Bharti-Wal-Mart: A Glocalization Experience

Keywords

Adaptation; business; culture; globalization; glocalization; India; marketing; Wal-Mart

Abstract

This paper analyzes the experience of Bharti-Wal-Mart, a joint venture between Wal-Mart and Bharti Enterprises (an Indian telecommunications company), based on the principles of glocalization theory. By and large, glocalization refers to the adaptation of multinational corporations (MNCs) to local cultures. MNCs achieve this by immersing themselves into local cultures and by adopting unconventional marketing techniques. A major finding of this analysis is that globalization is not monolithic. It is not a homogenizing factor that forces local cultures to follow the norms, practices, and values of a big corporation. In fact, Wal-Mart executives quickly learned that imposing the Bentonville blueprint on local Indian populations would be doomed to failure from the beginning. An important focus of this analysis is to establish a framework for greater understanding of the strategies adopted by Wal-Mart in India.

Publication Date

2-6-2015

Publication Title

Journal of Asian and African Studies

Volume

50

Issue

1

Number of Pages

83-95

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1177/0021909613512948

Socpus ID

84922257009 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/84922257009

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