The Effect of Emirati Culture on Western Cosmetics Buying Decision: A Strategic Marketing Analysis

Ianna F. Contardo*, Nitin Patwa**, Abha Dhoot***, Akshay Sundaram****
*-**-***-**** S P Jain School of Global Management, Dubai, Singapore, Sydney, United Arab Emirates.
Periodicity:September - November'2013
DOI : https://doi.org/10.26634/jmgt.8.2.2507

Abstract

In this paper we study the effects of Emirati culture on the buying behavior of cosmetics for women in the UAE. We argue that cultural categories act as stable parameters in which national identities are constructed by facilitating recognition and assimilation of established values. Little research, however, has been done in knowing what constitutes the process of institutionalization of new cultural categories or in other words, how new values enter traditional categories. We address this gap in research by offering an in-depth study of how Emirati women portray their identity through the use of cosmetics and more specifically Western brands. The foundations of the different perspectives in marketing research addressing the complexities and the dynamic relationships between consumer actions, organizational performance and cultural meanings are set as a conceptual framework of reference. We show that through the use of Western brands in cosmetics eventually Emirati women prefer to focus on aspects related to eye and lip make-up, following international trends while also remaining faithful to the predicaments of Islam. We conclude by highlighting how this study confirms the expectations regarding the relationship between the Emirati cosmetics consumption and the transitioning towards Global Consumer Culture Positioning (GCCP).

Keywords

Emirati Culture, Cosmetics, Brand Management, Intercultural Communication, Consumer Culture Theory.

How to Cite this Article?

Ianna F. Contardo, Nitin Patwa, Abha Dhoot and Akshay Sundaram (2013). The Effect of Emirati Culture on Western Cosmetics Buying Decision: A Strategic Marketing Analysis. i-manager’s Journal on Management, 8(2), 14-33. https://doi.org/10.26634/jmgt.8.2.2507

References

[1]. Albers-Miller, N. D. & Gelb, B. D. (1996). 'Business advertising appeals as a mirror of cultural dimensions: A study of eleven countries', Journal of Advertising, pp. 57- 70.
[2]. Al-Olayan, F. S. & Karande, K. (2000). 'A content analysis of magazine advertisements from the United States and the Arab world', Journal of Advertising, pp. 69- 82.
[3]. Al-Sadi, R., Belwal, R. & Al-Badi, R., 'Woman Entrepreneurship in the Al-Batinah Region of Oman: An identification of the Barriers', Journal of International Women's Studies, Vol. 12, No. 3, p. 58.
[4]. Anderson, R.D., Jerman, R.E. & Constantin, J.A. (1978).'Buyer and seller perceptions of transportation purchasing variables ' , Industrial Marketing Management, vol. 7 (1), pp. 60-64.
[5]. Andrews, J. C., Durvasula, S. & Netemeyer, R. G. (1994). 'Testing the cross-national applicability of US and Russian advertising belief and attitude measures', Journal of Advertising, pp. 71-82.
[6]. Argyris, C. (1996). 'Actionable knowledge: Design causality in the service of consequential theory', The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, Vol. 32, No. 4, pp. 390-406.
[7]. Arnould, E. & Thompson, C. (2011). 'Consumer Culture Theory (And We Really Mean Theoretics', Research in Consumer Behavior, Vol. 11, pp. 3-22.
[8]. Arnould, E. J. & Thompson, C. J. (2005). 'Consumer Culture Theory(CCT): Twenty Years of Research', Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 31, No. 4, pp. 868-882.
[9]. Askegaard, S., Arnould, E. J. & Kjeldgaard, D. (2005). 'Postassimilationist ethnic consumer research: qualifications and extensions', Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 32, No. 1, pp. 160-170.
[10]. Baalbaki, I. B. & Malhotra, N. K. (1993). 'Marketing management bases for international market segmentation : an alternate look at the standardization/customization debate', International Marketing Review, Vol. 10, No. 1.
[11]. Baalbaki, I. B. & Malhotra, N. K. (1995). 'Standardization versus customization in international marketing: an investigation using bridging conjoint analysis', Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 23, No. 3, pp. 182-194.
[12]. Barkho, L. (2007a). 'Advertising Resources in Oil Rich Arab Gulf States-Implications for International Marketers', International Journal of Business Studies: A Publication of the Faculty of Business Administration, Edith Cowan University, Vol. 15, No. 2, p. 1.
[13]. Barkho, L. (2007b). 'Unpacking the discursive and social links in BBC, CNN and Al-Jazeera's Middle East reporting', Journal of Arab 38; Muslim Media Research, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 11-29.
[14]. Bartlett, C. A. & Ghosbal, S. (1997). 'Managing across borders: New strategic requirements', Transnational corporations, Vol. 28, p. 309.
[15]. Bartlett, C. A. & Goshall, S. (1997). 'Managing across borders: New organizational responses', Transnational corporations, Vol. 28, p. 326.
[16]. Belk, R. W. (1988). 'Possessions and the extended self', The Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 139-168.
[17]. Belk, R. W. & Pollay, R. W. (1985). 'Images of ourselves: The good life in twentieth century advertising', Journal of Consumer Research, pp. 887-897.
[18]. Belk, R. W., Sobh, R. & Gresse, J. (2008). 'The scented winds of change: Conflicting notions of modesty and vanity among young Qatari and Emirati women', Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 8.
[19]. Belk, R. W., Wallendorf, M. & Sherry Jr, J. F. (1989). 'The sacred and the profane in consumer behavior: Theodicy on the odyssey', Journal of consumer research, pp. 1-38.
[20]. Birnik, A. & Bowman, C. (2007a). 'Marketing mix standardization in multinational corporations: A review of the evidence', International Journal of Management Reviews, Vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 303-324.
[21]. Birnik, A. & Bowman, C. (2007b). 'Marketing mix standardization in multinational corporations: a review of the evidence', International Journal of Management Reviews, Vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 303-324.
[22]. Blanchflower, D. G. & Oswald, A. J. (1999). 'Wellbeing, insecurity and the decline of American job satisfaction', NBER Working Paper.
[23]. Boddewyn, J. J., Soehl, R. & Picard, J. (1986). 'Standardization in international marketing: is Ted Levitt in fact right?', Business Horizons, Vol. 29, No. 6, pp. 69-75.
[24]. Burroughs, J. E. & Rindfleisch, A. (2002). 'Materialism and well-being: A conflicting values perspective', Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 29, No. 3, pp. 348-370.
[25]. Chandrasekar, K.S., & Stanley, G. (2013). 'Demographic analysis of consumer behavior on sales promotion: A study on Consumer durable retailing during festivals', i-manager’s Journal on Management, Mar-May Vol 7, issue 4, pp. 35-43.
[26]. Cheng, H. & Schweitzer, J. C. (1996). 'Cultural values reflected in Chinese and US television commercials', Journal of Advertising Research.
[27]. Cherrier, H., Rahman, K., Mady, T. & Lee, D., 'The Globalizing Arab World: Impacts on Consumers' Level of Materialism and Vanity' .
[28]. Coulter, R.A., Feick, L. F. & Price, L. L. (2002). 'Changing faces: cosmetics opinion leadership among women in the new Hungary', European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 36, No. 11/12, pp. 1287-1308.
[29]. De Mooij, M. (2010). Consumer behavior and culture: Consequences for global marketing and advertising, Sage Publications, Incorporated.
[30]. DiMaggio, P. (1987). 'Classification in art', American sociological review, pp. 440-455.
[31]. Douglas, S. P. & Wind, Y. (1987). 'The myth of globalization', Columbia Journal of World Business, Vol. 22, No. 4, pp. 19-29.
[32]. Durgee, J., Colarelli, G. & Veryzer, R. W. (1996). 'Observations: translating values into product wants', Journal of Advertising Research, Vol. 36, pp. 90-99.
[33]. Durgee, J. F. & O'Connor, G. C. (1996). 'Perceiving what package designs express: A multisensor y exploratory study using creative writing measurement techniques', ASTM special technical publication, Vol. 1316, pp. 48-61.
[34]. Eckhardt, G.M. (2005). 'Local branding in a foreign product category in an emerging market', Journal of International Marketing, Vol. 13, No. 4, pp. 57-79.
[35]. Firat, A.F., & Venkatesh, A. (1995). 'Liberatory Postmodernism and there enchantment of consumption', The Journal of consumer research, Vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 239-267.
[36]. Fournier, S., & Lee, L. (2009). 'Getting brand communities right', Harvard Business Review, Vol. 87, No. 4, pp. 105-111.
[37]. Frith, K., Shaw, P., & Cheng, H. (2005). 'The Construction of Beauty: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Women's Magazine Advertising ' , Journal of Communication, Vol. 55, No. 1, pp. 56-70.
[38]. Ghoshal, S. & Nohria, N. (1993). 'Horses for courses: organizational forms for multinational corporations', Sloan Management Review, Vol. 34, p. 23-23.
[39]. Grafton-Small, R. (1993). 'Marketing, or the Anthropology of Consumption', European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 21, No. 9, pp. 66-71.
[40]. Hill, R. P. (1991). 'Homeless women, special possessions, and the meaning of" home": An ethnographic case study', The Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 298-310.
[41]. Hirschman, E. C. (1992). 'The consciousness of addiction: Toward a general theory of compulsive consumption', The Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 155-179.
[42]. Holbrook, M. B. & Batra, R. (1987). 'Assessing the role of emotions as mediators of consumer responses to advertising', Journal of consumer research, pp. 404-420.
[43]. Holt, D. B. (2002). 'Why do brands cause trouble? A dialectical theory of consumer culture and branding', Journal of Consumer Research, pp. 70-90.
[44]. Jain, S. C. (1989). 'Standardization of international marketing strategy: some research hypotheses', The Journal of Marketing, Vol. 53, No. 1, pp. 70-79.
[45]. Jarillo, J. C. & Mart_anez, J. I. (1990). 'Different roles for subsidiaries: the case of multinational corporations in Spain', Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 11, No. 7, pp. 501-512.
[46]. Kalliny, M. & Gentry, L. (2007a). 'Cultural values reflected in Arab and American television advertising', Journal of Current Issues Research in Advertising, Vol. 29, No. 1, pp. 15-32.
[47]. Kalliny, M. & Gentry, L. (2007b). 'Cultural values reflected in Arab and American television advertising', Journal of Current Issues Research in Advertising, Vol. 29, No. 1, pp. 15-32.
[48]. Khaire, M. & Wadhwani, R. D. (2010). 'Changing landscapes: The construction of meaning and value in a new market category—Modern Indian Art', Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 53, No. 6, pp. 1281-1304.
[49]. Kjeldgaard, D. & Askegaard, S. (2006). 'The glocalization of youth culture: The global youth segment as structures of common difference', Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 33, No. 2, pp. 231-247.
[50]. Klein, A. (1935). 'Organizational Culture as a Source of Competitive Advantage', in Refereed Program of the ELeader Conference at Bangkok, Thailand, http://www. gcasa. com, ISSN.
[51]. Kozinets, R. V. (2001). 'Utopian enterprise: Articulating the meanings of Star Trek's culture of consumption', Journal of consumer research, Vol. 28, No. 1, pp. 67-88.
[52]. Levitt, T. (1993). 'The globalization of markets', Readings in international business: a decision approach, p. 249.
[53]. Levy, S. J. (1981). 'Intepreting consumer mythology: a structural approach to consumer behavior', The Journal of Marketing, Vol. 45, No. 3, pp. 49-61.
[54]. Lounsbury, M. & Rao, H. (2004). 'Sources of durability and change in market classifications: A study of the reconstitution of product categories in the American mutual fund industry, 1944--1985', Social Forces, Vol. 82, No. 3, pp. 969-999.
[55]. MacKenzie, S. B. & Lutz, R. J. (1989). 'An empirical examination of the structural antecedents of attitude toward the ad in an advertising pretesting context', The Journal of Marketing, pp. 48-65.
[56]. Maffesoli, M. (1996). 'The time of the tribes' .
[57]. Mead, M. (1928). Coming of age in Samoa: A psychological study of primitive youth, New York: Morrow Quill.
[58]. Meyer, E. & Bernier, I., 'Standardizing or Adapting the Marketing Mix across Culture',.
[59]. Mick, D. G. (1996). 'Are studies of dark side variables confounded by socially desirable responding? The case of materialism', Journal of Consumer Research, pp. 106- 119.
[60]. Mick, D. G. & Fournier, S. (1998). 'Paradoxes of technology: Consumer cognizance, emotions, and coping strategies', Journal of Consumer Research, pp. 123-143.
[61]. Muniz Jr, A. M. & O'Guinn, T. C. (2001). 'Brand community', Journal of consumer research, pp. 412-432.
[62]. Ohmae, K. (1989). 'The global logic of strategic alliances', Harvard Business Review, Vol. 67, No. March- April, pp. 143-154.
[63]. Okazaki, S., Mueller, B. & Taylor, C. R. (2010). 'Global consumer culture positioning: Testing perceptions of softsell and hard-sell advertising appeals between US and Japanese consumers', Journal of International Marketing, Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 20-34.
[64]. Ozalp, Y. (2008). 'Politics and Consumption', Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 35.
[65]. Ozsomer, A. & Simonin, B. L. (2004). 'Marketing program standardization: A cross-country exploration', International Journal of Research in Marketing, Vol. 21, No. 4, pp. 397-419.
[66]. Peter, J. P. & Olson, J. C. (1983). 'Is science marketing?', The Journal of Marketing, pp. 111-125.
[67]. Pollay, R. W. (1993). 'Here's the beef: Factors, determinants and segments in consumer criticism of advertising', Journal of Marketing, Vol. 57, No. 3, pp. 99- 114.
[68]. Reid, L. N. & Soley, L. C. (1982). 'Generalized and personalized attitudes toward advertising's social and economic effects', Journal of Advertising.
[69]. Richins, M. L. (1991). 'Social comparison and the idealized images of advertising', Journal of consumer research, pp. 71-83.
[70]. Rosa, J. A., Porac, J. F., Runser-Spanjol, J. & Saxon, M. S. (1999). 'Sociocognitive dynamics in a product market', The Journal of Marketing, pp. 64-77.
[71]. Rugman, A. M. & Verbeke, A. (2003). 'Extending the theory of the multinational enterprise: internalization and strategic management perspectives', Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 34, No. 2, pp. 125-137.
[72]. Shanklin, W. L. & Griffith, D. A. (1996). 'Crafting strategies for global marketing in the new millennium', Business Horizons, Vol. 39, No. 5, pp. 11-16.
[73]. Sheth, J. (2011a). Models of Buyer Behavior, Chapter 2: A Theory of Family Buying Decisions, Marketing Classics Press.
[74]. Sheth, J. N. (2011b). 'Impact of Emerging Markets on Marketing: Rethinking Existing Perspectives and Practices', Journal of Marketing, Vol. 75, No. 4, pp. 166-182.
[75]. Simadi, F. A. (2006). 'The United Arab Emirates youths (UAEU) between modernity and traditionalism', International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Vol. 26, No. 3/4, pp. 172-184.
[76]. Singhapakdi, A., Marta, J. K., Rao, C. P. & Cicic, M. (2001). 'Is Cross-Cultural Similarity an Indicator of Similar Marketing Ethics?', Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 32, No. 1, pp. 55-68.
[77]. Sorenson, R. Z. & Wiechmann, U. E. (1975). 'How multinationals view marketing standardization', Harvard Business Review, Vol. 53, No. 3, pp. 38-54.
[78]. Souiden, N. (2002). 'Segmenting the Arab markets on the basis of marketing stimuli', International Marketing Review, Vol. 19, No. 6, pp. 611-636.
[79]. Stern, B. B. (1995). 'Consumer myths: Frye's taxonomy and the structural analysis of consumption text', Journal of Consumer Research, pp. 165-185.
[80]. Treise, D., Weigold, M. F., Conna, J. & Garrison, H. (1994). 'Ethics in advertising: Ideological correlates of consumer perceptions', Journal of Advertising, pp. 59-69.
[81]. Wallendorf, M. & Arnould, E. J. (1991). '" We Gather Together": Consumption Rituals of Thanksgiving Day', Journal of consumer research, pp. 13-31.
[82]. Wills Jr, J. R. & Ryans Jr, J. K. (1982). 'Attitudes toward advertising: A multinational study', Journal of International Business Studies, pp. 121-129.
[83]. Witkowski, T. H. & Kellner, J. (1998). 'Convergent, contrasting, and country-specific attitudes toward television advertising in Germany and the United States', Journal of Business Research, Vol. 42, No. 2, pp. 167-174.
[84]. Zaltman, G. (2000). 'Consumer researchers: take a hike!', Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 26, No. 4, pp. 423-428.
[85]. Zhao, W. (2005). 'Understanding classifications: Empirical evidence from the American and French wine industries', Poetics, Vol. 33, No. 3, pp. 179-200.
If you have access to this article please login to view the article or kindly login to purchase the article

Purchase Instant Access

Single Article

North Americas,UK,
Middle East,Europe
India Rest of world
USD EUR INR USD-ROW
Online 15 15

Options for accessing this content:
  • If you would like institutional access to this content, please recommend the title to your librarian.
    Library Recommendation Form
  • If you already have i-manager's user account: Login above and proceed to purchase the article.
  • New Users: Please register, then proceed to purchase the article.