Globalization has helped business operators and service providers to reach a wide range of consumers. According to House, Javidah, Hanges, and Dorfman posit, “People are travelling across varied nations freely” (5), and even while in foreign countries, these consumers require goods and services.
To cater for the consumers’ diverse needs, business operators and service providers should have prior knowledge of the cultural preferences of the target consumer groups. Gradually, organizations are transforming their operations to adopt the policy of thinking locally and acting globally.
An organization cannot serve customers effectively if it does not have proper information about its clients’ cultural preferences (House et al. 7). This conclusion can be deduced from the talk given by De Kanter. De Kanter posits that, for Fiesta Mart to satisfy its customers, the organization gathers information about the cultural practices exhibited by people living within its proximity.
Moreover, its employees visit varied restaurants to identify consumer preferences. De Kanter divulges that, despite the outlet focusing on Mexican people; it always ensures that it has products for every individual based on his or her cultural preference.
However, the big task lies in luring the young generation to shop at Fiesta. As evidenced by De Kanter’s talk, despite the diversity in cultural practices, some cultures are somewhat related. Fiesta Mart is gradually introducing global strategies to its various local supermarkets. De Kanter gives the example of the introduction of ‘open market’ concept in Texas.
Fiesta Mart introduced this concept in Texas after realizing that it worked in Central America and Columbia. This shows how organizations are adopting strategies, used by similar organizations in different countries, and using them locally. Communication is vital for organizational success. Hence, besides understanding the cultural practices of the target consumers, it is imperative to learn their languages to facilitate negotiations and marketing.
Edgar Vesgar also illustrates how knowledge in cultural practices of the target consumers may help a business enhance its relationship with consumers. Edger claims that, the success of Memorial Herman Hospital dwells on its ability to consider the cultural values of its target clients.
The hospital is ever in good terms with clients. He gives an example of cultures that give gifts and expect nothing in return. He also warns that such gifts may be detrimental to an organization if not well utilized. From his sentiments, it is clear that, at times, clients give gifts with an aim of gauging the level of transparency in an organization.
How an organization spends money or other gifts, given by clients, portrays its transparency as well as commitment to serving the society (Thorne and Saunders 13). According to Edger, the success of any organization hinges on its ability to serve diverse cultures. No city can claim to be dominated by a single culture; hence, understanding the varied cultures may help an organization enhance its productivity by serving a wider market range.
De Kanter and Edger hail from different countries. Besides, while De Kanter works in a supermarket, Edger works in a hospital. The two organizations work in different lines of specialization. The talks by the two show how organizational processes are influenced by culture. From Edger and De Kanter’s talks, it is clear that all countries are interconnected.
Organizations in different countries are working hard to learn the cultural practices of other nations. This shows how different nations have become assimilated into varied cultural practices. The two speakers show that culture not only influences product development and distribution, but also service delivery. Cultural practices affect all organizations in one way or another.
Works Cited
House, Robert, Mansour Javidah, Paul Hanges, and Peter Dorfman. “Understanding cultures and implicit leadership theories across the globe: an introduction to project GLOBE.” Journal of World Business 37.1 (2002): 3-7. Print.
Thorne, Linda, and Susan Saunders. “The socio-cultural embeddedness of individuals’ ethical reasoning in organizations (cross-cultural ethics).” Journal of Business Ethics 35.1 (2002): 1-14. Print.