Cultural differences

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HIGH-CONTEXT& LOW-CONTEXT The concepts of high context and low context refer to how people communicate in different cultures Differences can be derived from the extent to which meaning is transmitted through actual words used or implied by the context High context implies that a lot of unspoken information is implicitly transferred during communication People in a high context culture such as Saudi Arabia tend to place a larger importance on long-term relationships and loyalty and have fewer rules and structure implemented Low context implies that a lot of information is exchanged explicitly through the message itself and rarely is anything implicit or hidden People in low context cultures such as the UK tend to have short-term relationships, follow rules and standards closely and are generally very task-oriented Understanding whether your international colleagues are high context or low context will help you to adapt your communication style and build stronger relationships with them These concepts are covered during cross-cultural training programmes such as Communicating across Cultures and managing international teams Cultural awareness training which focuses on one or more specific cultures like Doing Business in India or Living and Working in China will also address these concepts When doing business in a high context culture such as Mexico, Japan or the Middle East, you might encounter the following: • Misunderstanding when exchanging information • Impression of a lack of information • Large amount of information is provided in a non-verbal manner, e.g gestures, pauses, facial expressions • Emphasis on long term relationships and loyalty • ‘Unwritten’ rules that are taken for granted but can easily be missed by strangers • Shorter contracts since less information is required When doing business in a low context culture such as Germany, Switzerland or the US, on the other hand, you might find the following: • All meaning is explicitly provided in the message itself • Extensive background information and explanations are provided verbally to avoid misunderstandings • People tend to have short-term relationships • People follow rules and standards closely • Contracts tend to be longer and very detailed High and low context cultures usually correspond with polychronic and monochronic cultures respectively The table below shows some general preferences of people from high context and low context cultures CULTURAL DIFFERENCES - MONOCHRONIC VERSUS POLYCHRONIC Continuing our series looking at cross-cultural communication issues we now turn our attention to monochronic versus polychronic cultures and the impact that can have on communication Monochronic cultures like to just one thing at a time They value a certain orderliness and sense of there being an appropriate time and place for everything They not value interruptions They like to concentrate on the job at hand and take time commitments very seriously In addition monochronic people tend to show a great deal of respect for private property and are reluctant to be either a lender or a borrower This is part of a general tendency to follow rules of privacy and consideration as well as adhere religiously to plans Polychronic cultures like to multiple things at the same time A manager's office in a polychronic culture typically has an open door, a ringing phone and a meeting all going on at the same time Though they can be easily distracted they also tend to manage interruptions well with a willingness to change plans often and easily People are their main concern (particularly those closely related to them or their function) and they have a tendency to build lifetime relationships Issues such as promptness are firmly based on the relationship rather than the task and objectives are more like desirable outcomes than must do's If you live in the United States, Canada, or Northern Europe, you live in a monochronic culture If you live in Latin America, the Arab part of the Middle East, or sub-Sahara Africa, you live in a polychronic culture Interactions between the two types can be problematic Monochronic businessmen cannot understand why the person they are meeting is always interrupted by phone calls and people stopping by Is it meant to be insulting? When they get down to business? Polychronic businessmen cannot understand why tasks are isolated from the organisation as a whole and measured by output in time instead of part of the overall organisational goal How can you separate work time and personal time? Why would you let something as silly as a schedule negatively impact on the quality of your relationships? You can quickly see the problems Recognising whether you are dealing with a polychronic or monochronic culture and the attendant differences in how time and relationships are valued is crucial to being able to communicate effectively across cultures DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LINEAR- ACTIVE , MULTI- ACTIVE & REACTIVE CULTURE ... people from high context and low context cultures CULTURAL DIFFERENCES - MONOCHRONIC VERSUS POLYCHRONIC Continuing our series looking at cross -cultural communication issues we now turn our attention... monochronic culture and the attendant differences in how time and relationships are valued is crucial to being able to communicate effectively across cultures DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LINEAR- ACTIVE