Lecture 4Lecture 4

High and Low-contextHigh and Low-context

Communication StylesCommunication Styles

““Context“ is the information that Context“ is the information that

surrounds an event and is strongly surrounds an event and is strongly

connected with the event. connected with the event.

The elements that combine together The elements that combine together to give meaning to an event are to give meaning to an event are different different

depending on the culture. depending on the culture.

OverviewOverview

Messages are implicitMessages are implicit Most of the message in the physical Most of the message in the physical

context (including the communicator) context (including the communicator) Therefore, very little information Therefore, very little information transmitted “in the message”transmitted “in the message”

Words depend on setting, shared past Words depend on setting, shared past experience, age, gender, etc.experience, age, gender, etc.

Members read nonverbal cues skillfullyMembers read nonverbal cues skillfully

High-context CommunicationHigh-context Communication

Messages are explicitMessages are explicit Most information in great detail, clearly Most information in great detail, clearly

communicated and dependent on the communicated and dependent on the choice of words and phraseschoice of words and phrases

Members not as skilled in understanding Members not as skilled in understanding nonverbal cuesnonverbal cues

Consequently, people are talkative and Consequently, people are talkative and often redundantoften redundant

Low-context CommunicationLow-context Communication

High-contextHigh-context AsianAsian ArabArab Southern EuropeanSouthern European AfricanAfrican South AmericanSouth American Northern EuropeanNorthern European AustralianAustralian North AmericanNorth American ScandinavianScandinavian German German SwissSwiss

Low-contextLow-context

Context ScaleContext Scale

Nonverbal communication importantNonverbal communication important Information flows freelyInformation flows freely Rely on physical context for informationRely on physical context for information Environment, situation, guides, gestures, Environment, situation, guides, gestures,

mood, cues, hints are all taken into mood, cues, hints are all taken into accountaccount

Maintain extensive information networkMaintain extensive information network Accustomed to interruptionsAccustomed to interruptions

High-context CulturesHigh-context Cultures

Less aware of nonverbal cues, Less aware of nonverbal cues, environment, and situationenvironment, and situation

Lack well-developed networksLack well-developed networks Need detailed background informationNeed detailed background information Tend to segment and compartmentalize Tend to segment and compartmentalize

informationinformation Control information on a “need-to-know” Control information on a “need-to-know”

basisbasis Prefer explicit and careful directions from Prefer explicit and careful directions from

someone who “knows”someone who “knows”

Low-context CulturesLow-context Cultures

Implicit ideas can use a very simple and Implicit ideas can use a very simple and

efficient languageefficient language

(information not in the words, but (information not in the words, but context)context) Air traffic controller languageAir traffic controller language Football team languageFootball team language Police languagePolice language Prisoner languagePrisoner language Military languageMilitary language

High-context LanguagesHigh-context Languages

Complex ideas need a complex language Complex ideas need a complex language

(complex grammar and large vocabulary)(complex grammar and large vocabulary)

GermanGerman Russian & SlavicRussian & Slavic Scandinavian languagesScandinavian languages EnglishEnglish

Low-context LanguagesLow-context Languages

Very difficult to go from one HC Very difficult to go from one HC Culture to another…Culture to another…

Both “high” but different contextsBoth “high” but different contexts

Meeting of High and HighMeeting of High and High

When “high” meets “low”, you can’t meet in When “high” meets “low”, you can’t meet in

the middle…the middle…

You must go You must go lowerlower than the than the lowlow Everything must be “spelled out” verballyEverything must be “spelled out” verbally After shared experiences, then the context After shared experiences, then the context

level can be raisedlevel can be raised

Meeting of High and LowMeeting of High and Low