2% in Hong Kong., the average income of respondents in Taipei was at the maximum income level and in Hong Kong, at the median level overall. The entire sample was highly educated with 80.2% of Shanghai respondents, 79.5% of Taipei respondents and 43.8% of Hong Kong respondents having a university education. The majority of respondent sin Shanghai and Taipei were 18 to 25 and 26 -- 30 in Hong Kong. The study found that each respondent base scored high on the self-expectation dimensions as shown in Table III of the report with many having a strong sense of self-esteem and seeing the value of true friendship and inner harmony. There is also a strong belief in freedom in the orientation towards life dimension of the ANOVA analysis completed, just short of true friendship as a fundamental value in the analysis (Tai, 2008). The study indicates that shoppers in these cities gravitate towards stores and retail locations that provide a strong sense of community and trust, along with friendliness and approachability. The study concludes that retailers and sellers who exemplify these attributes are more successful in aligning with the core requirements of the respondents and therefore have an increased potential to improve their overall sales and profitability.

In terms of a critical analysis of the study, the judgment sample in Shanghai skews the research which was otherwise highly quantitative and could be projected over a broad population. The sampling frames of white collar works and the stratification of incomes is also a challenge in the overall structure of the methodology, as it forces the analysis of two separate economic strata of Chinas. Finally, the differences in questionnaire design and development across the judgment sample relative to mail-based questionnaires introduced sampling bias. The research may provide insightful, interesting data yet does not conclusively define this area with statistical rigor.

Analysis of a Study of the Attitudes of Chinese Consumers to Aesthetic Product Designs

In the study a study of the Attitudes of Chinese Consumers to Aesthetic Product Designs (Lin, Lai, 2010) the authors have relied on a convenience sample of ten respondents who are 25 to 55 years of age, with 80% having a college degree. The majority of the respondents had a background in art and design, and volunteered for the study. There are many implications of the study including the design and development of new products, and the definition and continual refining of new customer experiences related to products as well. The study concluded that the advanced forms of aesthetics including utility, conformity, simplicity and intuitive feelings were most dominant in Asian cultures, while westernization and novelty or newness was most important to those respondents with western cultural values.

The study was conducted at Fu Jen University, Taiwan and included ten respondents the researchers knew socially and through their studies. The respondents varies in age between 25 and 55, and all had art and design backgrounds. Six females and four males were included in the sampling frame. A semi-structured questionnaire was used for completing the analysis to allow for more effective question-and-answer formats.

The study found that Taiwanese and Chinese respondents sought products that...

The researchers also found that respondents were more likely to attach greater significance to a given product or service if it had been deliberately designed to align with their specific tastes. This also was evident in the approach taken in defining optimal product and solution sets by aesthetic value.
Ultimately this study provided a glimpse into the overall decision set of the convenience sample on the dimensions of aesthetics. It did not however provide a more advanced form of analysis to evaluate the overall interpretation of aesthetic values in product design. It is therefore considered anecdotal and not capable of scaling across an entire population in Twain and China.

Discussion

The role of culture in consumer behavior is evident in each of the four studies included in this analysis, and also show how potential branding, customer experience and marketing are in creating a highly effective platform for global sales. Two of the studies indicate how effective the use of the Hofstede Model of Cultural Dimensions is in defining effective go-to-market strategies for a business, while the other two show how critical it is to align product and services benefits to the customer experience that a company is attempting to deliver. In total these studies indicate how critically important it is to create a solid foundation of assumptions and insights into how branding, customer experience and marketing impact the cultural shifts occurring in countries as a result of globalization.

Recommendations

The following are the key recommendations from this study:

1. In defining a go-to-market strategy in Asian nations, it's imperative to consider how effectively the individual and group-based motivations of affiliations can be included in the branding and messaging. This is a rapidly changing aspect of Asian cultures especially in the area of luxury goods.

2. In defining a cultural framework, it is important to also consider the Hofstede Model of Cultural dimensions as a means to understand PDI and UAI, as was the case in the iranian study. Only by looking at these factors can a business navigate through the many challenge sin their business model in a foreign nation.

3. In defining the aesthetic factors of a product it is imperative to consider the aspects of balance and continuity a design for Asian consumers, relative to the novelty and westernization of design for western consumers. Asian consumers look at product as an extension of their own definition of aesthetics as well, a point not often defined in marketing strategies today.