An Evaluation of The Effectiveness of the Cross-Cultural .
In the world of globalization, companies are struggling to gain the maximum profits by expanding their operation internationally because selling products merely in domestic markets is not enough. As a result, global marketplaces become more attractive. However, doing so, companies have to face new environments with political, economic and cultural difference. Failing to deal with any of these can cause companies damage. .
In this essay, a focus is placed on cultural influences. Because there are both differences and similarities in various cultures, the task for global marketers is both to adapt to local characteristics and also to take advantage of shared cultural characteristics. (Keegan 1999, 59) In particular, a deep cultural understanding can lead to competitive advantages for companies. This raises the question of what practice is the best to develop cultural understandings for marketing staff within an organization. One of the most popular methods is the cross-cultural training. Therefore, the purpose of this essay is to evaluate the effectiveness of the cross-cultural training (CCT) as a mean to enhance marketing profitability. First, it examines the goals and techniques of CCT. Then, some problems are addressed. Finally, it provides some suggestions for the more effective CCT. .
Culture, in general, can be defined as " an integrated system of learned behavior patterns that are distinguishing characteristics of the members of any given society". (Czinkota and Ronkainen 1995, 130) The definition includes languages, customs, material elements, and shared patterned of attitudes and feelings. .
In the context of global marketing, cultures are forces that shape and affect individual and corporate behavior in the marketplace. (Keegan 2003, 132) In order to gain a high portion of market share, global marketers need to be aware of any influencing cultural characteristic related to marketplaces that they are operating in.