The importance of cross-cultural differences in marketing communications within Russia and Ireland in tourism and hospitality industry

Research dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MSc in International Tourism and Hospitality Management

Griffith College Dublin

Dissertation Supervisor: Deirdre Gorman

Iuliia Starokon

25^th May 2017

Candidate Declaration

Candidate Name: Iuliia Starokon

I certify that the dissertation entitled:

The importance of cross-cultural differences in marketing communications within Russia and Ireland in tourism and hospitality industry

submitted for the degree of: MSc in International Tourism is the result of the my own work and that where reference is made to the work of others, due acknowledgment is given.

Candidate signature:

Date: 25h May 2017

Supervisor Name:

Supervisor signature:

Date:

Acknowledgements

I want to express many thanks for guidance, information and moral support of people who were involved to my research.

I am deeply grateful to my parents, my fiancé and his parents, who always were encouraging me throughout the course as well as research process.

Particularly I would like to thank my supervisor Deirdre Gorman for her guidance, time and encouragement through the whole research.

I would like to express my gratitude to every teacher who contributed to my education in Griffith College, it was an unforgettable and valuable experience.

Also, many thanks to my international friends: Celina, Sally, Diliher, Lina, Daria, Adi, who shared my education experience with me.

And finally, I am very grateful to all marketers who took part in research for their time, interest and practical information.

Abstract The importance of cross-cultural differences in marketing communications within Russia and Ireland in tourism and hospitality industry

Iuliia Starokon

This study contributes to the exploration of cross-cultural differences in marketing communications.

The aim of this study is to find out whether or not there are any cross-cultural differences within Russia and Ireland which affect customers’ perception of marketing communications in the tourism and hospitality industry.

The Interpretrivist paradigm was employed. I applied a qualitative approach using case studies. Three semi-structured interviews were conducted. The data was evaluated using both inductive and deductive methods.

The results showed that there are cultural differences, which influence the perception of promotional messages within Ireland and Russia. These differences are not always addressed in marketing content and companies mainly create standardised marketing promotions. If companies target Russian travellers then the emphasis should be focused on history and traditions and for Irish tourists a humorous, engaging approach and the focus on a picturesque location are appealing. Irish tourists don’t need as much reassurance looking for information while planning holidays as Russians do, therefore online marketing has a greater influence on Irish tourists rather than on Russians. Travellers from Ireland look for benefits in promotional message and practical information, while Russian are more receptive to associative information. Marketers should be aware about sensitivities which should be avoided in a certain market. Marketing communications for Irish and Russians should meet a basic facet of culture – language.

The results of this research may contribute to further marketing research as well as marketing practices.

Table of Contents

Candidate Declaration III

Acknowledgements IV

Abstract V

1 Introduction 1

2 Literature review 6

2.1 Overview 6

2.1 The impact of culture on marketing communication process 9

2.2 Culture and cultural dimensions of Hofstede in marketing communication context 11

3 Methodology and Research Design 26

3.1 Overview 26

3.2 Research Philosophy and Approach 26

3.3 Research Strategy 28

3.4 Collection Primary Data 30

3.5 Access and Ethical Issues 32

3.6 Approach to Data Analysis 32

4 Presentation and Analysis of Findings 34

4.8 Conclusion 56

5 Concluding Thoughts on the Contribution of this Research, its Limitations and Suggestions for Further Research 58

5.1 Implications of Findings for the Research Questions 58

5.2 Contributions and Limitations of the Research 61

5.3 Recommendations for future research and practice 62

5.4 Final Conclusion and Reflections 62

References 64

Appendices A

Appendix A – Research Study- The importance of cross-cultural differences in A

marketing communications within Russia and Ireland in tourism and hospitality industry A