Communicating in high-and low context countries.

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 476.

Read the following information. Discuss the issues that follow.

Studying global culture and its affect on the business communication also includes differentiating between high – and low context cultures. High-context countries place high value on relationships and prefer indirect communication when conducting business. Low-context countries value productivity, prefer direct communication, and give minimal attention to relationship building.

High-context cultures assign more meaning to shared history, nonverbal signals, and the context of the message than to what is said. Many contextual stimuli are disregarded by low-context cultures, with intense focus on words, messages, or physical gestures. Japan, China, and most other Asian countries generally are considered high-context cultures. The United States and Canada as well as northern Europe are low context cultures.

Communication between two businesspersons from a low-context culture tends to be direct, specific, and structured linearly and logically. Attention focuses more on what is said that on relationships.

In China or Japan, words receive less attention than identifying relationships, establishing mutual understandings, and observing nonverbal body language. Communication is indirect.

· Can you add more examples of the countries with low- and high-context countries?

· What type does Ukraine belong to? Why?

· What are the differences between business communication within one country and global communication?