been tested in multicultural contexts.” (Cateora & Ghauri, 2000, adapted from Aaker & Keller, 1993). However, Mayer wrote that the problem of non-sampling error had not gone unrecognised in cross-cultural marketing research literature. He wrote that the emphasis tended to be on “procedures for controlling and minimizing (sic) measurement error rather than on diagnosing and estimating its magnitude empirically, much less coping with its inevitability presence.” (Mayer, 1978). If the reliability of data gathered should vary from one country to another but was not detected, the threat to the validity of conclusions drawn from a cross-national study posed by this condition could have considerable implications, especially since the question of how markets compare with one another is the imperative concern in such investigations.

This is a generalisation, but the truth remains that varying cultures view the same practices and products in different lights. The consumer behaviour of the customer differs internationally and as a result research practices have to reflect and take into account these variances in order to gather as accurate information as possible.

“In the U.K. it is deemed disrespectful not to finish a meal provided by your host…whereas in China, if you do, it is questioning the generosity of your host”

This is a problem that is recently being addressed due to its significant importance in cross-cultural marketing research.

In order market cross-culturally, marketers must determine the cultural viability of markets. Marketers should identify cultural factors that can be used to facilitate the marketing program in the target markets. These factors may or may not exist in the targeted markets; a successful marketer is able to make use of those already existent factors while create other non-existent factors.

Some topics in this essay:
Phillip Morris, Boyacigiller Adler, Green White, Lowe UK’s, Lord Novick, Aaker Keller, North Americans, Marketing Theories, Malpass Dawson, Tools Cross-cultural, marketing research, cross-cultural marketing, marketing mix, international marketing, cross-cultural marketing research, green white, measurement reliability, white 2001, similarities differences, 2000 adapted, studied issue, green white 2001, marketing influences culture, international marketing research, emic versus etic,