Cross Cultural Communication – College Essay Example

High and low context model of culture by Hall (1990)
Hall, a renowned American anthropologist, has proposed an analysis framework for high and low context cultures based on the accuracy and clarity of information transmission and reception during communication.Hall (1976) suggests that "Context" is the surrounding information of an event and "Events" indicate the contents of communication. The combination of these two elements reflects the characteristics of a civilization. Based on different combinations of "Context" and "Content," civilizations can be categorized into high context and low context. Hall's model explores the impact of economic globalization on cultural contexts and the emergence of cross-cultural communication issues (Koeszegi, 2004). Scholars have conducted research and analysis on different cultures worldwide. This section will delve into Hall's detailed model of high and low cultural context and provide examples of different context civilizations. According to Hall (1990), the definition and features of the high and low cultural context model revolve around how communication, including language, is influenced by context. Without context, symbols are incomplete as they only represent a fraction of information, devoid of specific meaning (Hall, 1976, pp.81-83).However, the significance of frequent communication depends on the context, which is closely tied to significance. According to Hall (1976), there are two types of context: high and low. The type of context determines all aspects of communication, including the use of language. In low context communication, people rely more on language to achieve their communicative goals. On the other hand, in high context communication, the role of language may be less significant as people are more attuned to subtle environmental cues. Some examples of high context cultures include Chinese, South Korean,

and African cultures, while low context cultures include the United States, Canada, Sweden, and most Nordic cultures (Hall and Hall, 1990). In these different cultures, the role and importance of context and language in conveying meaning are not the same, resulting in different approaches to communication. In high context cultures, communication emphasizes the contextual aspects rather than the literal content.(paraphrased) The text emphasizes the importance of trust and relationships in society. It highlights how communication can be implicit and people are sensitive to this implicit information. It mentions that there are advantages to both high context and low context cultures. High context cultures, such as China, value tradition and harmony, while low context cultures prioritize order and standardization. The characteristics of these two types of cultures are compared in Table 1.The text compares High Context Culture (HC) and Low Context Culture (LC) and discusses their differences in terms of communication styles, information coding, relationships, response patterns, and time orientation. HC cultures rely on implicit and veiled communication and code information, while LC cultures prefer explicit and direct communication and clear information. HC cultures have a flexible relationship between internal and external factors, use more gestural code, and have high committedness and strong interpersonal relationships, while LC cultures have a structured relationship between internal and external factors, use detailed verbal code, and have low committedness and estranged interpersonal relationships. Additionally, HC cultures display less demonstrative response and highly flexible time, whereas LC cultures display demonstrative response and highly structured time.

The analysis suggests that HC and LC differ significantly in civilization and communication. According to Lustig and Koester (2001), HC civilization relies on predetermined thought plans to

convey information, including unwritten traditions, mute values, and generally accepted forms of behavior. On the other hand, LC civilization emphasizes reason and logic-based communication, using clear language to transfer information. LC may view implicit expression as unclear thinking or lack of politeness. In business and social management, these two cultures should merge and complement each other, helping to establish a harmonious and efficient management mechanism for enterprises.The text discusses the importance of cross-cultural communication for the harmonious development of society. It highlights the different civilizations and their unique characteristics that contribute to this development. According to Chua and Gudykunst (1987), the recessionary civilization has a significant impact on people, making successful cross-cultural communication more challenging. The text mentions the differentiation between high and low context civilizations, particularly focusing on the features of recessionary civilizations. This understanding is essential for effective cross-cultural communication. The research by Hall suggests that South Korea and China belong to the high context civilization, while Sweden and Canada lean towards the low context civilization. The text further elaborates on South Korea as a high context culture influenced by traditional Chinese Confucianism, which has resulted in certain values, beliefs, and behavioral codes that have been accumulated over time. As a result, South Korea's culture exhibits relative stability due to its long-term accumulation of a unique way of life.In the communication process in South Korea, there is a tendency for people to rely on background information that is already understood and not explicitly expressed. This creates a more concealed form of interpersonal communication in the country. People in South Korea place particular importance on courtesy and avoid directly calling each other by name

during communication. In business communication, it is preferred to use indirect language and an un-opposite attitude. Understanding the true meaning of expressions often requires inference. Even when they disagree, people in South Korea rarely say "no" or directly refuse or refute. They may use silence as a form of rejection. The language used in South Korea is polite and veiled, aimed at avoiding direct conflict. Due to the high context culture, non-verbal cues are given more importance in establishing trust.

China, on the other hand, has developed a high context culture due to its traditions and history. People tend to live in one place for a long time and societal changes are slow and minimal. Life experiences and social networks are relatively simple (Kim et al., 1998). The Chinese language relies on vague and suggestive expressions, with much information implied within the cultural context.The text emphasizes the importance of indirect communication and cultural sensitivity in both Chinese and Swedish cultures. In Chinese communication, there is room for interpretation and avoiding embarrassment, and language is not the only means of conveying information. Gestures, distance, and silence can also express thoughts and emotions effectively. Chinese people are particularly attuned to their surroundings and environment. On the other hand, Sweden has a low context culture where direct verbal expression is highly valued. Unlike Chinese and Koreans, Swedes do not often use euphemisms or consider others' feelings when conveying their ideas. Verbal expression is the preferred method of communication in Sweden.When it comes to communication, expressing dissatisfaction does not mean that individuals are struggling. It simply reflects their own thoughts. They believe that clearly expressing their thoughts when facing

a disagreement is better for problem-solving. In addition, in dialogues between companies in Sweden, they immediately get to the point and quickly complete the scheduled agenda. They hope to fully separate work and leisure and achieve the trade as soon as possible (Jarvenpaa et al., 1999). The Swedes, who represent the linear concept of time, value speed and efficiency. They adhere strictly to the schedule and follow a step-by-step approach to resolve issues. If the first terms are not completely resolved, they will not negotiate the second. On the other hand, in China, it is very normal to negotiate multiple issues during the same meeting, which reflects the differences between high-context and low-context cultures. Canada also belongs to a low-context culture that emphasizes being straightforward. When Canadians communicate, all information needs to be conveyed in clear and simple language with no hidden meaning between the lines of words. Canadians are willing to openly express their views (Hall and Hall, 1990).In the process of communication, Canadians are typically energetic and surpassing, preferring a direct and honorable manner of dialogue. Their approach seems to have a transactional and economic focus. During conversations, Canadians aim to clarify their own point of view using simple and clear language to express their thoughts. They believe that argumentation not only allows individuals to express their own opinions but also helps in problem-solving. However, this practice may be hard for countries with high-context cultures to accept, as they view Canadians as being very aggressive. From the perspective of Canadians, silence is considered impolite behavior.

Despite the achievements of Hall's high and low context cultural model in analyzing national cultures and providing references for

scholars to explore world cultures, it has some shortcomings. Hall only proposes the concept and features of high and low context culture without providing an integrated system and detailed data to support his argument. Additionally, he does not categorize all countries, resulting in a vague classification for some nations. Other scholars, such as Hofstede (2008) and his Individualism vs. Collectivism Dimension, offer different dimensions for analyzing cultures.Trompenaars (1998) identified Seven Dimensions of Culture, while GLOBE writers (House et al., 2004) provide additional evidence to support the differences between high and low context cultures, which challenges Hall's model. Kramsch (1993) suggests that high context cultures place too much emphasis on human emotions and rely on interpersonal relationships rather than legal systems, resulting in a lack of efficiency. On the other hand, low context cultures prioritize rationality but can become mechanical and rigid in their execution. This report aims to exemplify the case of business communication in high and low context cultures using AUDI's official website in South Korea and China (high context cultures) and Sweden and Canada (low context cultures). AUDI is a renowned luxury car brand that successfully sells its products worldwide, including Germany. The report will analyze the performance of AUDI's official website in China, as depicted in Figure 1 of the Appendix.The text describes the impact of ruddy color on Chinese consumers during the Spring Festival. Ruddy symbolizes good luck and best wishes, attracting Chinese clients visually. The second image in the appendix reflects the activity of purchasing a luxurious gift, such as a car, on Valentine's Day. The image text emphasizes that every day of the holiday is youthful. The company uses

reserved words to hint at the activity of showcasing gifts when clients buy a car, instead of directly displaying the activity content. This approach aligns with Chinese people's tendency to find deeper meaning in images and reflects the high context communication style of Audi in China. Additionally, Audi's official website in China features more stunning and colorful images, catering to Chinese preferences for visual enjoyment and emotional connection during cultural communication. In contrast, Audi's official website in Sweden, as a low-context culture, employs more concise language and single-colored images, diverging from the Chinese website's red background.The primary color scheme of the AUDI website in Sweden is black and white, as shown in Figure 3 in the Appendix. Each image on the website links to another page that presents detailed information about the featured car, as shown in Figure 4 in the Appendix. This design choice reflects AUDI's adaptation to the low-context culture of Sweden for effective business communication. Unlike South Korea and China, where indirect communication is preferred, the Swedish AUDI website uses simple language and single-color images to convey clear information about car performance and type. This approach caters to the needs of the Swedish low-context culture, where direct information is preferred in business communication, helping customers discover new products easily. Moving on to AUDI in South Korea, their official website follows a similar design style to that of AUDI in China. This is because South Korea also falls under the high-context culture category. The website design is simple and concise with minimal text accompanying images. When visiting AUDI's official website in South Korea, users are greeted with an advertising video featuring "The New

Audi A3 Sedan." Instead of directly showcasing the car's performance and technology, the video relies on vivid imagery and implicit text such as "it changes everything" to create a metaphor for the car's exceptional performance, aiming to evoke customers' love and appreciation for the vehicle (AUDI, n.d.).Because South Koreans are a high context civilization, they are able to easily understand the significance of advertisements. Additionally, when shopping on the web, Korean clients will find that every image below has a button that can be directly connected to Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube (see Figure 5 in Appendix). This convenience allows clients to search for and share interesting picture content, while also indirectly promoting the company and increasing the satisfaction of Korean consumers (Wurtz, 2005).

Furthermore, the design of the website presents a fantastic and detailed content. This is because Koreans tend to express their own information to others during communication, and they also hope to easily grasp more information through their own understanding, which reflects the characteristics of their high context culture.

When browsing the home page of AUDI in Canada, the web page design is simple and clear (see Figure 6 in Appendix). While there are four rotating images for automatic replacement, the contents on the image are also very compact (AUDI, n.d.). On the South Korea website, an advertisement movie and suggestive words are used to present AUDI's new car, "The New AUDI A3 Sedan." On the Canadian website, there are promotional images of the car with a sentence directly written on the image stating, "The all-New 2015 A3 Sedan is coming" (see Figure 7 in Appendix).This text discusses the association between Canada's civilization and its

communication style, considering it a low context civilization. Canadians prefer a straightforward approach to expressing their thoughts, which is reflected in the direct introduction on the AUDI website in Canada. The website design is unique, but each image links to detailed product information, helping customers better understand the car's performance. This aligns with Canada's simple and direct cultural factors. The purpose of this report is to explore Hall's high context and low context civilization model for cross-cultural communication. It defines and explains the characteristics of high and low context civilizations according to Hall. The report then provides examples of countries like South Korea and China that have high context civilizations, contrasting them with Sweden and Canada representing low context civilizations. It also introduces the communication styles of these countries, demonstrating the practicality of Hall's model. Furthermore, despite the contributions of this model to cross-cultural communication research, the report highlights some weaknesses reported by scholars.This study examines the public presentations of AUDI's official websites in South Korea, China, Sweden, and Canada. The websites reflect the communication styles of both high-context and low-context civilizations. In South Korea and China, the websites utilize visuals and simple language to showcase important company activities and emphasize excellent services. On the other hand, the websites in Sweden and Canada are more direct, focusing on showcasing the performance of the cars through images. This demonstrates AUDI's communication style in low-context civilization states. The success of AUDI highlights the relevance of Hall's theoretical model. (Ahmed et al., 2009; AUDI)The source of the text is a website titled "co.kr/kr/brand/kn." The text cites and their contents, and it was accessed on 15/02/2014. another source

is the website "AUDI," specifically in Sweden, accessed through the URL "www.audi.se/se/brand/sv."
Another source mentioned is a research article by Avruch.K titled "Culture as context. Civilization as communication: Considerations for human-centered negotiators" published in the Harvard Negotiation Law Review in 2004.
Next is a research article by Chua.E.G. and Gudykunst.W.B. titled "Conflict resolution styles in low- and high-context cultures" published in Communication Research Reports, volume 4, issue 1.
Dozier.J.B. et al's article titled "Need for approval in low-context and high-context cultures: A communication approach to cross-cultural ethics" is also referenced. It was published in Teaching Business Ethics, volume 2, issue 2.
The book "Beyond Culture" by Hall.E., published in 1976, is also mentioned.
Hall.E. and Hall.M.'s book "Understanding cultural differences: Germans, French, and Americans" is referenced as well.
Another book cited is "Culture's Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions and Organizations Across Nations" by Hofstede.G., published in 2008.
The book "Culture, Leadership, and Organizations" by House.R. et al. is also mentioned.
Lastly, a research article by Jarvenpaa.S.L. et al. titled "Consumer trust in an Internet shop: A cross-cultural validation" and an article by Kim.D. et al. titled "High-versus low-context culture: A comparison of Chinese, Korean, and American cultures" are cited as well.C. (1993) Context and civilization in linguistic communication instruction. Oxford University Press.
Koeszegi, S. et al. (2004) National cultural differences in the usage and perception of internet-based NSS: does high or low context matter? International Negotiation, 9(1), 79-109.
Lustig, M. W. and Koester, J. (1999) Interpersonal competency: Interpersonal communications across cultures.
Moran, R. T. et al. (2007) Managing cultural differences. Routledge.
Niemeier, S. et al. (1998) The cultural context in business communication. John Benjamins Publishing.
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context communication: the Malaysian Malay style. In Proceedings of the 2005 Association for Business Communication Annual Convention (pp. 1-11). Association for Business Communication.
Trompenaars, F. (1998) Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Diversity in Global Business. McGraw Hill, New York.
Wurtz, E. (2005). A cross-cultural analysis of websites from high-context cultures and low-context cultures. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 11(1), article-13.

Appendix
Figure 1: AUDI China
Figure 2: AUDI China
Figure 3: AUDI Sweden
Figure 4: AUDI Sweden
Figure 5: AUDI South Korea
Figure 6: AUDI Canada
Figure 7: AUDI Canada