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17 August 2006
Auckland
But Local Tradition and Culture Pay the Price
According to ACNielsen’s latest Global Online Consumer Opinion Survey, half the world’s online consumers agree that globalisation has improved their lives considerably - from gaining access to international news and entertainment, to enabling ownership of goods and services the same as anyone else in the world, to breaking down cultural differences and creating more job opportunities.
Whilst agreeing with most of these statements, Kiwis disagree that globalisation has created understanding and tolerance of other cultures and societies, and top the world in believing we are now more vulnerable to trends and events elsewhere in the world that can have a negative impact on our local economy.
The 2005 ACNielsen global consumer opinion survey polled over 23,500 consumers online in 42 markets in Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, Latin America, South Africa and Middle East.
Among the world’s consumers, Latin Americans and Asians are the biggest supporters of globalization, and the value it adds to various aspects of their lives.
“Experiencing accelerated global integration, people in the relatively less developed or fast growing markets have greatly benefited from increased access to products, services and opportunities not possible without globalisation,” said Steve Mitchell, managing director, ACNielsen New Zealand.
According to the ACNielsen survey, consumers in the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, South Africa and India unanimously agree on the value of globalisation, while people in Greece and Thailand are comparatively more skeptical .
Access to news, entertainment and information from all over the world
Three quarters of Latin Americans (75%) agree that with globalisation, they have greater access to news, entertainment and information from all over the world. People in Asia Pacific were the next biggest supporters (70%).
Five out of the top 10 countries that agree globalisation gives them access to news, entertainment and information hail from Asia Pacific, led by 88 percent of Malaysians, 79 percent of Singaporeans and 78 percent of Filipinos. Kiwis rated below the Asia Pacific average with 64 percent agreeing with this statement. (Chart 1)
“Information technology is a driving factor in the process of globalisation. The emergence of numerous Internet-enabled news-gathering and dissemination outlets, chat rooms, blogging, instant messaging systems, e-mail, electronic bulletin boards and other Internet-based communication systems have made it much easier for people to communicate, exchange information and collaborate with each other”, commented Mr Mitchell.
Purchasing the same quality of goods and services globally
The breaking down of international trade barriers has enabled consumers around the world to enjoy a broader selection of goods and services previously not available to them. Most in agreement with this are 81 percent of South Africans, followed by 77 percent of Indians and 76 percent of Filipinos. Compared with the Asia Pacific average of 63 percent, Kiwis ranked in the top 10 globally with 70 percent in agreement. (Chart 2)
At the other end of the spectrum, about one fifth of French, Koreans and Finns are unconvinced, possibly concerned that globalisation threatens the viability of locally made products and jobs.
Increased job and career opportunities
Globalisation has also created a world of job opportunities. Over half of Latin Americans (57%) and consumers in Asia Pacific (53%) believe that more global business in their markets brings greater job opportunities and better working lives. Most in agreement are Indians (78%), followed by Filipinos (73%) and the Chinese (71%). (Chart 3) Not surprisingly, six of the top 10 countries in agreement that globalisation brings about increased job and career opportunities hail from the Asia Pacific region. Kiwis ranked well below the regional average with only 43 percent agreeing.
“Today, globalisation and in particular the Internet, has transformed commerce tremendously, creating new ways for retailers and businesses to market their products and interact with their customers, and for job seekers and recruiters to seek each other out,” said Mr Mitchell. “Globalisation is impacting every sector and almost every part of our lives, whether through the advertisement and movies we see, the use of products or the transfer of talent in the sports industry from Asia to the US or Europe.”
On the flip side, however, six of the top 10 who disagree originate from Europe, with Austria (34%) leading the way. In Asia, a third of Japanese and nearly a quarter of Australians also disagree that globalisation brings increased job and career opportunities.
Breaking down cultural borders
When it comes to the benefit of cross cultural understanding, people in Asia are in agreement. The majority of consumers in Taiwan (74%), Philippines (69%) and Malaysia (68%) agreed that globalization helps break down borders and enables better understanding and tolerance of other cultures. (Chart 4) At the other end of the scale, 41 percent of Thais, and a quarter of Australians and New Zealanders disagree with this.
Local traditions and cultures under threat
Holding strong to their cultural values, Thais in particular (64%) agree that the spread of globalisation is a threat to local traditions and culture. Following close behind are Austrians (62%) and Finns, Norwegians, and Swiss (each at 57%). In fact, eight of the top 10 markets who agree that globalization threatened local traditions and culture hail from Europe, suggesting that these developed countries may feel more threatened by globalization, than benefited by it. 45 percent of New Zealanders agreed with this statement. (Chart 5)
Interestingly, 38 percent of Americans felt that local traditions and cultures are threatened by globalisation, while many would argue that the US has already heavily exerted its hegemonic influence on the rest of the world through popular culture and the news media.
Values change and life becomes impersonal
While overall, Latin Americans are generally supportive of globalisation, 59 percent agree that it is changing their values and making life too fast and impersonal. Meanwhile, 47 percent of Europeans also agree with this statement, further supporting their opposition to the spread of globalisation.
In the Asia Pacific region, six in 10 Indians agree that globalization is changing their values and making life too fast and impersonal. Thais (60%) ranked second in the region, followed by over half of Singaporeans. 43 percent of Kiwis agreed with this statement. It is interesting to note that only 39 percent of Americans agree with this notion. (Chart 6)
Vulnerability to global trends and events and the impact on local economies
One of the reasons for some consumers to hold back from buying into globalization could be the general feeling that globalization has made the market economy in which they live in become more vulnerable and easier to be adversely affected by trends and events in the other parts of the world.
Across the Asia Pacific, 66 percent of New Zealanders and 62 percent of Australians lead the top 10 countries globally who agree that globalisation makes them vulnerable to events elsewhere in the world , followed by Thais (60%), Malaysians (59%) and Singaporeans (56%). (Table 7)
“There are always two sides to a coin. Globalisation has its price,” added Mr Mitchell. “The survey findings for Asia Pacific indicate exactly that, because while one in two people polled were positive about the benefits of globalization, they aren’t immune to its possible down-side.”
About the Survey
The ACNielsen Global Online Survey, the largest survey of its kind, is conducted to gauge consumers’ attitudes and opinions towards a variety of topical issues. The most recent wave of the survey took place in November 2005 and polled over 23,500 consumers – regular Internet users – in 42 markets in Europe, North and Latin America, Asia Pacific region, Africa (Republic of South Africa) and the Middle East (UAE).
About ACNielsen
ACNielsen, a VNU business, is the world's leading marketing information provider. Offering services in more than 100 countries, the unit provides measurement and analysis of marketplace dynamics and consumer attitudes and behaviour. Clients rely on ACNielsen's market research, proprietary products, analytical tools and professional service to understand competitive performance, to uncover new opportunities and to raise the profitability of their marketing and sales campaigns.
To learn more, visit www.acnielsen.co.nz
Chart 1: Provides Access to news, entertainment and information from all over the world
Chart 2: Purchasing the same quality of goods and services globally
Chart 3: Increased job and career opportunities
Chart 4: Breaking down cultural borders
Chart 5: Local traditions and cultures under threat
Chart 6: Values change and life becomes impersonal
Chart 7: Vulnerability to global trends and events and the impact on local economies
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