International Marketing and National Character: A Review and Proposal for an Integrative Theory

Abstract

The author discusses the concept of national character—the idea that the people of each nation have a distinctive, enduring pattern of behavior and/or personality characteristics. He examines the concept in terms of its value and validity for use in international marketing. The development of the study of national character in the anthropological, psychoanalytic, and quantitative schools is surveyed. A marketing-relevant national character concept with applicability to both consumer and strategic decision making is proposed.