CONTINUOUS CASE

CHAPTER FOUR

How does culture affect companies? When German automakers began their expansion into the

U.S. market, cup holders were not a feature of their products. In contrast, because many

Americans spent significant time in their cars, ate in their cars, and so on, advertisements for

American cars often boasted of the number of cup holders that were part of their design. The

German companies had to shift their thinking from strictly performance-based cars, to ones that

better fit the needs of Americans. Today, many automakers have shifted their focus to the

emerging markets, and how they can best serve the customers in those markets.

How could different cultural dimensions be reflected in the design of automobiles?