Movies: Cultural Manifestation and Business Success - Essay Sample

Introduction

Movies are not only modes of entertainment but are used to depict the culture of those involved. Movies are designed to promote cultures as they manifest the lifestyles of the people involved. In a business context, culture is vital to the success of companies. For instance, when Walmart was expanding in South Korea, it failed and was forced to exit the market (Kim, 2008). This was because the culture of Walmart of providing cheap products was inappropriate in South Korea as they believed cheap products were of poor quality. Since movies are key manifestations of the cultures of different countries, their impact has been substantial. Movies have led to the assimilation, homogenization, and promotion of culture, thus affecting businesses, but they cannot be an effective means of learning how to do business due to misconceptions and exaggerations.

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Influence of Movies on Business

Movies lead to the converging of cultures, which in turn affects businesses. Advancement in technology has meant that a large number of people across the world have access to movies. Netflix reported that the series 'Orange is the new black' is its most-watched show with about 105 million views (Gajanan, 2019). With American based movies gaining widespread viewership, its culture has been adopted across the world. Cavusgil, Knight, Riesenberger, Rammal, & Rose (2016) highlighted that due to the assimilation of cultures, certain foods such as hamburgers and pizzas had become favorites across the world. Similarly, Chinese food has gained preference across the world. As a result of movies, the tastes and preferences of people across the world have converged. This has promoted globalization, creating markets for foreign products and services.

Movies have also promoted the culture of Asian and African countries. This has led managers to appreciate the different cultures. Managers are, therefore, able to develop efficient strategies that take different cultures into consideration.

Movies as a Source of Learning How to Do Business Abroad

However, if movies are used together with other sources, they can be used to learn how to relate with people internationally. The dress code is one evident feature that can be seen in movies. Women in Asian countries in movies are portrayed as reserved in their dressing. Women rarely wear short dresses or skirts due to their culture (Khlystov, 2020). Despite this depiction of culture in movies, it is crucial to go an extra step to confirm such issues. This is because some depictions may not represent reality. For instance, red is the favorite color in China ('How to dress properly in China,' 2020). This is, therefore, the preferred color in advertising and dress code in informal settings. However, wearing red in a business setting is inappropriate.

Although movies portray the way different cultures do business, misconceptions and exaggerations are pitfalls that limit its effectiveness. Cavusgil et al. (2016), highlighted the movie 'Lost in Translation' where Japanese culture was misrepresented. Japanese were shown as short people with challenges in pronunciation of the letters 'L' and 'R.' Such misrepresentations or stereotypes, if taken up by businesses, can lead to failure.

Conclusion

Movies receive millions of viewers across the world, thus affecting the culture, which in turn influences the way people do business. Due to their wide reach, movies have led to the convergence of culture, which has provided new opportunities for businesses. Despite this, movies are full of misconceptions and stereotypes that, if adopted, may affect businesses negatively. There are numerous sources of learning the culture of various countries, from blogs to interactions with people that are far more effective than movies.

References

Cavusgil, S. T., Knight, G., Riesenberger, J. R., Rammal, H. G., & Rose, E. L. (2014). International business. Pearson Australia.

Gajanan, M. (2019, Dec. 10). These are the most popular Netflix shows and movies-according to Netflix. Time. https://time.com/5697802/most-popular-shows-movies-netflix/

How to dress properly in China (2020). China Highlights. https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/article-how-to-dress-in-china.htm

Khlystov, Y. (2020). Chinese business etiquette. Laowai Career. https://www.laowaicareer.com/blog/chinese-business-attire-must-know/

Kim, R. (2008). Wal-Mart Korea: Challenges of entering a foreign market. Journal of Asia-Pacific Business, 9(4), 344-357. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10599230802453604