Influences of culture, geography and infrastructure on website localization decisions

Shneor, Rotem (2012) Influences of culture, geography and infrastructure on website localization decisions. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, 19 (3). pp. 352-374. doi:10.1108/13527601211247099

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Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the role played by culture, geography and infrastructure on European airline's decision to launch market‐specific websites. Design/methodology/approach – Logistic regression analysis based on 440 observations of home‐target country dyads collected from websites of nine European airlines, and supplemented by additional sources of macro level indicators. The unit of analysis is the country dyad. Findings – Cultural distance between home and target country, geographical distance between home and target country, website traffic volumes originating from target country, demand conditions in target country, and competition intensity in target country all influence the decision to launch local sites. The cultural dimensions of individualism, masculinity, power distance, and uncertainty avoidance, as well as the legal, commercial and IT infrastructures in target countries don't impact the same decision. Research limitations/implications – The study's findings are limited contextually to B2C e‐service models, the airline industry and the European origin. Other industries, business models or regional origin of firms may exhibit different patterns. Originality/value – The study shifts the research focus from what constitutes website localization into what dictates localization efforts' implementation. Surprising findings suggest that counter to earlier suggestions, infrastructural conditions and cultural dimensions' levels in target markets do not predict the launch of local sites, and that geographical distance impact decisions related to the geography neutral medium of the internet.

Item Type:	Article
Article Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Website, Localization, Culture, Cultural distance, Electronic commerce, Electronic marketing, Organizational culture, Europe, Airlines
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HF Commerce
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > School of Business, Computing and Social Sciences
Research Priority Areas:	Applied Business & Technology
Depositing User:	Anne Pengelly
Date Deposited:	06 May 2015 09:04
Last Modified:	05 Aug 2023 16:42
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/2185

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