Abstract:

Given that most multinational companies develop their products and services in the west their applicability for markets that are at a variance - cultural logistical or evolutionary - is suspect. This issue becomes more evident in the service sector where consumer contact is high. High product (and service) parity makes it important to give that extra smile or go that extra mile via innovations that take these differences into account. The author uses Geert Hofstede’s cultural dimensions model as a basis to examine cultural and religious influences in order to help understand consumers’ mindsets and provide the analytical framework across studies conducted in the race to stay ahead.cult