High and Low-context Communication Styles Lecture 4 High and Low-context Communication Styles

Overview “Context“ is the information that surrounds an event and is strongly connected with the event. The elements that combine together to give meaning to an event are different depending on the culture.

High-context Communication Messages are implicit Most of the message in the physical context (including the communicator) Therefore, very little information transmitted “in the message” Words depend on setting, shared past experience, age, gender, etc. Members read nonverbal cues skillfully

Low-context Communication Messages are explicit Most information in great detail, clearly communicated and dependent on the choice of words and phrases Members not as skilled in understanding nonverbal cues Consequently, people are talkative and often redundant

Context Scale High-context Low-context Asian Arab Southern European African South American Northern European Australian North American Scandinavian German Swiss Low-context

High-context Cultures Nonverbal communication important Information flows freely Rely on physical context for information Environment, situation, guides, gestures, mood, cues, hints are all taken into account Maintain extensive information network Accustomed to interruptions

Low-context Cultures Less aware of nonverbal cues, environment, and situation Lack well-developed networks Need detailed background information Tend to segment and compartmentalize information Control information on a “need-to-know” basis Prefer explicit and careful directions from someone who “knows”

High-context Languages Implicit ideas can use a very simple and efficient language (information not in the words, but context) Air traffic controller language Football team language Police language Prisoner language Military language

Low-context Languages Complex ideas need a complex language (complex grammar and large vocabulary) German Russian & Slavic Scandinavian languages English

Meeting of High and High Very difficult to go from one HC Culture to another… Both “high” but different contexts

Meeting of High and Low When “high” meets “low”, you can’t meet in the middle… You must go lower than the low Everything must be “spelled out” verbally After shared experiences, then the context level can be raised