Forms and functions of speech acts in marketing and intercultural communication and their impact on corporate marketing communication results

Ing. Mariya Belozyorova

Master's thesis

Abstract:

The topic of the Diploma Thesis is “Forms and functions of speech acts in marketing and intercultural communication and their impact on corporate marketing communication results”. It is an up-to-date topic, which while being incompletely investigated, attracts attention of scientists. The main objectives of the present Diploma Thesis include: to study existing forms, functions and strategies for using warnings in marketing communication; to find out how warnings may be interpreted by the audience; to analyze cultural aspects of the use of warnings in the Czech Republic and CIS countries; and, as a result, to determine possible impact of warnings on the corporate marketing communication results in different cultures and countries. Study of the theoretical material on the topic was based on a range of works of such scientists as J. L. Austin and J. R. Searle, J. Heritage, A. Pomerantz, P. Brown and S. Levinson, S. Ting-Toomey, C.E. Shannon and W. Weaver, G. Hofstede and M. Mooij. The material for the practical part of the Diploma Thesis was collected through desk research, online questionnaire and a focus group discussion with respondents from different cultural backgrounds. For the analysis of collected data methods such as discourse analysis, comparative analysis and value structure map were used. The following statement has been chosen as a hypothesis: “Warnings in various cultures may perform different functions and may be interpreted in distinct ways. In this connection international companies should adapt their marketing communication tools to different cultures accordingly.” Based on the results of the research and analysis of the data the hypothesis was confirmed.

Abstract:

The topic of the Diploma Thesis is “Forms and functions of speech acts in marketing and intercultural communication and their impact on corporate marketing communication results”. It is an up-to-date topic, which while being incompletely investigated, attracts attention of scientists. The main objectives of the present Diploma Thesis include: to study existing forms, functions and strategies for using warnings in marketing communication; to find out how warnings may be interpreted by the audience; to analyze cultural aspects of the use of warnings in the Czech Republic and CIS countries; and, as a result, to determine possible impact of warnings on the corporate marketing communication results in different cultures and countries. Study of the theoretical material on the topic was based on a range of works of such scientists as J. L. Austin and J. R. Searle, J. Heritage, A. Pomerantz, P. Brown and S. Levinson, S. Ting-Toomey, C.E. Shannon and W. Weaver, G. Hofstede and M. Mooij. The material for the practical part of the Diploma Thesis was collected through desk research, online questionnaire and a focus group discussion with respondents from different cultural backgrounds. For the analysis of collected data methods such as discourse analysis, comparative analysis and value structure map were used. The following statement has been chosen as a hypothesis: “Warnings in various cultures may perform different functions and may be interpreted in distinct ways. In this connection international companies should adapt their marketing communication tools to different cultures accordingly.” Based on the results of the research and analysis of the data the hypothesis was confirmed.

Keywords

Speech act, warning, culture, intercultural communication, marketing communication, marketer, corporate marketing communication, research, target audience, respondent, participant, advertisement, marketing strategy, marketing campaign, marketing communication tool.

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 16. 4. 2015

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 17. 6. 2015
• Supervisor: Mgr. Dagmar Sieglová, M.Ed.
• Reader: Mgr. Zdeněk Sloboda

University of Finance and Administration

Master programme / field:
Economics and Management / Marketing Communication