128 Part 1 Basic Communication Processessay anything at all. The communication partner
must understand the message solely from clues
of disagreement in the context, such as the fact
that the person is silent (or hesitates to speak).
People from a high-context culture also tend to
attribute a communication partner’s behavior to
factors related to the situation rather than to an
individual’s personality. For instance, instead of
assuming that someone who remains silent is
rude, they might think that the individual didn’t
respond because the situation called for restraint
and politeness.
A low-context culture, by contrast, uses very
direct language and relies less on situational fac-
tors to communicate. The United States, Canada,
Australia, and many northern European countries
tend to have a low-context style. In the United States or Germany, for example,
it would seem normal for someone to disagree by saying openly, “That’s not
right” or “I’m sorry, but I don’t agree with what you are saying.” Although people
from high-context cultures would likely think such directness disrespectful, peo-
ple from low-context cultures tend to believe it is rude to be unclear about what
you think. In fact, researchers have found that Americans often find indirectness
very confusing and may even interpret Japanese silence or a response like “I’ll
think about it” as agreement (Kobayshi & Viswat, 2010). Table 5.1 compares
high- and low-context styles.Collectivist and Individualist Orientations
An Arab proverb says that you must “smell the breath” of a man in order to know
if he can be trusted. But in the United States, Americans get very uncomfortable
when other people stand “too close” to them. Americans also tend to knock on a
closed door before entering and usually ask the person inside if it’s OK to enter
or if she would like to join the group for lunch. But in Lesotho (a tribal cultureINTERACTIONS
BETWEEN people from
high- and low-context
cultures require extra sensitiv-
ity to social cues. If you’re
preparing for a meeting with
both American and Japanese
business partners, it might
be beneficial to research
the cultural differences
ahead of time. Robert Daly/Getty
Images
TABLE 5.1A COMPARISON
OF HIGH- AND LOW-
CONTEXT CULTURES
High-Context Cultures- Rely on contextual cues and nonverbal
signals for communicating meaning - Avoid speaking in a way that causes
individuals to stand out from others - Usually express opinions indirectly
- Usually express disagreement by say-
ing nothing or being verbally vague - Tend to find explanations for behav-
iors in the situation - Admire relationship harmony
Low-Context Cultures- Rely on direct language for communi-
cating meaning - Admire standing out and getting
credit - Construct explicit messages
- Usually express disagreement clearly
- Tend to find explanations for behaviors
in individuals - Admire eloquence and very direct
verbal messages