Culture The continuously evolving totality of learned

and shared meanings, rituals, norms, and

traditions among the members of an organization
or society.
Ecology The manner in which society adapts to its habitat,
i.e., the distribution of resources within an
industrialized country versus a developing
country; the desire for efficiency, space- saving
devices, or green products.
Social structure The organization of society.
Ideology The manner in which individuals relate to the
environment and to others; this includes
attitudes toward time, space, possessions, and
referent others (peers).
Cultural Environment
Elements of Culture
Language The vehicle used for communication in a
particular culture; includes spoken and written
language and nonverbal communication.
Spoken/Written Language -
The language used in conversation/the language
used in written communications.
Translation is expensive
e.g. In India, there are more than 300 minor
languages and 3,000 dialects.
Nonverbal Communication
All communication that is not written or spoken; includes body
language, gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, and
silence.
In general, Greeks, Central and Eastern Europeans,
Japanese, and South Americans feel more comfortable
standing or sitting closer to strangers than do members of
other nationalities. In the Middle East, even in the business
world, men prefer standing close to people with whom they are
conversing and take great offense if someone backs away
from them.
Postures Individuals physical postures during conversation.
Orientations Individuals positioning relative to their
counterparts during conversation.
Oculesics The use or avoidance of eye contact during
communication.
Chronemics The timing of verbal exchanges.
Haptics The use of touch while conversing
Kinesics The movement of part of the body in order to
communicate
e.g. the OK commonly used in the U.S signifies
zero in France, is a symbol for money in Japan, and
is a vulgar gesture in parts of South America, as a
company that had this sign printed quickly found out.
Paralinguistics The nonverbal aspects of speech that include
intonation, accents, and the quality of voice.
Appearances An individuals physical attire and overall
grooming.
Olfactions The use of odors to convey messages.
Low context Cultures in which what is said is precisely
cultures what is meant so that the verbal message
carries the full meaning of the sentence.
High context Cultures in which the context of a message -
cultures the message source, the sources standing in
society or in a group, his or her expertise,
tone of voice, and body language are all
meaningful parts of the message.
Religion A societys relationship to the supernatural.
Cultural Values
Enculturation The process by which individuals learn the
beliefs and behaviors endorsed by their
own culture.
Acculturation The act of learning a new culture;
encompasses intercultural interaction and
adaptation.
Assimilation The act of abandoning all home-country
traditions while learning a new culture.
Cultural Norms
It is planning a presence, marketers need to be capable
of discerning between the following:
What an outsider must or must not do (Cultural
imperative)
What locals may do but an outsider cannot (cultural
exclusive)
What an outsider may or may not do (cultural adiaphora)
Gift Giving
In the United States, brining a bottle of wine to ones
host is perfectly appropriate; the same gesture would
not be appropriate for a similar occasion in the Middle
East, where Islamic religion prohibits alcohol.
In developing countries, gifts of Western provenance
such as good quality pens or t-shirts with English writing
on them for children would probably meet with
appreciation. In United States - cigarettes, pantyhose,
and hairspray.
Socializing

When first meeting a business in the Middle East, one
should not begin right away with talk about the business
at hand; instead, one should initiate positive small talk.
The first meeting in the Middle East is only to start
developing a friendly relationship, not to secure business
dealings.