Read the case below and answer the questions that follow.
Global Perspective
DO BLONDES HAVE MORE FUN IN JAPAN?
Recounts one American executive, “My first trip to Japan was pretty much a disaster for several reasons. The meetings didn’t run smoothly because every day at least 20, if not more, people came walking in and out of the room just to look at me. It is one thing to see a woman at the negotiation table, but to see a woman who happens to be blonde, young, and very tall by Japanese standards (5'8" with no shoes) leading the discussions was more than most of the Japanese men could handle.”
“Even though I was the lead negotiator for the Ford team, the Japanese would go out of their way to avoid speaking directly to me. At the negotiation table I purposely sat in the center of my team, in the spokesperson’s strategic position. Their key person would not sit across from me, but rather two places down. Also, no one would address questions and/or remarks to me—to everyone (all male) on our team—but none to me. They would never say my name or acknowledge my presence. And most disconcerting of all, they appeared to be laughing at me. We would be talking about a serious topic such as product liability, I would make a point or ask a question, and after a barrage of Japanese, they would all start laughing.”
Another example regards toys and consumer behavior. For years, Barbie dolls sold in Japan looked different from their U.S. counterparts. They had Asian facial features, black hair, and Japanese-inspired fashions.
Then about a decade ago, Mattel, Inc. conducted consumer research around the world and learned something surprising: The original Barbie, with her yellow hair and blue eyes, played as well in Hong Kong as it did in Hollywood. Girls didn’t care if Barbie didn’t look like them, at least if you believed their marketing research.
“It’s all about fantasies and hair,” said Peter Broegger, general manager of Mattel’s Asian operations. “Blonde Barbie sells just as well in Asia as in the United States.”
So Mattel began rethinking one of the basic tenets of its $55 billion global industry—that children in different countries want different playthings. The implications were significant for kids, parents, and particularly the company. In the past, giants such as Mattel, Hasbro Inc., and Lego Co. produced toys and gear in a variety of styles. But Mattel went the other direction, designing and marketing one version worldwide. Sales plummeted, forcing a Barbie makeover that most recently includes Hello Kitty clothes and a new video game, iDesign. Now, even at age 50, Barbie is making money again.
Sources: James D. Hodgson, Yoshihiro Sano, and John L. Graham, Doing Business with the New Japan, Succeeding in America's Richest International Market (Latham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2008); Lisa Banon and Carlta Vitzthum, "One-Toy-Fits-All: How Industry Learned to Love the Global Kid," The Wall Street Journal, April 29, 2003, p. A1; John Kell and Melodie Warner, "Mattel Posts Strong Results, Raises Dividend," The Wall Street Journal, January 12, 2012.
1. In the case, “Do Blondes Have More Fun in Japan?” the fact that 20 or more men would walk in and out of the room where the female Ford executive was leading the negotiations just to see her is an indication of _______.
gender bias
cultural imperatives
silent languages
cultural rudeness
cultural exclusives
2. Why did Mattel Inc., sell Barbie dolls in Japan that had Asian facial features, black hair, and Japanese-inspired fashion?
Mattel was adapting Barbie to what it perceived then to be culturally correct consumer preferences.
Mattel was following its competition.
It was the only way to enter the Asian market.
The Japanese market demanded that adaptation.
It was a more correct marketing decision.
3. Why did Mattel decide to sell one version of Barbie worldwide?
Japanese children demanded it.
It is the implication of a cultural adaptation.
Hong Kong determined global characteristics.
It is the implication of cultural exclusives.
Marketing studies suggested that girls didn't care if Barbie looked like them.
4. In reference to the seating arrangement at the negotiation table in the case, why do you think the key person would not sit across the table from the Ford executive?
Silent language
PDI and the authority structure of the business
Cultural imperatives
Gender bias
PDI, gender bias, and silent language