Cultural differences within the product categorization process – Comparing the diverse perception of lingerie among Germans, Chinese and Indians

Due to the increasing importance of emerging markets, a better understanding for the local population and the way they perceive themselves and the world becomes crucial. For this reason, the present master thesis investigates the different thinking patterns of Germans, Chinese and Indians especially in field of product categorization. As an exemplary product, lingerie was used and data was collected based on an online survey. Participants were asked to respond to a set of questions investigating their categorization process. Additional information regarding their personal perception of lingerie and of the female body have also been gathered. These aspects were used as an indicator for the cultural perception of lingerie. In total, data of 307 students, 178 females and 129 males, from all three countries has been collected. The findings emphasize that all three nationalities tend to combine the same objects if they must choose two out of three. Still, when asking the participants about the reason for their grouping decision, answers differ among the three cultural groups. These results indicate diverse thinking patterns. An even stronger dissimilarity has been observed in the perception and the preference of a specific female body shape. As Germans and Chinese favor a thin silhouette, Indians prefer curvier shapes. Results from personal questions suggest that traditional and patriarchal values still strongly influence the thinking patterns of the Indian society, especially of men. Consequently, Indians are still far from the Western view. This is not the case for the Chinese population, as results show a greater similarity of opinion to Germans. Their behavior in this survey has mainly confirmed aspects from literature. As some theoretical approaches illustrate a more diverse picture of the three cultures, the made observations as well as directions and actions for future research are discussed.