The influences of national cultural constructs on marketing studies

This comparative study examines empirically, the influences of the national cultural constructs individualism-collectivism (IC) and power distance index (PDI) on marketing studies by examining the studentsʹ learning experience and the ways in which these factors impact the studentsʹ learning performance in the context of the marketing management studies. The study utilized a qualitative research method, - namely, in-depth interviews with a group of students and faculty members in China and Canada. By investigating along the three dimensions: interaction with professors, peer relationship and evaluation on studentsʹ performance in the marketing program, the findings of this study report that differences exist in the learning performance between the two countries in the marketing studies. These results will be the basis for making recommendations to both Chinese and Canadian educators and policy makers/administrators who are involved with the international marketing joint program. It also provides guidance to assist Asian, - particularly Chinese - students to advance their marketing knowledge via the cultural learning. The limitation and implication of the study, together with possible directions for future research, are also presented.