Reflexive Considerations of Culture Theories in Global Marketing

Abstract

Culture theories have long been used to explain and predict a host of global marketing phenomena, such as cross-cultural responses to advertising (Alden et al., 1993), global consumer persuasion appeals (Aaker and Maheswaran, 1997), and national product development processes (Song et al., 2000). Despite their increasing application to global marketing issues, culture theories tend to be narrowly construed, of weaker conceptual forms, and dominated by the Hofstedean paradigm (see Chapter 4 by Nakata and Izberk-Bilgin). Similar observations have been drawn by other researchers (see Chapter 2 by Earley, and Chapter 3 by Taras and Steele in this book). Consequently, insights into culture and its implications for global marketing have been severely restricted.