A Comparative Analysis of Arab and U.S. Cultural Values on the Web

ABSTRACT

This study aims to explore the depiction of cultural values on global websites. There exists a research gap in terms of better understanding cross-cultural differences in web communications between the Arab and Western worlds. Thus, we conducted content analysis to examine the cultural values on websites from Arab countries and the U.S. The results suggest that local websites of Arab countries and the United States tend to differ significantly from each other on cultural contents. The proposed cultural findings can serve as a guide for creating culturally congruent international websites.     

Commitment and Trust as Drivers of Loyalty in Logistics Outsourcing Relationships: Cultural Differences Between the United States and Germany

This study examines differences in loyalty formation within logistics outsourcing relationships between Germany and the United States. A model of loyalty formation on the basis of commitment and trust is developed and differences between Germany and the United States are hypothesized. They are tested based on 795 logistics outsourcing relationships in the two countries using structural equation modeling. The results indicate that these relationships differ depending on cultural traits relating to trust and commitment. The findings are relevant for practitioners and academics as they paint a more globally informed picture of loyalty formation within logistics outsourcing relationships in which to base both managerial decisions and future research.     

The Influence of Cultural Orientation and Communication Style on Consumer Behavior: A Comparative Study of the Arab World and the United States

ABSTRACT

Hall (1976) argued that “Culture is communication and communication is culture” (p. 169). Because cultures are dynamic, they are subject to change due to a variety of influences, and while cultural change is usually slow and takes years or sometimes generations to materialize, the authors believe the new media technologies may shorten this time of change. The purpose of this report is to examine the cultural orientation of the Arab world and the communication styles used there as they relate to advertising persuasion and compare it to that of the United States. The results suggested the some changes in the well-known Arabic culture may be taking place.     

Advertising standardisation in culturally similar markets

A framework for standardisation of ad content based on cultural and socio-economic similarity among countries is proposed. Advertising standardisation is investigated in the Arab world, a culturally similar setting with socio-economic differences among nations, by carrying out a content analysis of 949 ads from Egypt, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates. Extant research suggests that, when advertising in culturally similar markets, advertisers use standardised advertising. We investigate two types of ad content – culturally normative and product-related – and show that culturally normative ad content, such as the depiction of women consistent with societal norms, is predominantly culture driven, and standardisation is appropriate, regardless of socio-economic differences. On the other hand, product-related content such as information content, the use of hedonic vs utilitarian appeals, and the provision of price information are influenced by both cultural and socio-economic factors. Hence, standardisation is not appropriate for productrelated ad content when socio-economic differences exist among culturally similar markets. Thus, conditions under which standardisation of the two types of ad content is appropriate are identified. Implications and suggestions for future research are also offered.     

Generational value differences of baby boomers in Thailand

Researchers are expanding our knowledge of cultural value systems by exploring the diverse values that are held by different generations in various countries. The majority of these studies have focused on Western countries with little attention being given to cross cultural differences. This point is particularly true of Asian countries such as Thailand. To fill this research gap, this study explores the generational value differences of baby boomers in Thailand using the Rokeach Value Survey (RVS). The initial comparison is with the United States, which is the most studied country, and then concludes with observations on how Thailand's generational cultures contrast to the findings of similar studies throughout the world using the same RVS instrument.     

Localizing to Arabic consumers: Insights from print advertising

This study argues that understanding the nature and influence of cultural differences in print advertising is important for an effective international marketing strategy. Previous studies have investigated cross-cultural differences in advertising, but have not focused on advertising from the Arab world. There is also a shortage of studies providing specific recommendations about localizing advertising for Arab consumers. This study therefore conducts a comparative analysis of Arab and US print advertisements in magazines, to identify cross-cultural differences in advertising and make recommendations on localizing advertising to Arab consumers, and in particular, those in the Persian Gulf states.     

Retailing in Canada and the United States: Historical Comparisons

Although Canada and the United States are comparable in many ways, the retail environments of these two countries are not identical. This paper explores the evolution of the retail environments of both countries to identify the sources of these differences and provide prospects for the future. It appears that the differences in retail environment observed have their origins in population differentials and differing cultural philosophies of the countries. Although the retail environments of Canada and the United States have been converging for some rime, it is unrealistic to expect that the differences will disappear.     

A cross‐cultural exploration of attitudes toward product expiration dates

This is an exploratory study examining consumer attitudes toward product expiration dates in three different countries, the United States, Canada, and Turkey. In addition, the study investigates the differences in the importance of product expiration dates for three products, yogurt, over‐the‐counter medicine, and camera film, in the three cultures. A total of 687 surveys were gathered in the three countries. The results show that there are, indeed, differences among the consumers in three countries. American and Canadian consumers check product expiration dates before purchasing and before using products more often than Turkish consumers. Although most of the differences observed are between the respondents in Turkey versus the respondents in the United States and Canada, some differences between the U.S. and Canadian respondents are also found, indicating that culture plays an important role in consumer uncertainty avoidance. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Ethical Attitudes of Business Managers: India Korea and the United States

Culture has been identified as a significant determinant of ethical attitudes of business managers. This research studies the impact of culture on the ethical attitudes of business managers in India, Korea and the United States using multivariate statistical analysis. Employing Geert Hofstede's cultural typology, this study examines the relationship between his five cultural dimensions (individualism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, and long-term orientation) and business managers' ethical attitudes. The study uses primary data collected from 345 business manager participants of Executive MBA programs in selected business schools in India, Korea and the United States using Hofstede's Value Survey Module (94) and an instrument designed by the researchers to measure respondents' ethical attitudes (attitudes toward business ethics in general and toward twelve common questionable practices in particular). Results indicate that national culture has a strong influence on business managers' ethical attitudes. In addition to national culture, respondents' general attitudes toward business ethics are related to their personal integrity; their attitudes toward questionable business practices are related to the external environment and gender, as well as to their personal integrity. A strong relationship exists between cultural dimensions of individualism and power distance and respondents' ethical attitudes toward certain questionable practices. The analysis of the relationship between cultural dimensions of masculinity, uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation and respondents' ethical attitudes toward questionable practices produced mixed results, likely due to the lack of notable differences in cultural dimension scores among the countries surveyed.     

A comparative analysis of the role of national culture on foreign market acquisitions by U.S. firms and firms from emerging countries

Do firms from emerging economies differ from U.S. firms in their foreign market acquisition strategies? A comparison of cross-border acquisitions by firms from the United States and 18 emerging countries shows that (1) firms from both the United States and emerging countries target countries that are culturally closer to their home countries, (2) a strong interaction effect occurs between market potential and cultural distance for emerging country firms as the market potential increases (i.e., at high market potential, firms from emerging economies are willing to overlook cultural distance), (3) no interaction effect occurs between market potential and cultural distance for U.S. firms, and (4) different cultural dimensions affect the market entry strategies of U.S. firms and firms from emerging countries.     

Non-internet self-service technology failures and recoveries: comparing China with the United States

This study compares the non-internet self-service technology failures and the associated recovery strategies used to retain dissatisfied customers in China and the United States. Data are collected by the critical incident technique, through structured, open-ended questionnaires. Totally, 555 incidents are collected and classified. The failures and recovery strategies are traced and analyzed to understand the discrepancy in failure rating, satisfaction of recovery strategy, and repurchasing between China and the United States. For failure rating, satisfaction, and loyalty, there are larger discrepancies between China and the United States. The two countries have exactly the same service failure typology, but failure frequency and its rating magnify the significant differences between the two countries. For recovery strategies, discount and correction do not occur in the Chinese non-internet SST setting, but remained recovery strategies are quite similar between the two countries.     

Service recommendations and customer evaluations in the international marketplace: Cultural and situational contingencies

As the international service market continues its phenomenal growth, understanding the nature of effective interpersonal interactions between service providers and their customers is increasingly important. However, cross-national theory and research on this topic remain limited. In response, the following study employs data from China and the United States to test whether the cultural congruency of benefits emphasized by the service provider interacts with the customer's value orientation and/or consumption objective to affect evaluations of service quality. Results indicate that the cultural congruency of provider recommendations affects evaluations. Preliminary evidence also suggests that this effect is moderated by consumption objective.     

Those Current Account Imbalances: A Sceptical View1

The international current account imbalances, where the United States has a vast deficit, and several countries, notably Japan, China, Germany and the oil exporters have corresponding surpluses, are usually seen as problems. The argument here is that current account imbalances simply indicate intertemporal trade – the exchange of goods and services for claims. There are likely to be gains from trade of that kind as from ordinary trade. What, then, are the problems? This paper considers five scenarios, notably one where net savings of the surplus countries decline so that the world real interest rate rises, and another where the US fiscal deficit is reduced, so that the world real interest rate falls and there could be a worldwide aggregate demand problem, essentially caused by the high net savings of the surplus countries. The paper reviews the reasons for the large surpluses in terms of savings and investment ratios (especially China) and also discusses the long‐term problem for the United States. While four of the scenarios involve a decline in the dollar, they do not necessarily imply a sudden – and even ‘disruptive’– dollar crisis.     

Inter-country differences of consumer ethics in Arab countries

Recent geopolitical events have placed the Arab world at the center of attention of the global stage. Nevertheless, there are many potentially profitable opportunities in the region for interested Western firms. Today global firms and public policymakers consider the task of understanding the Arabs' mindset a major priority and a must for successfully operating in the region. Despite this heightened interest, limited effort has been made by social and behavioral scientists to study that part of the world and its people. Most of the current research is journalistic in nature and tends to treat the Arab region as monolithic rather than one that consists of different likes, attitudes and behaviors.The present study overcomes some of this shortcoming by specifically evaluating whether consumers within the Arab world differ from each other with respect to their ethical beliefs, ethical ideologies, and degree of Machiavellianism. Utilizing a sample of 683 consumers from four Middle Eastern countries (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait and Oman), the findings suggest that Arab consumers differ significantly in their ethical beliefs and ideologies. Specific results are discussed and managerial implications are offered.     

Attitudes towards Business Ethics: A Five Nation Comparative Study

Increasingly the business environment is tending toward a global economy. The current study compares the results of the Attitudes Towards Business Ethics Questionnaire (ATBEQ) reported in the literature for samples from the United States of America, Israel, Western Australia, and South Africa to a new sample (n = 125) from Turkey. The results indicate that while there are some shared views towards business ethics across countries, significant differences do exist between Turkey and each of the other countries in the study. Similarities and differences are discussed in terms of the countries' ratings on the Corruption Perceptions Index (as reported by the Internet Center for Corruption Research) and Hofstede's Theory of International Cultures. Recommendations for managers interacting with employees from differing countries are provided.     

Power centres: a new retail format in the United States of America

Power centres are primarily agglomerations of big box retailers. Even though the first power centre was only opened in 1986, there were 713 power centres in the United States by the end of the 1997. This paper addresses the evolution of power centres in the United States and discusses the differences between power centres and traditional shopping centres. Also presented are the operating results, sales figures, location, consumers, trading areas and the advantages and disadvantages of power centres for consumers, retailers and investors. Two power centres are described in detail. These observations are based upon a review of the literature and analyses of industry data. Power centres in Chicago, Washington, DC, California and Texas were also examined. Interviews with developers of power centres helped verify published data. Although power centres may develop in other countries, they are not likely to be as successful in Europe as they are in the United States.     

Character Portrayal: Examining Gender Roles in Television Commercials Targeted at Children in India and the United States

ABSTRACT

Children's market has been growing steadily not only in the United States but also globally. Advertisers have been targeting this segment heavily in recent years. Given the impact of this segment having increased rapidly in recent years, it is imperative for the advertisers to understand and develop effective advertising messages to reach this segment successfully. One of the essential components of advertisement content includes decisions regarding the gender portrayal of the characters. This study examines the depiction of self-presentation behaviors of the characters in commercials shown during the times and on the channels that children watch in India and the United States. The findings indicate interesting similarities and differences between the two countries. Managerial implications and future research directions are offered based on the findings.     

全球价值链重构的经济效应--兼论中美经贸摩擦的影响

2017年,中美关系发生了实质性变化,美国对华战略从合作走向竞争。新冠肺炎疫情下,中美关系更是面临新的不确定性,中美经贸摩擦将影响中美两国的经济,进而产生连锁反应,造成全球价值链的重构。利用2014年世界投入产出数据库(WIOD)和假设提取法,测算中美经贸摩擦和全球价值链重构对世界43个国家或地区的经济影响,并重点模拟中美之间贸易由国内供给替代对增加值和劳动力就业的最大影响。结果表明:第一,基准模型设定下,经济效应存在地区异质性,中国周边地区、美国周边北美自由贸易区受到的影响最大,反映了区域性生产网络的存在。第二,相对美国,中国受影响更大,增加值下降2.5%以上;其余受影响较大的国家有爱尔兰、卢森堡、荷兰;印度和欧洲大部分地区受影响较小。第三,中美经贸摩擦对每个行业的影响不同,受影响最大的行业为中国的家具制造业和其他制造业,计算机、电子和光学产品制造业,以及美国的航空运输业。第四,假设其余国家或地区卷入中美经贸摩擦,存在替代效应和全球价值链重构,部分国家或地区增加值和劳动力就业均上升,上升最多的为22.42%。建议深化实施"一带一路"倡议,主动与周边国家或地区开展经济合作,强化区域价值链的影响,同时积极培育和发展国内产业链。     

Corporate citizenship in Germany and the United States – differing perceptions and practices in transatlantic comparison

Because of the declining fiscal capabilities of the German welfare state and the resulting reductions in social services provided by the government, increasing attention has been given to the voluntary social engagement of businesses, often referred to as corporate citizenship. In that context, scholars and politicians alike have pointed to the United States as a country with a strong corporate citizenship culture and advocated a transatlantic transfer of the respective practices. Against this background, it is the first aim of this paper to examine the socio‐economic environment for corporate citizenship in both countries. Second, it will be investigated if corporate citizenship is really practiced more widely in the United States than in Germany and what forms of corporate citizenship are used by businesses. For that purpose, the corporate citizenship activities of the 100 largest companies in the United States and Germany each will be analyzed. Results show that more US than German companies undertake corporate citizenship activities and apply a wider variety of different forms. The possibilities for a transatlantic transfer are limited because of the differences in the cultural and political systems of both countries.     

Dominant Cultural Values

SUMMARY

This study expands on previous work in exploring dominant cultural values portrayed in print magazine advertisements in the United States of America (U.S.) and India across and within product categories. A modified version of Cheng and Schweitzer's (1996) coding framework is used for the study. The differences and similarities in the observed frequencies of the dominant cultural values portrayed in the print magazine advertisements are discussed. The analysis shows a commonality of the dominant values frequently portrayed in the magazine advertisements of both countries although statistically significant differences in their frequency of occurrence are also present for several of the observed values both across and within product categories. The results are consistent with those of researchers advocating a middle-of-the-road approach in the standardization versus adaptation debate of advertising messages. Advertising campaigns in each country should be assessed carefully in terms of target market, cultural and environmental factors, and also upon the nature of the product.