Effect of Culture on Marketing Orientation of Multinational Firms: Evidence from Nigeria

Abstract

The effect of globalization generally is that many firms have become international players in their marketing operations earlier than they had expected. This stepping out into the international arena was also quickened by the prevailing and pervasive quick-silver changes in technology. The emergence of the Internet was also a catalyst in the ever evolving technology. It is known in literature and supported by evidence from China, Europe and Asia that going into a new market by a firm requires that the firm must take into cognizance the nature of its new market environment which includes the economy, the political and cultural factors. In addition, the firm will consider its own capability – marketing orientation and strategy to adopt the new cultural obligation for business success. The multinational firms in Nigeria were studied to find out the extent of Nigerian cultural content in or influence on their marketing orientation and strategy. The study revealed that the firms in developing their entry and operations strategy, which ostensibly were informed by their marketing orientation about the Nigerian market, considered only the economic and political factors but not the cultural factor. For example, their product packages were of foreign designs that came in languages alien to the Nigerian consumers. This situation did not affect their marketing operations, it was discovered, too, because of the Xenocentric buying behavior of the Nigerian consumer. Indeed this Xenocentric buying behavior of the Nigerian consumer appeared to be their gain.