Communication
Wan et al (2007 p1) in the perceived cultural importance and actual self-importance of values in cultural identification limits the definition of values to conceptions of what is preferable, desirable, or important. Their definition of value surpasses that and goes further to enumerate people or social groups’ belief in whatever they are emotionally attached to. Such beliefs may be approved or be disapproved by others but that never deters the adherent from subscribing to them.
I concur with Wen et al proposition that values guide, justify behaviors, and determine one’s preferences and judgments. Values can indeed be used in the evaluation of life experiences, acting as a guide and justifying behaviors preferences, and judgments. This is because they help in motivating people’s behavior as they will always want to achieve their set goals. Values, therefore, act as guiding factors in life, enabling individuals to reach heights they have always aspired to reach.
The way in which values impact consumer behavior is very important in marketing as this helps in matching prospective consumers with the efforts put in marketing. Values also impact product preference either directly or indirectly. Consumers will seek to concentrate on the symbolic meaning of a product while evaluating it, depending on the perceived self-image. In direct value, influence is through the tangibility of the product’s attribute. Therefore, the consumer intends to satisfy his or her motives, they do judgment based on emotions that the product evokes.
Wan et al are justified in saying that values are organized in a hierarchy of importance. Higher values are normally classified into five categories in descending manner. These values include absolute truth, goodness, holiness, and beauty; contribution to the wellbeing of the human race; contribution to the state; contribution to the regional society, and ones ability to manage his family well
Conclusion
Values are very pivotal in the evaluation of one’s life experience as they help in guiding and justifying one’s conduct, preferences, and judgments. Some values are important than others. This is occasioned by the presence of the hierarchy of values that list values in descending order from the higher value to the least value. Values are very important in business as they are used by consumers in evaluating the products they use.
They are normally used in evaluating the product’s attributes. Culturally important values are considered by those subscribing to that culture as very important and can be compared to the wafts and wefts of the tapestry that holds a garment together. Actual self-importance is always considered a conglomerate of individual value priorities of members of a given culture. Measures of self-importance are normally involved with a description of culture depending on what the members of that culture like but not what they perceive culture to be.
Culture emanates from collective processes. As a matter of fact, the personal characteristics of people add to the emergence of culture. Values that are held in high esteem by a people- culturally important values are considered to be very important by members of a given culture. Infringement of such values can easily be considered to be a disregard to one’s culture. This is normally unacceptable. Culture is normally shared. It is widely distributed and is normally perfectly understood by individuals who practice it. It is also considered as a system of shared competence among groups practicing the culture.
Reference List
Wan, C., Tam, K., Lau, I.Y., Chiu, C., Lee, S. and Peng, S. (2007). Perceived Cultural Importance and Actual Self Importance of Values in Cultural Identification. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,92 (3:) 337-354.