Individualism or Collectivism? Cultural Orientations in Chinese TV Commercials and Analysis of Some Moderating Factors

Abstract

Are traditionally collectivist cultures shifting to individualism due to economic and cultural globalization? This study addresses the question from a media message perspective by analyzing manifest individualism and collectivism in Chinese advertising. Drawing on the cross-cultural theory of Individualism-Collectivism, the study develops a measurement instrument and applies it in a content analysis of 523 TV commercials aired in 2003 in China. Results show that the predominant cultural orientation reflected in local-product Chinese TV commercials is still collectivism, but not in foreign-product commercials.