1.3.1. Cultural environment
The ways people appreciate manufactured items, express their
specific needs, and purchase, are deeply rooted in their culture. Culture
itself is a collection of values, beliefs, behaviors, customs, and attitudes
that distinguish and define a society. It is often said that culture is
learned, shared and transmitted from one generation to the next. Nevertheless,
in the context of international marketing, it seems not appropriate to learn a
culture, we have to live it. That is why Stephen Kobin [3] classified business
travel and assignment overseas as the top two factors considered critical and
important for culture knowledge. However, at least the factual knowledge of
culture can be learned and the interpretive one be acquired through
experience.
International marketer needs both knowledges to master
language, religion, values and attitudes, manners and customs, aesthetics,
technology, education and social institutions, which all determine a given
culture.
In business context, two schools of thought exist. One assumes
that business should prevail upon culture factors in marketing approach. The
other proposes that companies must tailor business approach to individual
culture. Also, for efficient managerial purpose, any international marketer
should consider any cultural aspects of a given society if this is the only way
to succeed there.
In the case of Sub-Saharan Africa in general, and West Africa
in particular, cultural similarities (religion, language, tradition patterns,
high illiteracy...) are greater between countries. This psychological distance
factor could guide the manager willing to trade within West African countries.
1.3.2. Economic environment
International marketing activities are favored by
appropriate economic environment. The secure economic environment could be
judged by the international marketer through some market's characteristics such
as population, income, consumption pattern, infrastructures, geography and
attitudes towards foreign investments.
The population growth rate serves for estimation and active
population is the main source of labor a company may need. Markets require not
only people but also purchasing power, which is a function of income, prices,
savings, and credit availability. The share of income spent on products will
provide an indication of the market development level as well as an
approximation about how much money left for other purchases. So, information on
the percentage of households in a market that own a particulars product, allow
a further evaluation of market potential. The successful economic environment
involves the presence of basic economic infrastructures. They consist of
transportation (roads, railways, highways, and airports) the so-called linear
development, energy (water supply, electricity, oil, gas), and communications
systems (television, media, telephone, internet...).
Regional economic groupings are powerful factors an
international marketer should never neglect. In fact, economic integration in
world markets transactions poses unique opportunities and challenges for
corporate international marketing systems. Removing barriers between member
markets and erecting new ones for non members will call for adjustments in past
strategies to fully exploit the new situations.
In West Africa, there are also several economic grouping, but
the most important are ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States), and
UEMOA (Union economique et Monetaire Ouest Africaine) we will further describe
in the second part of the thesis.
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