Forty years of cross-cultural advertising research in the International Journal of Advertising: a bibliometric analysis

Abstract

This manuscript tracks developments in cross-cultural advertising research published over the past 40 years in the International Journal of Advertising (IJA). A bibliometric analysis was performed for the 111 investigations which examined two or more countries appearing between 1982 and 2021. The data set was analysed by decade to reveal topics addressed, theories relied upon, methodologies adopted, and countries examined. Despite variation in the topics addressed over the years, topics present in every decade included cross-cultural issues/differences and gender issues/role portrayals. Global Consumer Culture/Positioning was used as a theoretical foundation in studies published during the journal’s early years and has grown in popularity over the decades. Theories pertaining to cross-cultural differences, such as those developed by Hofstede and GLOBE were among the most frequently employed theoretical foundations. While content analyses were often utilized, surveys, experiments, and qualitative research methods are becoming more popular methods of investigation. North America and Western Europe were well represented, as were more advanced Asian markets, however there continues to be a paucity of research examining Central and Eastern European countries, the Middle East, Latin America and Africa.