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The purpose of this paper is to present a critical review of culture study streams in international marketing and offer suggestions for future development.

A comprehensive review of earlier and current approaches to culture study in international marketing is offered. Shortcomings of earlier studies are highlighted and suggestions for remedies are presented. Future research suggestions are also offered.

Five streams of earlier studies and their shortcomings are presented, along with four avenues for future research.

More sharply framed culture study will lead to a deeper understanding of culture's role in targeting, segmentation, and positioning and strategy formulation by scholars and managers of international marketing.

The paper integrates a large body of research in an important research area in international marketing and offers future research directions.

This study aims to investigate an under-researched area, an international marketing perspective, based on international dynamic capability, environmental sustainability and organizational marketing performance in gamification and non-gamification-based organizational culture (OC). This paper deepens the understanding of gamification-based and non-gamification-based OC influence on innovation capability and environmental and organizational marketing performance through the theory of organizational creativity and the theory of administrative behavior (AB).

The authors collect data from firms that abide by the ISO 14091 certifications to ensure the proper quality standards. Primary data from 384 firms are used to test the hypotheses. The results would help firms invest in technological solutions by practicing creativity over time. Additionally, the study helps explore how AB is critical in steering technological creativity for making firms climate-conscious.

The study's findings identified that OC has a positive influence on technological innovation capabilities and environmental innovation capabilities. Technological innovation capabilities have a beneficial impact on environmental sustainability. Environmental sustainability appears to have a substantial correlation with technological innovation skills. Environmental innovation capabilities positively impact environmental sustainability and organizational marketing performance. A moderating effect of gamification on the international dynamic capabilities within a relationship between organizational culture and environmental innovation capabilities exists.

The investigation is confined to understanding how gamification-based and non-gamification-based organizational marketing culture affects innovation capability, environmental sustainability and organizational performance through the lens of theory of organizational creativity and theory of AB.

Most international marketing studies, taking a sociological position, assume homogeneity within and heterogeneity between cultures. Taking a psychological position and based on the Mindscape Theory, the purpose of this paper is to support the hypothesis that there is intra-cultural and intra-market heterogeneity.

The translated survey for international use has many problems. These problems can greatly be minimized by the use of pictorial/geometric shapes that were used in this study. These shapes were constructed using redundant and non-redundant complexity, and made to be culture neutral.

Data analysis supported the presence of three of the four Mindscape types as was hypothesized, indicating individual intra-market heterogeneity in the three cultures under investigation. Additionally, the corollary hypothesis of transcultural heterogeneity was confirmed.

It has been proposed that Mindscape types are partly innate and partly learned. What proportions constitute each part? Can the learned aspect be unlearned? Can different marketing strategies appeal to each? What marketing programs are better suited to influence the learned aspect? Future studies could explore these issues.

The findings of this paper have wide applicability and implications for international marketing strategy, including ways of deploying market segmentation, target marketing, positioning strategies, as well as configurations of marketing mix elements.

This paper used a novel and unique way for data collection and analysis. A geometric-pictorial survey was used for data collection. Data analysis was done with factor analysis and cluster analysis combined.

Marketers are berated for their dependence on Hofstede and his concept of culture which stems from nineteenth century anthropology. International marketing studies need a new approach to culture, which is consistent with the workings of the global knowledge economy. It is argued that it is no longer satisfactory to associate culture with markets perceived as national aggregates of characteristics. Rather culture is seen as a knowledge resource waiting to be discovered in marketing relationships and clusters of affinity. A five‐point scheme for the foundation of a new approach to culture is presented.

Cultural factors have tremendous impact on cross‐national communication, and it is in the area of cross‐cultural communications that most blunders in international marketing occur. Using Hofstede′s four discussions of culture, this article provides a generalisable framework to assess the effectiveness of cross‐cultural communication. The application of the proposed framework has been demonstrated in the context of promoting international tourism.

By standardizing the marketing effort over similar worldwide segments and differentiating it across dissimilar worldwide segments, the international marketing manager is able to reap the advantages of both standardization and customization. The choice of the variables by which to segment the global market is crucial. Traditionally, purely environmental bases (geographic, political, economic, and cultural) were used as bases for international market segmentation. Proposes that international marketers group relevant markets based on both environmental as well as marketing management bases. The marketing management bases are classified as: (1) product‐related; (2) promotion‐related; (3) price‐related; and (4) distribution‐related. Derives number of propositions with direct implications for international marketing strategy and segmentation with respect to these bases. Highlights the managerial implications of the variables encompassed by these bases. Proposes the empirical investigation of the derived propositions as a research agenda for the future.

The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the discussion of cross-cultural research, in particular the use of dimensions of national culture, for international marketing.

Discuss definitions of values and culture, analyze cultural models as to purpose and design and applications of models to international marketing.

International marketers benefit from applying dimensions of national culture, but researchers make mistakes in applying and interpreting such dimensions, thus discrediting useful means of research for international marketing.

Researchers should understand the problems of multi-level research and interpret dimensions better when using them for research.

The value of this paper is in clearing up some of the misunderstandings about dimensions of national culture.

Examines the barriers caused by cultural differences when marketing goods in the Middle East. Highlights the growth of Islamic countries in the international marketplace – exports soared from $15,000 million in 1973 to $78,000 million in 1978. Draws on the results of research with companies actively involved in marketing in the Arab world. Defines the concept of culture. Describes how custom and tradition, language, literacy and symbolism can impact on the marketing mix. Concludes that to carry out a successful marketing policy in the Middle East, companies must: Approach cultural problems in an organized and systematic way; Carry out in‐depth market research; Consider employing Arab national in senior marketing positions; Observe tradition and avoid offending beliefs; Observe tradition and avoid offending beliefs; Recognize sub‐cultures within the Arab world and the speed and scope of change in the region.

This paper aims to deal with international marketing of products, analyzing how adaptation/standardization and network development are achieved when marketing products in Bangladesh.

By applying a qualitative method, the study was conducted at four multinationals, British American Tobacco, Perfetti Van Melle, Tetrapak and Reckitt Benckiser, operating in Bangladesh. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, direct observation and official documents. The analysis was conducted through construction of themes that were identified from the data set.

The study demonstrates that business relationships related to a local market should be adapted to customer preferences. The research suggests that a balanced combination of product quality and development of new, innovative products adapted to the needs of the market and the customers establishes trust and networks. Cultural and market context were found to influence multinational companies (MNCs)s to standardize the quality of the products and adapt marketing mix components to the needs of consumers.

The paper contributes to international marketing literature with a model of product marketing based on context, trust, networks and adaptation/standardization. The model introduces the cultural dimension of femininity/ masculinity and the innovation of products and market structure. The study is limited to one emerging market. Further studies should explore other emerging market economies and MNCs.

The results suggest that to meet the challenges of emerging market economies and achieve success, managers should take people and market needs into consideration.

This paper extends product marketing literature by presenting a context-based model for MNCs’ product marketing.

This empirical research conceptualises the impact of celebrity effectiveness on consumer purchase intention, with customer perception and attitude as mediators. A cross-cultural approach is adopted to analyse consumer response to celebrity branding across Britain and Pakistan containing non-explicit and explicit sex appeals.

A within-subject experimental design (2 countries × 2 ad designs) is employed to test the research model across Western and South Asian cultures. Structural equation modelling (SEM) and multi-group analysis (MGA) are used to test proposed hypotheses.

SEM results confirm the theoretical model: perception and attitude towards the advert and brand mediate the impact of celebrity effectiveness on purchase intention. Celebrity-endorsed advertising without explicit sex appeals elicited an overall favourable response across markets. British consumers respond to both adverts similarly. Yet, Pakistani consumers filter advert themes through salient cultural values and respond negatively to explicit sex appeals whilst, interestingly, accepting sexuality in associations of a celebrity endorser.

International celebrities can have cross-cultural appeal, and commonalities exist between the markets. A global or domestic marketing strategy can be utilised across the cultures based upon the environmental conditions and the themes and appeals incorporated within advert design.

The conceptual model is developed by consolidating existing models within celebrity endorsement and considering the mediating influence of both the advert and brand. The model is validated across theoretically different cultures. The comparative approach and selection of an underrepresented market provide novel insight into international branding strategies and global consumer culture.