Dea MulolliAndrei BondarenkoMajik HuangMarc JaninSamuli Ylisalo

Mrs. Rosen : Dea Mulolli

Mr. Chang: Majik Huang

Secretary: Marc Janin

Employee : Andrei Bondarenko

Mrs.Rosen is the international sales representative for his coumper equipment company. His most recent trip takes him to China,where he is scheduled to meet with his Chinese counterpart, Mr.Chang.

The angle under which you perceive different situations

Any everyday situation has context which might be interpreted differently

The way you see context depends of different factors, mainly on culture

Verbal communication is capable of delivering small percentage of information

Most of the information is coded, explicit part of message is small compared to the coded one

In order to define the actual message one must be aware of various background factors

Common for cultures with long history, important role of traditions and little cultural diversity

Strict distinction between “insiders” and “outsiders”

Deeper personal involvement into relationships which are more long-lasting

Explicit part of message dominates over the coded one

Core message is more important than background information and environment

Common for multicultural societies with high level of technological development

Relationship requires less personal involvement, often brief

Easier to become a part of system

High Context

• polite• respectful• integrates by similarities/harmony• indirect

Low Context

• open• true• integrates by authenticity• direct

Low Context claims High Context

• hiding information• not trustable• arrogant• too formal• too slow

High Context claims Low Context

• impolite• “cannot read between the lines”• naive• no self discipline• too fast

High Context Cultures

JapanArab Countries

GreeceSpainItaly

EnglandFrance

North AmericaScandinavian Countries

German-Speaking Countries

Low Context Cultures

What the British say

What foreigners understand

What the British mean

With the greatest respect.

Very interesting.

I only have a few minor comments.

He is listening to me. You are an idiot.

They are impressed.That is clearly nonsense.

He has found a few mistakes.

Please rewrite completely.

Societies all contain both modes

Useful in describing some aspects of a culture.

Sometimes, less relevant as a description of a whole people.

Useful to describe and understand particular situations and environment.

Bold line between Work life and Private life It is not important to have relationships between

the people they do business with Direct and straight to the point communication Large public space with everyone, but small and

very limited private space Representative countries with Specific culture: US,

UK, Germany, Scandinavian countries, Netherland etc.

”If it quacks like a duck, then it’s a duck”

A colleague is moving out and asks for help from another colleague. He is not very pleasent to do this ’favor’ that she just asked. Deriving from specific culture, what does he do in this case?

No distinction between Private and Work life Relationships between the people you do

business with are crucial Indirect communication which leaves gaps

for many possible interpretations Small and hard approachable public space Representative countries with Diffuse

culture: India, China, Spain, Russia etc.

Student-teacher rapports

Or even teacher-teacher rapports

Diffuse cultures can be referred as High Context

Specific cultures can be referred as Low Context

Feedback example

High Context

-Open, direct, many things left unsaid -Japan, Arab Countries, Spain, India,

RussiaLow Context

-Respectful, indirect, polite-Germany, Australia, Scandinavian

Countries, EnglandHigh/Low vs Diffuse/Specific

-Diffuse stands for High Context-Specific stands for Low Context