Describe The Cultural Factors That Affect Consumer Behavior - 2750 Words

Describe The Cultural Factors That Affect Consumer Behavior (Essay Sample) Content: Consumer BehaviourName of studentInstitutional Affiliation1.0 Abstract.Consumer behaviour is primarily the purchasing habits of the final consumer of a product. Several factors, features, specificities, preferences influence an individual personality and the consumer in their decision-making procedures, purchasing behaviours, shopping habits, retailers where they buy from or the brands they are used to. The decision to buy is the ultimate result of all the above factors influencing their choice. A person and a consumer are directed by their culture, social class, subculture, family, social groups, cognitive factors, and personality, etc. and they are influenced by emerging cultural practices together with the prevailing social and societal setting. Brands and companies should explore and establish the factors which affect the purchasing powers of their clients and devise marketing strategies. Advertisements should be directly tailored towards addressing the needs of t heir target customers, and this is a good technique of increasing sales while meeting their needs.1.1 Introduction.A consumers behaviour is mainly influenced by four major factors which may make them design brand and product preferences. These factors are political, cultural, psychological and social factors. Unfortunately, marketers may not have any control over most of these factors. However, it is critical for them to understand their results as this can offer a guideline for designing a marketing mix techniques that might be more attractive to the target market. This report seeks to explain the cultural factors that affect consumers buying behaviours.2.0 Culture and cultural societies.Culture is a central aspect of understanding the behaviours and desires of each and every individual in any given society. Culture is the way of life of any community and serves to explain what an individual needs and behaviours are (Solomon, Michael, 2014). Each and every society, country or stat e has a different culture from the others and thus the impact of culture is also different among countries. Therefore, when analyzing the effects that they have on the buyer, marketers ought to be more careful not to make generalizations. Culture is not static but its dynamic and changes in a gradual manner, these changes are then adopted by the society, and they are slowly incorporated into their way of life. Culture is deeply rooted in the life a human being. From a marketers perspective, it is far much conducive to work in already existing cultures rather than trying to adjust them. The entire life of every person is influenced by their families, social groups, friends, cultural settings that teaches them preferences, values, norms and what is acceptable in their culture. Brands must understand and take into consideration the native cultures in a society they are operating in so as to adjust their products and marketing tactics. These play a significant role in the behaviors, exp ectations, and perception of their target buyers. For instance, it is against the customs in Japan to invite acquaintances and relatives for drinks or parties at their residences. To them, this should be carried out in social settings like hotels, restaurants, and other public places. Contrary, in America and other countries of the west, it is a common practice to have a drinks and dinner with friends at their homes. It is also accepted and appreciated in Japan, that if a person acknowledges another with a gift, they are supposed to offer an equivalent of that in return to show appreciation. For example, if offered a macaroni gratin croquettes in exchange they should give a Gurakoro.2.1 Groups.Culture has been defined as a compilation of values and beliefs that a majority of people in a group share. These social groupings are relatively massive most of the times, however, in the practice of theory, a culture can be composed and shared by relatively few individuals. Culture is trans mitted from one generation group to the succeeding one (Tajfel, 2010). Culture is both arbitrary and subjective since it is acquired through learning. In the case of food, it is associated with culture. An example, in Bengal, fish is considered a delicacy and the inhabitants brag for having more than a hundred diverse fish varieties. On the other hand, in Rajasthan, Tamil Naru or Gujarat in India, fish is viewed as one of the worst food items to include in a diet. These divergences in tastes are elaborated more by culture and not the unpredictable taste differences amongst people; regularly, people coming from a similar cultural background share such behaviours.2.2 Language.It is an aspect of culture and influences a consumers decisions. Language plays a critical role such that even if people from multi-cultures use the same language, the difference will be based on the original culture of the individual. Indians from different parts such as Delhi, Mumbai or Bihar have noticeable di fferences in their choice of words and accents. Marketers should be able to communicate efficiently with their customers by using the necessary symbols to convey the appropriate product features or images. The symbols can take the form of verbal or non-verbal. In a study conducted in China, it was discovered that the Chinese speakers depend on the classifiers when evaluating the similarities between commodities, when determining suitable advertisement methods and when arranging mental representation of goods. The study demonstrated how the morphological properties of language can have a critical result on the way consumer view the products. Finally, the research on the Chinese proposed that having a good command of various languages including writing styles and grammatical structures can positively influence the decision made by the marketers. It further indicated that in those countries which make use of classifiers, advertisers gain a lot since they just need to identify those cla ssifiers which are related to their products and assimilate them into their advertisement campaigns (De Mooij, 2010).2.3 Acculturation.Acculturation is the process of acquiring a more advanced culture after an extended contact with it while leaving ones original culture. It is imperative for marketers who sell their commodities through multinationals in foreign markets to understand this concept (Schwartz, et al., 2010). They should gain knowledge on their prospective markets to establish whether their products can be accepted by the cultures of the societies. If it is found that people can accommodate those commodities, they should then devise ways on how they are to advertise, persuade and convince people to purchase their products.2.4 EducationEducation is also a cultural factor influencing consumer behaviour. An individual who has gone through the formal school structure is considered educated and is expected by the society to portray the highest level of intellectual maturity. Educated people are also rational consumers and their decisions to buy any given commodity is based on satisfying a particular need and not just impulse. For instance, the chances that a wealthy but uneducated fellow will purchase a laptop are minimal.3.0 Social classesSocial class is a stratification of people either homogenous or heterogeneous based on the ranking in a social hierarchy (Wing Chan, Goldthorpe, 2007). The most popular and productive individuals occupy the highest class while the less fortunate are in, the lower classes. People in the same class demonstrate similar lifestyles, behaviors, values and interests regardless of the size or the complexity of the group. Each and every society in a social structure has different social classes, and this is essential for marketers to understand as individuals in the same group have similar purchasing abilities and behaviors (Durmaz, Tademir, 2014). Here, they are supposed to direct marketing activities according to the vario us social classes. Research has established that the societys perception of any supermarkets or brands bears a lot of influence on the buying decisions and conduct of consumers. Besides, a consumer might also change his behavior concerning their social class. Buyers from the upper class are more interested in outstanding features of a product, quality, innovation and the social impact that will be derived from the consumption of the product. On the contrary, a low-income earner from the lower class has more interests on the price and quantity of the commodity regardless of its quality, or any social benefit. Social class is usually regarded as an outward determinant of consumer behavior as it isnt a function of knowledge and influence. It is not easy to define the concept social class, in fact, there have been people trying to dispute the presence of social classes in America. Normally, individuals fall into different categories on the basis of wealth, income, education level or occ upation. Although various people have claimed that there are many classes in the social structure, the most convenient and direct approach of defining social classes is a three- tiered model. In this method, people are grouped into three main classes; the upper (rich), middle class and the lower class (poor). This report explores four categories of people and how they influence a consumer's decisions and buying behavior.3.1 Lower class.The apparent features of this class are unemployment, poverty, and homelessness. Very few people in this class have finished their education, and they suffer from malnutrition, poor health care, inadequate housing and poor living conditions. Affording necessities s...

Descartes influence - Free Essay Example

The philosophical and mathematical advancements sparked by Rene Descartes, a French philosopher of the 17th century and Scientific Revolution, contributed to many of the main ideas seen currently in geometry. He is attributed with the development of influential ideas, theorems, and formulas in modern geometry, despite his ideas being from centuries ago. Arguably some of his most groundbreaking ideas of his are quantified in the Discussion of the Method, where his method of scientific and mathematical thinking that helped him to create some of his most well-known concepts, such as analytical geometry, are revealed. His step by step, analytical mindset and format influenced the geometry seen in the modern day classroom. Descartes was born in La Haye en Touraine in the Kingdom of France on March 31, 1596. He was the youngest of three children and born into a family of relatively high political status. While his mom and sibling both died during childbirth when he was only one year old, his father, Joachim worked as a member of the Parliament of Brittany, the court of justice at the time. Because of this, Descartes was able to obtain a small amount of nobility. As a result of his parents absence, he lived most of his life in the home of his grandmother and great uncle, but kept in contact with his father throughout his life. Descartes family life was far from perfect, his father was so busy and had little time to spend with his children, thus why Rene lived with his grandma and great uncle. His relationship with his sibling was shaky as well. His brother, Pierre did not even notify him about the loss of his father in 1640. The home life of Rene Descartes was in no way ideal, but that imperfection shape d his life. As a result of his insufficient upbringing as a child, he learned independence and self-thinking. This would serve as beneficial during his educational years. Descartes father enrolled him into the Jesuit college of La Fleche in 1606 at approximately ten years of age. He left in 1614 and in 1615 he began studying at the University of Poitiers where he obtained a license in canon and civil law. Rene always had dreams of being in the military, but his father forced him to give up that dream and pursue a career in law. Nonetheless, in 1618 Descartes enlisted into the Dutch States army of Prince Maurice of Nassau where he spent the next three years as a soldier. It is believed that he spent the majority of his time in the army working on mathematical codes to aid in the building of military vehicles and weapons. As for his military education, Descartes was stationed at an academy for noblemen as well. The academy was somewhat structured around the educational model of Lipsius (Gaukroger 65-66). Lipsius being a Dutch political theorist who studied at the Jesuit school, Cologne. Descartes met a man during his time stationed in Breda called Isaac Beeckman. That relationship is responsible for instilling Descartes interest in sciences again. Beekmans questions also inspired Descartes to create the Compendium Musicae, one of the most popular books about musical mathematics during the late seventeenth century. Rene Descartes La Gà ©omà ©trie contained some of the most influential mathematical theorems and ideas to date, with many of his concepts still being used today in their original forms. La Gà ©omà ©trie was an appendix in Descartes famous philosophical book Discourse on Method. While it was in a book about philosophy, La Gà ©omà ©trie was completely independent of the philosophical aspects of the rest of the books. He had many goals and concepts in this appendix, but his main desire was to find a way to solve geometric problems in a way that could be represented with compasses and rulers. He was able to accomplish this by using algebra in geometry, which had never been done before. Descartes use of algebra in geometry, which is found in his book La Gà ©omà ©trie, was one of the most important discoveries in all of geometry, with it still being used today in many ways. This algebra in geometry, which is known today as analytical or Cartesian geometry, came about through the use of real-life devices which he used to help turn the previously theoretical concepts of geometry into ones that can be used in the real world. Descartes created what he called compasses out of dirt and sticks on the ground. He would slide the sticks around in sliding grooved members in order to replicate curves, cubes, and trisecting angles on the earth. Descartes considered these compasses to be as useful and geometrical as any other tool, and this did turn out to be true. Using these compasses he was able to create the mathematical concept of curves, which were essential in the creation of analytical geometry. These curves he created showed that algebra could be incorporated into geometry, which allowed many previously unsolvable problems to be solved. He was able to represent curves as having an x value, which represented its horizontal location, and a y value, which represented its vertical location. Once he had those values, he was able to convert the curves into algebraic problems and vice-versa, which was a game-changing discovery. Now, many unsolvable problems could easily be solved through geometry. By involving curves and algebra into geometry, Descartes was able to change the field of geometry into what is considered geometry today. Descartes creation of the x and y-axes not only created a new way to solve problems, but also created a whole new coordinate plane that is the exact same one used in classrooms around the world today. Descartes did not actually label the axes x and y; they were just implied to be those letters. Even though he did not label these axes, his labeling of their values ending up creating the Cartesian coordinate system. Using his ideas that the x value was the horizontal value and the y value was the vertical value, he was able to label numbers along those axes that corresponded to the values. When two or more points on this chart were connected, they formed a line that could then easily be turned into an algebraic expression. Through his simple and easy to understand coordinate system, he was able to allow geometrical shapes to be easily converted in algebraic equations. Aside from his creation of modern-day analytical geometry, he was also able to come up with many other important ideas and theorems that, while not as impactful as analytical geometry, are still useful. Descartes was actually the first person to ever use letters at the beginning of the alphabet (a, b, c, etc.) to represent known variables and to use letters at the end of the alphabet (x, y, z) to represent unknown values. The use of these particular variables can be seen in all types of equations from the simplest to the most complex, which helped unify all of algebra. He also was the one who started using exponential notation to signify the power of a number ( x2, x3, etc.) This simplified what had once been a tedious task of having to write a value times itself up to hundreds of times into an uncomplicated notation. Through his simplification and unification of concepts in algebra, he was able to make a small, but still very impactful, imprints on other parts of mathematics that we re not analytical geometry. The revolutionary influence that Descartes imposed on the geometric form of mathematics created more possible ways to reach solutions and an organized system of proving them. Having this framework of skepticism at hand, he doubted everything until it was proven which is arguably one of the main ideas of the proof system used in geometry. In Discussion of the Method, we are enlightened on the true beginning of the geometric exploration done by Descartes. Part of the Cartesian method, put well by the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy as the Method of Doubt, was what drove the algebraic format to get involved in geometry, seeing as it was a way to conclude so many problems that were previously thought to be unsolvable. Descartes method when it came to scientific or mathematical discoveries based itself on four criteria: lack of assumption, simplicity, order, and inclusion. As a system used for both scientific and mathematical advancements, Descartes method stuck and provided the probl em-solving aspect we see in class. Although the concept of analytical geometry is not directly noted and the coordinates are not explained to be Cartesian, the systematic approach of the mathematical process is still seen. Descartes influence was not limited to the geometric field, integrating the algebraic concept actually created the form of calculus used today. His idea of analytical geometry established the foundation for Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz to construct the form of calculus, and developing the rule of signs, Descartes allowed the highest possibility of solutions to be found in a polynomial equation. Additionally, he is credited with devising the standard superscript notation to show exponents. Furthermore, Descartes contributed to the majority of mathematical equations displayed in education. Speaking on behalf of his solving method Descartes explains that each problem will be solved according to its own nature. This sparked not only his infatuation for innovation but also his mindset of thinking. Throughout the field of mathematics, Descartes influence can be found through his ways of thinking and revolutionary concepts. His ability to think through situations logically has helped him to impact the field of geometry in ways as massive as analytical and as small as exponents. He truly was one of the most influential people of all time, with him creating ideas in fields as vastly different, but equally important, as mathematics and philosophy. His influence in mathematics even spread past geometry into calculus, since his work was one of the major causes of Isaac Newtons creation of calculus. Descartes innovative way of thinking led to the creation of many important ideas, theorems, and beliefs, which proves that his method of thinking through a situation logically and methodically is one a superior way of thinking that should be applied to all fields thinking in the modern-day.