An Examination of Contemporary Marketing Practices Used by Organization with Different Culture Types: A Test of the Convergence Theory in the US and Cote d'Ivoire

• Main Author: Miller, Victoria Lynn
• Format: Others
• Published: Digital Archive @ GSU 2005
• Subjects: convergence theory; cross cultural; ivory coast; cote d'ivoire; organizational culture; contemporary marketing practices; Marketing
• Online Access: http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/marketing_diss/2; http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=marketing_diss

A framework for a strategy fit with national and organizational culture holds several implications for multinational business managers. First, culture is a critical variable in the strategy process and it should be explicitly examined as a part of the process. Second, culture might encourage and support organizationally a particular business level strategy and may affect marketing practices. This approach views transactional and relational practices as part of a continuum. This study has examined over 250 firms in the United States and the Cote d’Ivoire on the dimensions of their organizational culture, national culture and contemporary marketing practices. In essence, this is a test of the convergence theory versus cultural specificity debate. The study first establishes a model in the US of the relationship between organizational culture and contemporary marketing practices and then tests it in Cote d’Ivoire. Lisrel is used to examine the goodness of the fit of the model. Results indicate that differences in national cultures call for differences in marketing practices since the US model does not fit in Cote d’Ivoire. The differences between the two models and implications for a new Ivorian model are discussed.