International marketing managers' cultural sensitivity: relevance, training requirements and a pragmatic training concept

Abstract

With the shift from national to international and global business, new challenges have emerged for managers engaged in transnational business activities. The complexity of the tasks involved in international marketing requires an approach that demonstrates cultural sensitivity. As a consequence, the question arises as to whether international marketing managers are well-prepared to deal effectively with culturally overlapping situations. While it is widely accepted that culture is substantially affecting international marketing decisions, pragmatic concepts of how to achieve cultural sensitivity in international marketing are lacking. This paper aims to narrow this gap. The importance of cultural sensitivity in international marketing is highlighted, training requirements are identified, and a recently introduced concept of culture is assessed for its usefulness and applicability in an international marketing context.