technology and culture 2, Essays (university) of Art

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Technology and Culture

Introduction

Vignettes of Cultural Ignorance

 (^) Home Depot in China :The U.S. giant entered the Chinese market in 2006 and opened 12 stores before they realized that most Chinese people don’t like to do it themselves. The company closed its last seven Chinese stores in 2012, absorbing a $160-million after-tax charge. Although China is in the midst of a huge building boom, it doesn’t have the same implications as in North America. And it’s not just that labor is cheaper in China. All those new apartment complexes and planned communities don’t need to be renovated yet. And then there’s the culture. In China, there’s status in having work done for you. “In developed countries, doing it yourself is seen as an enjoyable hobby.

Vignettes…Contd.

American Motors tried to market its new car, the Matador, based on the image of courage and strength. However, in Puerto Rico the name means "killer" and was not popular on the hazardous roads in the country.  (^) A cologne for men pictured a pastoral scene with a man and his dog. It failed in Islamic countries dogs are considered unclean.

Vignettes…Contd.

 Proctor & Gamble used a television commercial in Japan

that was popular in Europe. The ad showed a woman

bathing, her husband entering the bathroom and touching

her. The Japanese considered this ad an invasion of

privacy, inappropriate behavior, and in very poor taste.

 A Japanese manager in an American company was told to

give critical feedback to a subordinate during a

performance evaluation. Japanese use high context

language and are uncomfortable giving direct feedback. It

took the manager five tries before he could be direct

enough to discuss the poor performance so that the

American understood.

Vignettes…Contd.

 Mountain Bell Company tried to promote its telephone and services to Saudi's. Its ad portrayed an executive talking on the phone with his feet propped up on the desk, showing the soles of his shoes-- something an Arab would never do!  (^) Nestlé in Africa used aggressive marketing, to sell its baby formula in impoverished markets where clean water was not readily available, which caused children to be sick, Nestlé was hit with a boycott that started in 1977 and continues to this day in various regions around the world

Cross-cultural Barriers Faced

 Ethnocentrism – Believing that the people, customs and traditions of your own race or nationality are better than those of other races.  Self-reference Criterion - Judging another person’s culture by the yardsticks of your own culture.

Increase in Cross-cultural Interactions Trade, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions have increased dramatically, leading to :

 Workforce diversity

 Outsourcing and off-shoring

 Business and social networking

 Virtual teams with members spanning the globe

 Increase in number of international assignments

International Business Environment- Variables Influencing Success  Legal Systems  (^) Political Risks  Economic Risks  (^) Infrastructure and Technology  National Culture