Discuss the cultural environment as a classification of business environment

The society in which people grow shapes their beliefs, values and norms. People absorb almost
unconsciously a worldview that defines their relationship to themselves, to others, to nature and to the universe.
People living in a particular society hold many core beliefs and values that tend to persist e.g. American believe in work, getting married, in giving charity in being honest etc. These core beliefs and values are passed on from parents to children and are reinforced by major institutions like schools, churches, businesses and government.
People’s secondary beliefs are more open to change i.e. belief in institution of marriage is a core belief but believing that people ought to get married early is a secondary belief.
Family planning strategist could make headways by arguing that people should not get married at all i.e. strategist can change the secondary values but have little chance of changing the core values.
Think about drinking and accidents. Those advocating – no drinking have little chance because
people have cultural freedom to drink. The idea of using a tax driver when drunk, can be a good
strategy, also they can lobby to rise legal drinking age.
Cultural discipline and habits can make consumers boycott some products e.g. Muslim and pork.
Knowledge of culture is of value to business because strategist can adapt their producers accordingly and gain sizeable markets. Human resource management can tackle cultural difference in recruitment e.g. interpretation of body language.

Sub-cultures
Each society contains subcultures – various groups with shared values emerging from their special life experience or circumstance. Sub cultural groups exhibit different wants and consumption - marketers can choose sub-cultures as their target markets.
There are benefits that come from targeting a subculture i.e. marketers have always loved teens
because they are society’s trend setters in fashion, music, entertainment, ideas and attitudes.
Also they know if they attract a youth, there are good chances of keeping him/her in future.
Subculture can come due to:
(a) Age
(b) Class
(c) Ethnic background
(d) Religion
(e) Geography/region
(f) Sex
(g) Work

Shift of Secondary Cultural Values through times.
Core values are fairly persistent but cultural swings takes place. Advent of break dance, hip-hop, Lingala etc. and other cultural phenomena had a major impact on young people’s lifestyle, clothing, sexual norms and life goals. Today young people are influenced by new heroes and fads etc.
Marketers need to spot cultural shift that might bring marketing opportunities and threats. There is need to forecast cultural trends.

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Titany answered the question on November 24, 2021 at 12:16