Kultur- vs. regionenbezogene Abgrenzung von Ländergruppen: Eine clusteranalytische Untersuchung auf Basis der Kulturdimensionen nach Hofstede

Success of a regiocentric orientation depends essentially on the similarity of the countries grouped together. Beside its popularity in business practice geographical proximity is not necessarily an effective criterion to form regions. Instead, the aim of integrating marketing on a regional scale focuses on cultural similarities. The paper narrows the existing research gap by segmenting countries based on the six dimensions of national cultures by Hofstede. This leads to nine clusters each with a unique cultural profile. A comparison of the geographical segmentation and the segmentation based on national culture indicates significant differences with respect to the allocation of countries. Not a single geographical region is cultural homogenous, Eastern & Central Europe is even spread across five different cultural segments. Therefore, a strict geographical approach leaving out cultural similarities across regions as well as cultural differences within one region undermines the effectiveness of both operational and strategic actions.