Hall’s high-and low-context framework is based upon communication styles. In Hall’s use, context is the irrelevant environment in a communication act. Low-context cultures such as the United States have explicit communication patterns.

Low uncertainty avoidance persons act first and then get information. They are very comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty. High uncertainty avoidance often requires rigid codes of behavior and beliefs. There may easily be intolerance of unorthodox behaviors and ideas.

The American workers, exhibiting a low power distance style, believe they should have a say in decisions at the factory. The Japanese managers, exhibiting a high power distance style, believe that those in authority should make decisions and be obeyed without question.

Monochronic time is linear. Events are scheduled one at a time, with one event following another. In a monochronic culture, this type of schedule may take precedence over interpersonal relationships. These cultures emphasize schedules, punctuality, and preciseness.

High context refers to societies or groups where people have close connections over a long period of time. Low context refers to societies where people tend to have many connections but of shorter duration or for some specific reason.

High-context cultures will use communication that focuses on underlying context, meaning, and tone in the message, and not just the words themselves. Countries that fall into this categorization are Japan, China, France, Spain, Brazil, and more.

High-context cultures include: Japan and other countries located in Asia. Brazil and other countries located in South America. African tribal groups and most countries located in Africa.

The relative directness of American speech is connected to anthropologist Edward Hall’s idea of “high-context” and “low-context” cultures. The U.S. is generally a low-context culture, while countries like France and Japan have high-context cultures.

Which is true about high-context communication? -High-Context Communication: A style of communication in which much of the information is contained in the contexts and nonverbal cues rather than expressed explicitly in words.

High context culture requires reading between the lines

1. Communication is indirect, implicit, subtle, layered and nuanced.
2. Non verbal cues like tone of voice, eye movements, gestures and facial expressions carry a great deal of meaning.

How to Make Your International Assignment A Success

China is considered a high context culture as communication tends to be indirect and the real message needs to be interpreted according to the context. If you neglect the importance of context in China, you increase the chances of misunderstanding, confusion and even conflict.

Japan is generally considered a high-context culture, meaning people communicate based on inherent understanding. Observation is not just watching other people, but actively observing all the details of nonverbal behaviors and communication, such as facial expressions and gestures.

How to deal with high context

1. Listen more carefully. What is meant not simply said.
2. Check your understanding. Be open to non-verbal language.
3. Read ‘No’ between the lines.
4. Ask open-ended questions to confirm.

Filipinos have what is called a high context culture. It means that when it comes to communicating with Filipinos, a lot goes on beneath the surface. Contrasted with low context cultures where communication is explicit and straightforward, high context cultures come off as ambiguous and not outsider-friendly.

Germany is one of the so-called “low-context” cultures. All details are transmitted explicitly. This means that Germans tend to pay more attention to the literal meaning of words than to the context surrounding them.

Russia is a high-context culture that emphasizes all three dimensions of Attitudes, Behaviors, and Cognitions.

Germany has a “low context culture”; the information which is made explicit is extensive. This is what the cultural standard “Direct communication style” is about. German directness is a particularly noticeable cultural standard.

Ireland has a very High-context culture, as they tend to joke and play when they communicate. They are not as focused on the message but how it is said.

Ireland scores a 68, making it a masculine culture. This means that the Irish people value qualities such as competition, achievement, and success within their organizations and their everyday lives. According to Hofstede, Ireland has a low score of 35 in uncertainty avoidance.

At 68 Ireland is a Masculine society – highly success oriented and driven.

Ireland is monochronic country. It values the potency of organizations, which makes them highly reasoned in general in terms of creating and supporting profitableness of business and making wealth. Polychronic culture means that several things can be done right away.

At a score of 70 Ireland is an Individualist culture. In the business world, employees are expected to be self-reliant and display initiative. Also, within the exchange-based world of work, hiring and promotion decisions are based on merit or evidence of what one has done or can do.

Low Context Culture – Generally speaking, those cultures described as low context tend to communicate meaning and information explicitly through words. As Americans are task-centred, the primary purpose of communication is to exchange information, facts and opinions.

The correct answer would be, Low context culture are individualistic. The above mentioned statement is one of the characteristics of a low context culture. Explanation: There are two broad categories of culture.

In a low-context culture, the words themselves are more important than the surrounding social context. Examples of low-context cultures include Germany, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Canada, and the United States.