D. P. Bostwick & Associates, Inc.
Market Research
Insight. Determination. Innovation.
cultural studies
Each culture has its own unique perspective on what it takes to survive and to regenerate itself.
METAPHOR STUDY®
People are not the same all over
Here's how it works:
As members of a culture, we have a common script that we follow when it comes to motivating us to action. Knowing the nature and rules of the culture is essential to creating the connection to employees, colleagues, customers and constituents within that culture. The same command, issued in two different cultures, will sometimes elicit different responses. Take, for instance, the idea of "zero defects."
In the Japanese culture, a call to pursue zero defects is accepted as a logical path to success. Mistakes are a waste of time, space and energy. Eliminating the possibility of making a mistake in Japan is part of their cultural method of survival and regeneration. In America, a call to pursue zero defects is an alarming concept that is contrary to the American method of survival and regeneration.
In America, we see ourselves as pioneers in a hostile environment who need to learn by trial and error in order to survive. Underneath our rational logic is a sense that we must learn by doing, so that solutions to problems will be embedded in our psyche, ready to be called up on a moment's notice to overcome adversity or adversaries.
American Cultural Logic
To an American, "we're going to have zero defects" means "I can never make a mistake."
"If I can never make a mistake, I will not learn the right solution. If I don't know the right solution, I will fail."
What's the solution?
If you understand the culture of those you are leading, you can get around this.
In this instance, you can say to the American: "There's a game on, someone is keeping score, and we are losing." The American asks "What's the game? You say "Zero Defects." He says "Let's do it!"
This is because the overriding principle of survival in America is:
"You win, you live. You lose, you die."
The need to win and live trumps the fear of "zero defects."
Therefore ..
zero defects
I will fail
=
DPBA's multicultural experience includes in-depth studies of 13 cultures in Europe, North America, South America and the Pacific Rim. Insights from this perspective allow a deeper understanding of how consumers see product innovation and brand positioning in the context of their unique cultural values.
