SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT---1) IT CONSISTS OF RELIGIOUS ASPECTS,LANGUAGE,CUSTOMS,TRADITIONS,BELIEFS,TASTES,AND PREFERENCES,SOCIAL INSTITUTES,LIVING HABITS ,EATING HABITS DRESSING HABITS ETC. 2) EG.

THOUGH THE ECONOMIC POSITION OF GERMANS AND FRENCH PEOPLE IS MORE OR LESS THE SAME CULTURALLY THEY ARE DIFFERENT---CONSUMPTION LEVEL OF FRENCH PEOPLE IS MORE THAN THAT OF GERMANSTHE STUDY OF SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT HELPS IN DECIDING UP ON THE TYPE OF PRODUCT,MARKET,AND THE LIKE. ASPECTS OF SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT ----- RELIGION ---------------1) IT IS ONE OF THE MOST IMP.SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS INFLUENCING BUSINESS. 2) A FEW RELIGIONS HAVE SPREAD OVER LARGE AREAS OF THE WORLD. 3) THE PROTESTANS INFLUENCE IS DOMINANT IN USA,CANADA,AND AUSTRALIA,WITH REGARD TO PRODN AND DISTRIBUTION. 4) ROMAN CATHOLICS DOMINATE IN LATIN AMERICA,AND SOUTHERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES,ISLAM DOMINATES NOTHERN AFRICA,MIDDLE EAST,MALAYSIA,BRUNEI,I INDONESIA,ETC---THESE RELIGIONS HAVE ENFORCED PROHIBITION OF LIQUOUR. 5) BUDDHISM AND HINDUISM DOMINATE MOST OF THE PARTS OF ASIAIT HAS HIGH EFFECTS ON HIGH SPIRTUAL VALUES,LOW VALUE OF MATERIAL GOODS,AND MORE EMPHASIS ON ETHICS AND MORAL VALUES. 6) RELIGION PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN PRODUCTION AND MARKETING OF GOODS AND SERVICES---MOST OF THE RELIGIONS ALTHOUGH THEY PROVIDE HONEST INFORMATION THEIR MARKETING PRACTICES DIFFER FROM THESE STANDARDS. FAMILY SYSTEM------A) FAMILY SYSTEM PLAYS AN IMPACT ON INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS B) IN MOST OF THE ISLAMIC COUNTRIES,WOMEN PLAY LESS SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE ECONOMY AND IN THE FAMILY. C) IN LATIN AMERICA WOMENS ROLE IS BETTER THAN IN ISLAMIC COUNTRIES, D) WOMEN PLAY A DOMINANT ROLE IN EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICAN COUNTRIES. E) JOINT FAMILIES ARE MORE PREVALENT IN ISLAMIC AND HINDU RELIGIONS---THIS REDUCES THE DEMANDS FOR GOODS AND SERVICES COMPARED TO NUCLEUS FAMILIES IMPACT OF CULTURE ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR----1) CULTURE INFLUENCES THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE CONSUMER --THOUGH THE VALID GENERALISATIONS HAVE NOT YET BEEN DEVELOPED. 2) SOMMER AND KERNAN-------IDENTIFY THE VALUE ORIENTATION THAT UNDERLINE MARKET BEHAVIOUR UNDER THE FOLL SIX CATEGORIES---

A)EGALIARIAN OR ELIST B)PRONE TO LAY STRESS ON ACCOMPLISHMENT OR ON INHERITED ATTRIBUTES C)EXPECTED MATERIAL OR NON-MATERIAL REWARDS. D)EVALUATING INDIVIDUALS OR PRODUCTS IN TERMS OF OBJECTIVE NORMS OR OF OBJECTIVE STANDARDS. F)FOCUSSED ON THE DISTINCTIVENESS OF THE PARTS(INTENSIVENESS) G) ORIENTED TOWARDS PERSONAL RATHER THAN TOWARDS GROUPS GAIN. THE US CONSUMER TENDS TO HAVE THE ATTRIBUTES DESCRIBED BY THE FIRST TERM IN EACH PAIR THE BRITISH ATTITUDES ---TEND TO FALL ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE. IMPACT OF RELIGION--------RELIGIONS INFLUENCE ---HUMAN BEHAVIOUR AND BUSINESS PRACTICES.PEOPLE IN ALL RELIGIONS BELIEVE IN WORKING HARD TO GLORIFY GOD, IN THE HINDUS WORK IS EQUIVALENT TO WORSHIPPING THE GOD. -------MARKETERS MUST PAY ATTENTION TO RELIGIOUS PRACTICES----RELIGIOUS TABOO INCLUDE PORK AND ALCOHOL FOR MUSLIMS. BEEF FOR HINDUS PORK AND SHELLFISH FOR JEWS THE ENTIRE RAMZAN IS A RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY FOR MUSLIMS. -----IN HINDUISM AND BUDDHISM--- THE EMPHASIS IS ON CONTENMENT AND ELIMINATION OF DESIRES ---AS THEY CAUSE WORRIES.