Assess how national culture impacts on the international business Essay

Assess how national culture impacts on the international business environment, giving examples - Essay Example Trans-national companies like Sony, General Motors, carry a distinct identity of the culture they first operated in despite now having worldwide operations. Quite simply speaking the culture is studied as synonym of culture. We often come across terms like the Japanese culture, the British culture, the Australian culture, or Russian culture. The countries, like Canada, US, UK, and India with many different racial, religious, or regional cultures are called multi-cultural countries. Yet many countries located in a specific geographical area can be bound by the thread of a common culture. For example, the Caribbean countries like Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Antigua can be referred to as having a common culture. It is very important to describe the word ‘culture’ as it is construed in the context of business management. Some of the definitions offer interesting insights into the importance; the ‘national culture’ has for business leaders, professionals, management gurus and academics. Culture is variously defined (cited by Fougere, 2007) as ‘that complex whole, which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and other capabilities acquired by man as a member of society (Tylor); the collective programming of the mind, which distinguishes the members of one human group of another (Hofstede); a system of values and norms that are shared among a group of people and that when taken together constitute a design for living (Hill). Thus culture is defined as summation of beliefs and capabilities (Tylor), a collective programming of mind (Hofstede) and a plan for life (Hill) (Cited by Fougere, 2007). The cultural norms thus embodied in the collective consc iousness of a people are adopted in daily life in a matter of fact way. These come to be reflected in the work ethos of the business entities. Howsoever, different definitions culture are, there is unanimity of opinion in

Analysis of Breastfeeding Baby Advertisement Essay - 15

Analysis of Breastfeeding Baby Advertisement - Essay Example This research is being carried out to evaluate and present the advertisement in which the image composed of a baby being nursed by his or her mother.   The image was originally used to advertise Oreo cookies but the attention was instead drawn to the baby and the mother’s breast.     Due to the powerful image showed during the awards gathering event, the ad was leaked to the public albeit it was never intended to be shown to the public’s eyes.   The ad which was originally intended to sell Oreo cookies also became an advocacy material for breastfeeding mothers.   This evidences the powerful emotional appeal of the ad that it transcended from a mere commercial device to an advocacy material. The image of a baby sucking his or her mother’s breast is so compelling and raw that we cannot help but be drawn to it because it touches the humanity in us. Especially when the baby seemed to be looking at us making the image to appear interactive. The emotional app eal of the image is so powerful that the cookie is ignored by the audience. There may be a lot of people who may find the image disturbing or even obscene and improper but one cannot readily dismiss it because it is made by advertising professionals. At the onset, one may be revolted or find the image inappropriate but when one looks closely and notice that the image is created by a reputable advertising agency, the audience tends to look for its meaning. They will inadvertently assure themselves that the professionals who made this did not only use the image to stir a controversy but they must have a message to tell. The credibility of the creators as professionals shielded the ad from dismissal and even undue judgment and instead take it in a positive light. Had this been created by an unknown person, the picture may have been dismissed as disrespectful to the breastfeeding mothers. But since it is created by an advertising agency, it was taken seriously to the point of being used as an advocacy material. People may disagree with the image but the creator used logical approach or logos to convey a straightforward message that this how babies should be fed. People may not like it but one cannot deny it. It cannot be dismissed as inappropriate because there is no other way to feed a baby. The image only showed how babies are fed which is logical.