Impact of culture to the content of websites

Elena Vitkauskaitė

Kaunas University of Technology

Lithuania

Agenda

1. Culture

2. Standardise or localise?

3. Why localisation efforts fail?

4. Levels of culture4.1. Perceptual level

4.2. Behavioural level

4.3. Symbolic level

1. Culture

The culture is man-made part of the human environment (Herkovits, 1995)

2. Standardise or localise?

Standardisation strategy uses promotional messages internationally, translating but not otherwise modifying headings, illustrations or copy

Localisation (or adaptation) strategy posits that consumer difference may have been widening and that messages should be tailored according to culture, media availability, product life-cycle stages and industry structures

Third school of thought offers a compromise approach – appropriateness of standardisation depends on the product, consumer characteristics and environmental factors

3. Why localisation efforts fail?

Designers do not necessarily know about other cultures

Cosmetic changes are not enough

4. Levels of culture

Perceptual level (emphasises on language use and colour categories)

Behavioural level (emphasises on cultural values)

Symbolic level (emphasises on emic understanding of signs and symbols of the society)

4.1. Perceptual level

Spatial orientationWeb page layoutText lengthNavigation modesTranslation equivalenceDialectsColour categories

4.2. Behavioral level

Cultural values proposed by Hofstede and Hall: Individualism – collectivism Uncertainty avoidance Power distance Masculinity – femininity Confusian dinamism High / low context cultures Polychronic /monochronic cultures

4.2.1. Collectivism

Community relationsClubs or chat roomsNewsletterFamily themeSymbols and pictures of national identityLoyalty programsLinks to local web sites

4.2.2. Uncertainty avoidance

Customer serviceGuided navigationTradition themeLocal storesLocal terminologyFree trials or downloadsToll-free numbers

4.2.3. Power distance

Company hierarchy informationPictures of CEOsQuality assurance and awardsVision statementPride of ownership appealProper titles

Example of high power distance website

Example of low power distance website

4.2.4. Masculinity

Quizzes and gamesRealism themeProduct effectivenessClear gender roles

Example of masculine website

4.2.5. High / low context cultures

High context culturePoliteness and indirectnessSoft-sell approachAesthetics

Low context cultureHard-sell approachUse of superlativesRank of prestige of the companyTerms and conditions of purchase

4.3. Symbolic level

Country-specific symbolsIconsColor symbolism

Thank you for your attention

Questions?