International Business Economics Journal -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The International Business Economics Journal? Answer: Introduction Disney is a part of popular culture and reflects the popular icons of American culture which have had a tremendous impact on shaping the lives and perceptions of the younger generation (West, 2016). However, a lack of understanding of the quintessential factors responsible for the growth and success of amusement parks can be severe. The same theory is applicable in case of Euro Disney and Hong Kong Disney. Cultural alienation- Euro Disney failed to understand the major cultural differences between the two continents and outlined the theme and functioning of Euro Disney witnessing the popularity in America. The management was responsible for implementing some of the norms, which were contradictory to the European culture like the banning of wine within the premises. This was also a major disrespect towards the French culture. Furthermore, to aggravate the situation, Euro Disney had no representation of the major fictional characters of France like Asterix and naturally the environment proved unacceptable to the European culture (West, 2016).. The director of Euro Disney failed to take into consideration the major gulf existing between the American and European cultures and the necessity in shredding of its Americanized elements. Lack of branding and promotion- Euro Disney failed to take into consideration the cultural preferences of the land they planned to cater. The monotony of sizes and lack of attractions contributed to further loss. A proper collaboration with mass media, and government was also a requisite to gain mass acceptance, which Euro Disney failed to address during their promotional campaigns (Grayson et al., 2017). Furthermore, they failed at product differentiation, the magic lurking behind the whole new world they were offering to the customers. Lack of Knowledge of Consumer Psychology-Euro Disney for long struggled to grasp the idea behind the European pattern of holiday and made a blunder by presuming that it was more inclined towards the American way of life (West, 2016). The decrease in the number of footfalls in Euro Disney accounted to drastically low share prices. Poor performance of Hong Kong- Intrusion of a different Culture- The issue of cultural acceptance persisted in Hong Kong Disney as well. It made apparent the adverse impact of imposition of American culture in a land where many were unfamiliar with Donald Duck and Tiana (West, 2016). The cultural gap was a huge hindrance in fostering success. Poor Market Analysis- Hong Kong Disney failed to take into consideration the unfavorable currency conditions and the economic stagnation (Lu Lanqi, 2016). These were responsible for dwindling tourist interest towards it. The disaster that occurred was mainly due to cultural alienation and a consequence of forced Americanization on different continents without paying heed to their own cultural tenets and practices (West, 2016). It becomes necessary before the setting up of any organization to take into account consumer behavioral pattern, culture, norms, values and attitudes shared by a set of people which influences the success and expansion of the business. The above factors could have been controllable by an understanding of the impact of culture and the role it plays in business. Euro Disney was being operated from the perspective of a narrowed down American mainstream culture. Euro Disney threatened the cultural identity and practices of the land that they spread their business (Karadjova-Stoev Mujtaba, 2016). However, Euro Disney allowed for the establishment of kennel in the parks considering the lifestyle pattern of French still it was not sufficient to counter how prices, idea of vacation and filmmaking inclined towards American ways. This was a major cause accounting to their failure in the initial years. Disneys marketing skills primarily was hugely ethnocentric that failed to accumulate the cultural differences within the framework of Disneys operational management (Grayson et al, 2014). Disney failure perpetuated mainly due to ignorance surrounding the importance of cross-cultural marketing that will induce the customers identify with their service and product. They emphasized more on American icon rather than the culture they ingratiated themselves. However, they later assessed the need for a cross-cultural approach in order to make Disney feel welcomed in places like Europe and Hong Kong. Some of the appreciating steps they implemented are the construction of Fantasy Gardens to appeal to the Hong Kong market, the re-constructing of the advertising in China to include one-child policy, promotions to equip the mainland tourists, feng shui customized hotels in order to preserve the tradition of Chinese culture (Lu Lanqi, 2016). In Europe, they introduced more variety of sausages, t he extravagant creation of Magic Kingdom are evidences the initiatives that Disney had undertaken to introduce cross-cultural traits maintaining the different cultural practices Disney is a part of. Tokyo Disneyland was a forged version of the park in America and in Japan people simply wanted to catch a glimpse of the American culture, something that would provide them with the ultimate American air. In Japan, the Tokyo Disneyland was nothing short of cultural imperialism which elicited huge response because of the Japanese enchantment with Disney characters (Grayson et al, 2014). It was because of this reason that Disney failed to predict a different reaction from the market of France and China. Tokyo Disney and its acceptance of American culture which failed to bear the same results in China and France. The Hong Kong Disneyland venture was planned keeping in consideration the Chinese culture like the feng shui, and even the park started operating from September 12 which is considered auspicious in Chinese culture (Lu Lanqi, 2016). So it can be concluded that unlike in France Disney over here included the cultural dynamic into their spectrum. However, due to poor market analysis they did not anticipated that the lack of rides and attractions can make the park unpopular and shrink the market eventually. Their advertising policies were also wrong and contradicted the Chinese way of raising a family. Disney in Hong Kong has witnessed the challenges of making Disney popular in a foreign land and therefore the Shanghai Disneyland has the blend of Chinese and American culture (Grayson et al, 2014). Moreover, they have learnt the importance of being culture centric after witnessing initial failure in Hong Kong and have included live entertainment along with variety of rides after the Chinese preference for the same. Disney should definitely try to make a market for itself in places like Middle East, Africa and Switzerland. As far as my opinions are concerned, it will work wonders in Africa mainly because of the cultural history that it shares and the need to ensure a harmonious bonding of both the cultures breaking away from past experiences. Disneyland X should respect the culture and tradition of Africa and refrain from making Disney X another photocopy of American culture. Disney should take a kaleidoscopic view of the popular culture in Africa to associate the native people with the park and incorporate their cultural elements. Disney should never appear as a cultural invasion. Additionally, Disney X should have financial resources to deal with the number of crisis that they have witnessed previously in France and Hong Kong. Learning from the previous errors could provide Disney X a strong niche in the market. Reference List: Grayson, L. E., Sheikholeslami, G., Grayson, L. E., Sheikholeslami, G., Rubenstein, F. (2017). Euro Disney or Euro Disaster?. Darden Business Publishing Cases, 1-14. Karadjova-Stoev, G., Mujtaba, B. G. (2016). Strategic human resource management and global expansion lessons from the Euro disney challenges in France. The International Business Economics Research Journal (Online), 15(3), 79. Lu, H. A. O., Lanqi, S. O. N. G. (2016). An Analysis of the Factors Influencing Chinese Cultural Product Export. Studies in Sociology of Science, 7(4), 61-65. West, M. I. (Ed.). (2016). Disneyland and culture: Essays on the parks and their influence. McFarland.