High And Low Flashcards, test questions and answers

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What is High And Low?

High and low context cultures are two different ways that societies communicate. High context cultures rely heavily on nonverbal communication, while low context cultures use much more direct verbal communication. High context cultures tend to be collectivist in nature and emphasize relationships between individuals. In these types of cultures, people do not typically express themselves directly; instead they rely on the surrounding environment to give them cues as to how they should act or respond. Examples of high-context culture include Native American tribes, African nations, Latin American countries, China, Japan and some parts of the Middle East. In contrast with high-context culture is low-context culture which is often found in individualistic societies like those in Western Europe and North America where explicitness is valued over implicitness. Low-context communicators believe that it’s best to explain things clearly rather than relying on external sources for understanding. People from this type of culture are usually very direct when communicating their needs or expectations and favor open dialogue over subtlety or ambiguity. It’s important for people who work across different cultural contexts to understand which type of culture each group falls into so that effective communication can take place without confusion or misunderstanding. For instance, if an American manager were trying to communicate with a Japanese employee then he might need to adjust his communication style by speaking more indirectly since the Japanese would expect a more high-context approach than what Americans typically use in business conversations.