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

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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

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

6. 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

7. 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”

8. 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

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

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

11. 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