Do multinationals standardise or localise? The cross‐cultural dimensionality of product‐based Web sites

Abstract

Despite the growing use of the Internet as an effective marketing channel, there is a lack of comprehensive research regarding multinational corporations’ (MNCs’) Web sites for multiple cultures. In this paper, Japanese MNCs’ product‐based Web sites were content‐analysed, comparing the Web sites created by the same firms in domestic and external markets. In total, 150 product‐based Web sites were chosen from the Japanese, Spanish and US market samples. Three explanatory variables (information content, cultural values and creative strategies) were examined on the basis of cultural dimensions and contexts. The results revealed that Japanese MNCs are likely to localise their Web sites to meet the target market culture through tailoring content and creative strategies, but also that online product presentations do not reflect target‐market values. In closing, implications and future research directions are discussed.

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