In recent years companies have realized the importance of targeting their products and advertising efforts toward minority and ethnic groups. Globally, regional cultures have become more pronounced as waves of new immigration have begun to change the landscape for marketers. This paper examines the growing impact of immigrants in Europe and offers an American example of how to penetrate these emerging market segments. Of all the ethnic groups in the USA, Hispanic-Americans are the fastest growing segment and the largest ethnic minority group. In Europe new immigrant groups are beginning to impact the economic, social and political scene. One area in which more research is needed is the effect of ethnic target marketing on both acculturated and un-acculturated minorities. Today, it is essential that marketers divide their markets by country of origin and by level of acculturation.

Within the last two decades, the Japanese economic machine has developed into the leading economy in the world on a per capita income basis and second only to the USA in GNP. Contends that Japan has virtually conquered the US consumer electronics, semiconductor, and machine tool markets and, except for quotas, would have done the same for the automotive segment. Various explanations are offered for Japan’s success and some say it is because of the Japanese ability to listen to and serve their customers by delivering quality merchandise at a low price, while others point to Japanese companies’ ability to innovate. Asks how truly innovative are the Japanese. In what ways do they struggle and prosper innovatively? Examines the notion of “innovation” and how it is accomplished in Japan; explores the positives and negatives of their innovative patterns; and discusses implications for the US and international competition.

Much current Japanese popular discussion centres around the sudden death, at an early age, of Japan′s hard‐working white‐collar workers: karoshi – death from overwork – or Salaryman′s Sudden Death Syndrome. Officially it does not exist as the Government and big business are hesitant to legitimatize the phenomenon because of the response which, both local and international, it would evoke. Nonetheless, it is a common phenomenon. Describes karoshi, defines the extent of the phenomenon, and analyses its future impact on Japan and the world.

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The particular set of cultural attributes inherent within a given society heavily influences the technological sourcing of that society. Culture alone is insufficient to explain the differences seen between societies in their ability to source technological innovations. External forces such as the political and economic structure that surrounds the culture have considerable influence over a society's eventual innovative potential. This paper examines these structural influences and makes propositions about selected attributes' effects upon a society's innate ability to source technological innovations.