Consumer Psychology

Culture

Submitted to: Miss Maryam Munir Submitted by: Wajeeha Hashmi Major: Applied Psychology Semester: IV

How cultural values have changed in Pakistan over the last generation? Why understanding foreign culture is important in international market?

Culture: Culture refers to the cumulative deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles, spatial relations, concepts of the universe, and material objects and possessions acquired by a group of people in the course of generations through individual and group striving. Culture is the systems of knowledge shared by a relatively large group of people. Culture in its broadest sense is cultivated behavior; that is the totality of a person's learned, accumulated experience which is socially transmitted, or more briefly, behavior through social learning. A culture is a way of life of a group of people--the behaviors, beliefs, values, and symbols that they accept, generally without thinking about them, and that are passed along by communication and imitation from one generation to the next. It is symbolic communication. Some of its symbols include a group's skills, knowledge, attitudes, values, and motives. The meanings of the symbols are learned and deliberately perpetuated in a society through its institutions. It consists of patterns, explicit and implicit, of and for behavior acquired and transmitted by symbols, constituting the distinctive achievement of human groups, including their embodiments in artifacts; the essential core of culture consists of traditional ideas and especially their attached values; culture systems may, on the one hand, be considered as products of action, on the other hand, as conditioning influences upon further action. It is also the sum of total of the learned behavior of a group of people that are generally considered to be the tradition of that people and are transmitted from generation to generation. Finally, culture is a collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another (Wagner, 2008). Cultural values: A culture's values are its ideas about what is good, right, fair, and just. Sociologists disagree, however, on how to conceptualize values. Conflict theory focuses on how values differ between groups within a culture, while functionalism focuses on the shared values within a culture. For example, American sociologist Robert K. Merton suggested that the most important values in American society are wealth, success, power, and prestige, but that everyone does not have an equal opportunity to attain these values. Functional sociologist Talcott Parsons noted that Americans share the common value of the American work ethic, which encourages hard work.
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Other sociologists have proposed a common core of American values, including accomplishment, material success, problem-solving, reliance on science and technology, democracy, patriotism, charity, freedom, equality and justice, individualism, responsibility, and accountability (Chryssochoou, 2004). Change in Pakistans cultural values over the last generation:

Pakistan has a rich and unique culture that has preserved established traditions throughout 5000 years of history. Many of these cultural practices, foods, monuments, and shrines were inherited from the rule of Muslim, Mughal and Afghan emperors. The national dress of shalwar qamiz is originally of Central Asian origin derived from TurkoIranian nomadic invaders and is today worn in all parts of Pakistan. Women wear bright colored shalwar qamiz, while men often wear solid-colored ones. In cities western dress is also popular among the youth, lawyers and the business sector. The variety of Pakistani music ranges from diverse provincial folk music and traditional styles such as Qawwali and Ghazal Gayaki to modern forms fusing traditional and western music (including rap, reggae and funk music), such as the synchronization of Qawwali and western music by the world renowned Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. In addition Pakistan is home to many famous folk singers such as the late Alam Lohar, who is also well known in India. The arrival of Afghan refugees in the western provinces has rekindled Pashto and Persian music and established Peshawar as a hub for Afghan musicians and a distribution centre for Afghan music abroad. Until the 1990s, the state-owned Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) and Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation were the dominant media outlets, but there are now numerous private television channels. Various American, European, Indian and Asian television channels and movies are available to the majority of the Pakistani population via private Television Networks, cable, and satellite television. There are also small indigenous movie industries based in Lahore and Peshawar.

Although Bollywood movies are banned from being displayed in public cinemas since 1965, Indian film stars are still generally popular in Pakistan due to the fact that Pakistanis are easily able to buy Bollywood movies from local shops for private home viewing. Pakistani society is largely multilingual and predominantly Muslim, with high regard for traditional family values, although urban families have grown into a nuclear family system due to the socio-economic constraints imposed by the traditional joint family system. Recent decades have seen the emergence of a middle class in cities like Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Faisalabad, and Peshawar that wish to move in a more liberal direction, as opposed to the northwestern regions bordering Afghanistan that remain highly conservative and dominated by centuries-old regional tribal customs. Increasing globalization has increased the influence of "Western culture" with Pakistan ranking 46th on the Kearney/FP Globalization Index. There are an approximated four million Pakistanis living abroad, with close to a half-million expatriates living in the United States and around a million living in Saudi Arabia. As well as nearly one million people of Pakistani descent in the United Kingdom, there are burgeoning cultural connections (Mir, 2007). There is a great difference between the eastern and western culture and Pakistan, being a part of the eastern world, has a set of its own cultural values. The values are largely set because of the religion that is followed in Pakistan because these values have to be in accordance with the religious morals as well. Previously Pakistans culture had been comparatively conservative. There was a set of moral codes that were followed generation after generation because children inherited them from their parents and elders. People who were westernized were seen as somewhat a social outcast. Although they werent fundamentalists or extremists, they still held on to their forefathers traditions and values. However, with the time passing by a lot of different cultures invaded the real essence of the Pakistani culture and where many values were added to it many others were subtracted from it as well. With the trends changing, people who were holding on to their previous values were now seen as outdated and were bullied. And this most affected the younger age groups because they had to face peers and friends in their institutions. As they wanted to fit-in to their social groups they altered themselves and adopted many values from other dominant cultures. Where social drugs, western outfits, late-night parties etc were thought of as
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against the values, now they were a part of everyday lives of youngsters. Obviously the coming generations having these kinds of models imitated exactly this behavior and with each generation took it a step further. Nowadays a generation gap occurs after every ten years because Pakistan is moving towards being completely culturally invaded so quickly that it is very difficult to slow down its pace let alone stop it completely. Youngsters today consider their parents and grandparents extremely outdated and fundamentalists. What they do not realize is that although we have to live in this global village, but we still have to keep our identity unique among the many cultures that exist in this world and also we have to save our culture from the invasion of other cultures so that it remains in its purest form. Today girls are dressed as boys and boys are adopting the feminine characteristics. Being vulgar is thought of as being cool and those who dress up in purely eastern outfits are targeted. These social pressures then mislead even those who do not voluntarily adopt such habits or values. Pakistan is an Islamic republic and the matter of haram and halal which was given great importance in the past is now waved off as being unimportant. People are so busy making and maintaining their social image that they forget their values and their roots. Pakistan today is very different, culturally, from the way it used to be before.

Why understanding foreign culture is important in international market: Opportunities in global business abound for those who are prepared to confront myriad obstacles with optimism and a willingness to continue learning new ways. The successful businessperson in the 21st century will have global awareness and a frame of reference that goes beyond a region or even a country and encompasses the world. To be globally aware is to have (1) tolerance of cultural differences and (2) knowledge of cultures, history, world market potential and global economic, social and political trends. Tolerance means understanding cultural differences and accepting and working with others whose behaviors may be different from yours. You do not have to accept as your own the cultural ways of another, but you must allow others to be different and equal. For example, the fact that punctuality is less important in some cultures does not make them less productive, only different. The tolerant person understands the differences that may exist between cultures and uses that knowledge to relate effectively.
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A globally aware person is knowledgeable about cultures and history. Knowledge of cultures is important in understanding behavior in marketplace or in the boardroom. Knowledge of history is important because they way people think and act is influenced by their history. Some Latin Americans reluctance about foreign investment or Chinese reluctance to open completely to outsiders can be understood better if you have a historical perspective. Global awareness can and should be built in organizations using several approaches. The obvious strategy is to select individual managers specifically for their demonstrated global awareness. Global awareness can also be obtained through personal relationships in other countries. Indeed market entry is very often facilitated through previously established social ties. Certainly successful long-term business relationships with foreign customers often result in an organizational global awareness based on the series of interactions required by commerce. Foreign agents and partners can also help directly in this regard. But perhaps the most effective approach is to have a culturally diverse senior executive staff or board of directors (Cateora, Graham & Salwan, 2008). Culture is the way that we do things around here. Culture could relate to a country (national culture), a distinct section of the community (sub-culture), or an organization (corporate culture). It is widely accepted that you are not born with a culture, and that it is learned. So, culture includes all that we have learned in relation to values and norms, customs and traditions, beliefs and religions, rituals and artifacts (i.e. tangible symbols of a culture, such as the Sydney Opera House or the Great Wall of China). Therefore international marketing needs to take into account the local culture of the country in which you wish to market. The Terpstra and Sarathy Cultural Framework help marketing managers to assess the cultural nature of an international market. It is very straight-forward, and uses eight categories in its analysis. The Eight categories are Language, Religion, Values and Attitudes, Education, Social Organizations, Technology and Material Culture, Law and Politics and Aesthetics. Language:

With language one should consider whether or not the national culture is predominantly a high context culture or a low context culture (Hall and Hall 1986). The concept relates to the balance between the verbal and the non-verbal communication. In a low context culture spoken language carries the emphasis of the communication i.e. what is said is what is meant. Examples include Australia and the Netherlands. In a high context culture verbal communications tend not to carry a direct message i.e. what is said may not be what is meant. So with a high context culture hidden cultural meaning needs to be considered, as does body language. Examples of a high context cultures include Japan and some Arabic nations. Religion: The nature and complexity of the different religions an international marketer could encounter is pretty diverse. The organization needs to make sure that their products and services are not offensive, unlawful or distasteful to the local nation. This includes marketing promotion and branding. In China in 2007 (which was the year of the pig) all advertising which included pictures of pigs was banned. This was to maintain harmony with the country's Muslim population of around 2%. The ban included pictures of sausages that contained pork, and even advertising that included an animated (cartoon) pig. In 2005 France's Catholic Church won a court injunction to ban a clothing advertisement (by clothing designers Marithe and Francois Girbaud) based upon Leonardo da Vinci's Christ's Last Supper.

Values and Attitudes: Values and attitudes vary between nations, and even vary within nations. So if you are planning to take a product or service overseas make sure that you have a good grasp the locality before you
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enter the market. This could mean altering promotional material or subtle branding messages. There may also be an issue when managing local employees. For example, in France workers tend to take vacations for the whole of August, whilst in the United States employees may only take a couple of week's vacation in an entire year. In 2004, China banned a Nike television commercial showing U.S. basketball star LeBron James in a battle with animated cartoon kung fu masters and two dragons, because it was argued that the ad insults Chinese national dignity. In 2006, Tourism Australian launched its ad campaign entitled "So where the bloody hell are you?" in Britain. The $130 million (US) campaign was banned by the British Advertising Standards Authority from the United Kingdom. The campaign featured all the standard icons of Australia such as beaches, deserts, and coral reefs, as well as traditional symbols like the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The commentary ran: "We've poured you a beer and we've had the camels shampooed, we've saved you a spot on the beach. We've even got the sharks out of the pool,". Education: The level and nature of education in each international market will vary. This may impact the type of message or even the medium that you employ. For example, in countries with low literacy levels, advertisers would avoid communications which depended upon written copy, and would favor radio advertising with an audio message or visual media such as billboards. The labeling of products may also be an issue. In the People's Republic of China a nationwide system of public education is in place, which includes primary schools, middle schools (lower and upper), and universities. Nine years of education is compulsory for all Chinese students. In Finland school attendance is compulsory between the ages of 7 and 16, the first nine years of education (primary and secondary school) are compulsory, and the pupils go to their local school.

The education after primary school is divided to the vocational and academic systems, according to the old German model. In Uganda schooling includes 7 years of primary education, 6 years of secondary education (divided into 4 years of lower secondary and 2 years of upper secondary school), and 3 to 5 years of post-secondary education. Social Organizations: This aspect of Terpstra and Sarathy's Cultural Framework relates to how a national society is organized. For example, what is the role of women in a society? How is the country governed centralized or devolved? The level influence of class or casts upon a society needs to be considered. For example, India has an established caste system - and many Western countries still have an embedded class system. So social mobility could be restricted where caste and class systems are in place. Whether or not there are strong trade unions will impact upon management decisions if you employ local workers. Technology and Material Culture: Technology is a term that includes many other elements. It includes questions such as is there energy to power our products? Is there a transport infrastructure to distribute our goods to consumers? Does the local port have large enough cranes to offload containers from ships? How quickly does innovation diffuse? Also of key importance, do consumers actually buy material goods i.e. are they materialistic? Trevor Baylis launched the clockwork radio upon the African market. Since batteries were expensive in Africa and power supplies in rural areas are non-existent. The clockwork radio innovation was a huge success. China's car market grew 25% in 2006 and it has overtaken Japan to be the second-largest car market in the world with sales of 8 million vehicles. With just six car owners per 100 people (6%), compared with 90% car ownership in the US and 80% in the UK, the potential for growth in the Chinese market is immense.
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Law and Politics: As with many aspects of Terpstra and Sarathy's Cultural Framework, the underpinning social culture will drive the political and legal landscape. The political ideology on which the society is based will impact upon your decision to market there. For example, the United Kingdom has a largely market-driven, democratic society with laws based upon precedent and legislation, whilst Iran has a political and legal system based upon the teachings and principles Islam and a Shariah tradition. Aesthetics: Aesthetics relate to your senses, and the appreciation of the artistic nature of something, including its smell, taste or ambience. For example, is something beautiful? Does it have a fashionable design? Was an advert delivered in good taste? Do you find the color, music or architecture relating to an experience pleasing? Is everything relating to branding aesthetically pleasing? (Terpstra & Sarathy, 2000).

References:
Wagner, T. (2008). Foreign Market Entry and Culture. Norderstedt: Druck und Bindung.

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Chryssochoou, X. (2004). Cultural Diversity: Its Social Psychology. Cornwall: Blackwell Publishing. Mir, M. (2007). Pakistans Cultural Revolution. Karachi: Readers Club. Cateora, P.R. , Graham, J.L. & Salwan, P. (2008). International Marketing (13th Ed). New York: McGraw-Hill Companies. Terpstra, V. & Sarathy, R. (2000). International Marketing (8th Ed). New York: Dryden Press.

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