Slide 2:
SOCIO-CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT Humans essentially create their own cultural and social environment. Customs, practices and traditions for survival and development are passed down from one generation to the next. In this way, the members of a particular society become conditioned to accept certain "truths" about life around them. The increasingly competitive international business environment calls upon exporters to tailor or adapt their business approach to the culture and traditions of specific foreign markets. The inability or unwillingness to do so could become a serious obstacle to success.
Slide 3:
FACTORS TO BE CONSIDER IN SOCIO-CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT LANGUAGE
MATERIAL CULTURE
AESTHETICS
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
Slide 4:
Language is central to the expression of culture.
Within each cultural group, the use of words reflects
the lifestyle, attitudes and many of the customs of
that group. Language is not only a key to understanding
the group, it is the principal way of communicating
within it.
Slide 5:
Material culture relates to the way in which a society organizes and views its economic activities. It includes the techniques and know-how used in the creation of goods and services, the manner in which the people of the society use their capabilities, and the resulting benefits. When one refers to an 'industrialized' or a 'developing' nation, one is really referring to a material culture. The material culture of a particular market will affect the nature and extent of demand for a product. Whereas a luxury item, such as a sophisticated piece of computer hardware, may have a ready market in a country such as France, demand for it may be non-existent in a developing country which is hampered by inadequate facilities and/or foreign exchange shortages.
If the company is planning to develop a manufacturing operation in a foreign market, aspects such as the supply of raw materials, power, transportation and financing need to be investigated.
Slide 6:
A culture's aesthetics refer to its ideas concerning
good taste and beauty as expressed in the fine arts –
music, art, drama and dance - and in the appreciation
of colour and form. Insensitivity to aesthetic values
can not only lead to ineffective advertising and
package design for products, it can also offend
prospective customers.
Slide 7:
A religious system refers to the spiritual side of a culture or its approach to the supernatural. Western culture is accepted as having been largely influenced by the Judeo-Christian traditions, while Eastern or Oriental cultures have been strongly influenced by Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism and Hinduism.
Although very few religions influence business activities directly, the impact of religion on human value systems and decision-making is significant. Thus, religion exerts a considerable influence on people's actions and outlook on life, as well as on the products they buy. In certain part of the world, such as Latin America, the influence of religion extends even beyond the individual or family and is manifested in a whole community's deep involvement in, and devotion to, the church.
Slide 8:
END OF PRESENTATION THANK YOU!