by Michael Strickland

International tensions around the globe seem to be an ever-increasing intensity level. At the same time, the existence of fast transportation, global media, and the world wide web, has made us more connected than ever to other people worldwide. Co-existing as well as working with the international community for economic survival means countries and cultures can no longer operate in a vacuum.

According to the Middlebury Language Schools:

“Misunderstandings resulting from a lack of familiarity with another culture are often embarrassing. Blunders like these can make it difficult, if not impossible, to reach an agreement with another country or close a business contract with a foreign partner. For travelers, a faux pas can also make interactions more awkward. In this article, we’ll be discussing the importance of intercultural communication.”

Individualism vs. Collectivism

Perhaps the single most studied dimension of cultural variability used to compare and contrast cultures and microcultures is individualism–collectivism. Individualism is a cultural orientation in which the individual is unique and individual goals are emphasized over group goals. In collectivist cultures, the group is the primary unit. Group goals take precedence over individual ones.

Cultures falling at the midpoint might have both individualistic and collectivistic characteristics. Regardless of culture, most persons carry both individualistic and collectivistic tendencies to some degree. The difference is that in some cultures individualistic tendencies dominate, while in others collectivistic tendencies dominate.

Examples of primarily individualist countries:

United States
Germany
India
Lebanon
New Zealand
Peru
Brazil
Taiwan
Saudi Arabia
United Kingdom
Argentina

Examples of primarily collectivist countries:

China
Japan
Indonesia
India
Ghana
Guatemala

High Context and Low Context Cultures

In an article called Code-switching in intercultural communication—Japanese vs. Chinese point of view, Osaka Metropolitan University scientists found that Japanese and Chinese, who are considered to have high-context cultures with a high degree of reliance on information shared by the speaker and listener, are code-switching from high-context cultures to low-context cultures when communicating with people from each other’s country. Furthermore, the scientists found that the Japanese do not engage in much code-switching with Chinese students in Japan.

When people communicate, speakers and listeners use information shared by both the parties, which is referred to as context. In 1976, Edward Hall divided cultures into high-context and low-context. This dimension refers to the extent to which we gather information from the physical, social and psychological context of an interaction (high context), as opposed to the explicit verbal code (low context). There are cultural differences in the degree of reliance on this context, with Westerners having a low-context culture, i.e., they speak more directly, and Easterners having a high-context culture, i.e., they are subtle and speak less directly.

When people communicate, they take for granted how much the listener knows about the subject under discussion. It has been said that when Americans want to say 100 things, they will verbalize 150 things. When the Japenese verbalize 70 things, they are trying to get the other person to understand 104 things. The latter is very explicit in communication, the former is heavily implicit (relying more on shared understandings and nonverbal cues).

Cultures including China, the UK, France, Ghana, Japan, Korea, and Arab countries tend to trend to the high-context end of the continuum. People in these cultures often use indirect communication and may not say exactly what they mean. In high-context cultures, people rely on the context of a situation and emphasize the interpretation of a message, not the spoken words. They pay attention to things like body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice, as well as the physical environment in which the communication takes place. In high-context communication, the listener does not need to be given much background information. In these cultures, it is important to build relationships and trust before doing business.

In high-context cultures, much meaning is either implicit in the physical setting or in shared beliefs, values and norms. Information and cultural rules remain unspoken, as the context is expected to be a cue for behavior. The context is the key driver of information about the culture’s rules, practices and expectations. They place value on the history and character of the relationship, knowing who they are.

Germany, Canada, Scandinavia, Switzerland, the United States trend toward the low-context end. These communicators prefer clear descriptions, unambiguous messaging, and a high level of specifics. The listener knows very little and must be told practically everything. Low-context communication do not rely on trust in business communication. They rely on the spoken and written word instead. People in these cultures often use formal language and may not be comfortable with indirect communication. In low-context cultures, people are more likely to rely on the literal meaning of words to understand a message. In these cultures, it is important to be direct and explicit.

It is important to be aware of the different communication styles of high-context and low-context cultures when working with diverse groups of people. If you are from a low-context culture, you may need to be more patient and understanding when working with people from high-context cultures. And if you are from a high-context culture, you may need to be more direct and explicit when communicating with people from low-context cultures.

How we bridge this communication gap is more about the language of
behavior than language use itself and it can be bridged by focusing on the necessary keys to unlocking understanding in business, education, healthcare, family and any kind of relationship.

Here are some tips for communicating effectively in high-context and low-context cultures:

• In high-context cultures:
  • Pay attention to the context of the situation.
  • Be indirect and build relationships before doing business.
  • Be aware of nonverbal communication.
• In low-context cultures:
  • Be direct and explicit.
  • Use formal language.
  • Be aware of cultural differences.

By being aware of the different communication styles of various cultures, you can improve your communication skills and avoid misunderstandings. Having the ability to communicate effectively across cultural boundaries is critical for the success of any intercultural or multinational endeavor. Additionally, it helps improve relationships by facilitating two-way conversations, which in turn foster mutual understanding between people of diverse backgrounds. We need to continually pave the ground for us to appreciate the necessity of developing intercultural knowledge and skills to confidently and competently address the many challenges we face living in the global community.