Does Culture Impact Choice of Pictures for Websites: An Analysis of Chinese Cultural Dimensions on Websites of Chinese Universities

Abstract

The Internet and global information technology have changed the way people advertise because of instant access to different cultures. Reflection of culture in web items have gained the attention of researchers and China , with more than 704 million Chinese speaking internet users and unique cultural norms,  is needed to be studied comprehensively. This study tried to measure the cultural dimensions and compare the findings of cultural elements in pictures presented on the homepages of Chinese educational websites with Hofstede’s cultural dimension scores. Content analysis of pictures from top 100 universities in China was done and the results indicated pictures of male teachers and students in group were more frequently selected for the homepages. More frequent pictures of teachers addressing seminars or meetings, posing for pictures and students busy in extracurricular activities showing cultural advertising appeals for Chinese students. The study result is correlated with individualism, masculinity, indulgence and pragmatism. However, a different fashion is seen for power distance and uncertainty avoidance. The finding might be interesting for advertisers having interest in Chinese educational market and cultural scholars. Findings suggest that institutions should adopt local values to effectively communicate with the local users, however, further research is needed especially regarding Chinese society.

Keywords: Cultural Communication, Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions, User-Centred Design, Higher Education Marketing, Advertising Appeals, Chinese Culture