Question

When Mattel first introduced Barbie in Japan, managers assumed that Japanese girls would find the doll's design just as appealing as American girls did. This may be due to?

1) Barbie's physical features such as long legs and blonde hair.
2) Barbie being a symbol of American lifestyle.
3) the SRC tendency on the part of American managers.
4) the SRC tendency on the part of Japanese consumers.
5) the limited competition for dolls in Japan.

Answer 1

Barbie's design's appeal in Japan may be due to physical features, its representation of American lifestyle, SRC, and limited doll competition.

Step-by-step explanation:

When Mattel first introduced Barbie in Japan, managers assumed that Japanese girls would find the doll's design just as appealing as American girls did. This assumption may be due to a combination of factors:

1. Barbie's physical features such as long legs and blonde hair, which were seen as attractive and desirable in American society.
2. Barbie being a symbol of the American lifestyle, which could have been appealing to Japanese girls who were interested in Western culture.
3. The Self-Reference Criterion (SRC) tendency on the part of American managers, who projected their own cultural perspectives onto Japanese consumers and assumed they would perceive Barbie in the same way.
4. The limited competition for dolls in Japan at the time, which may have made Barbie stand out more and appear more desirable.