Difference between low-context culture and high-context culture

Recently, I am working on the differences between low-context culture and high-context culture. It is amazing while I am learning this. Literally, low-context culture stands for those cultures that use direct speech to express their opinions. On the contrary, high-context culture hide a lot of things behind their speech, you have to think more.

The high-context countries have China, Japan, Korea, American Indian, and most Latin American cultures, Southern and eastern Mediterranean Cultures such as Greece, Turkey and Arab states.

The low-context countries have Switzerland, German, Northern America, including the U.S. Nordic states.

1. The difference about concept:

The high-context culture: culture in which less has to be said or written because more of the meaning is in the physical environment or already shared by people is labeled high-context culture.

The low-context culture: cultures in which little of the meaning is determined by the context because the message is encoded in the explicit code are labeled low-context culture.

2. The difference in connotation and denotation:

In the high-context culture countries, people tend to be connotative, considering more about others' opinion, emotion or need according to not only the words but also the non-verbal code such as expressions, actions and environment. So they often think first before speak.

While people in the countries of low-context culture, tend to speak out their opinion directly because of their straight way of thinking.

For example, if you cooked a meal, and you asked a Dutch person, how was it? He said: “yes, I like it.” That means he really liked it. But once you had this answer from a person from high-context culture, such as China, you have to think: “Does he really like my meal? Or just don’t want me to lose face.” Such and such….”

3. The difference in reaction:

The high-context cultural people don't like to have conflicts with others. They tend to keep their emotions inside or just remain silence to avoid trouble.

However, the low-context cultural people have generally got the concept that anyone can protect his rights. Most of the time they would not mind offending others to get their rights of something.

4. The difference about interpersonal relationship:

People in high-context culture usually have a clear demarcation line between two different groups. They act politely or even urbanely to the ones from another group, but much more casually and sincerely to the ones in the same. And to the very close friends, they got more intimate attitude. When they are worried about someone, they would immediately, or in the shortest time, make sure that he or she is OK, and this shows their caring for friends. They would be glad to share what they have known or even their big secrets.

In the low-context culture, people usually get a quite flexible relationship with the ones from different groups, for they've got a concept that everyone is equal and everyone is the same no matter who you are, even the family members. However, they hardly get such an intimate friend like a person from high-context culture, because they are quite serious about their privacy. If one cares too much, it would do no help or might cause unpleasantness.

5. The difference about the concept of time:

People have got a polychromic time system in high-context culture. They treat time as a constitution of points. So during a period of time, they usually do several things in the same time. It's the result that they think is important, but not the process. As long as the result is satisfactory, whether you are concentrated or not in the process is not taken in consideration.

When it comes to the low-context culture, things run a completely adverse way. Monochromic time system controls the main current attitude. People treat time as a straight line. One can concentrate only on one thing during a period of time. They make detailed schedules for what they are going to do, and they are usually exquisite about efficiency.

6. The difference about style:

High-context cultures (including much of the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and South America) are relational, collectivist, intuitive, and contemplative. This means that people in these cultures emphasize interpersonal relationships. Developing trust is an important first step to any business transaction. According to Hall, these cultures are collectivist, preferring group harmony and consensus to individual achievement. And people in these cultures are less governed by reason than by intuition or feelings. Words are not so important as context, which might include the speaker’s tone of voice, facial expression, gestures, posture—and even the person’s family history and status. A Japanese manager explained his culture’s communication style to an American: “We are a homogeneous people and don’t have to speak as much as you do here. When we say one word, we understand ten, but here you have to say ten to understand one.” High-context communication tends to be more indirect and more formal. Flowery language, humility, and elaborate apologies are typical.

Low-context cultures (including North America and much of Western Europe) are logical, linear, individualistic, and action-oriented. People from low-context cultures value logic, facts, and directness. Solving a problem means lining up the facts and evaluating one after another. Decisions are based on fact rather than intuition. Discussions end with actions. And communicators are expected to be straightforward, concise, and efficient in telling what action is expected. To be absolutely clear, they strive to use precise words and intend them to be taken literally. Explicit contracts conclude negotiations. This is very different from communicators in high-context cultures who depend less on language precision and legal documents. High-context business people may even distrust contracts and be offended by the lack of trust they suggest.

In all, High-context culture relies on implicit nonverbal actions & environmental setting to convey meanings, unlike low-context cultures, which rely heavily on explicit verbal communication.

Low-context cultures concentrate on every detail of a decision, whereas high-context cultures build relationships & trust.

Low-context cultures encourage open disagreement, whereas high-context cultures avoid conformation & debate.

Low-context cultures view negotiations impersonally as a series of problems to be overcome. High-context cultures emphasize harmony & agreement to be worked out.

Low-context cultures tend to value written agreements & interpret laws strictly, whereas high-context cultures view adherence to laws as being more flexible.

In today's business relations, the low-context and high-context culture are still small words after all. As more companies turn towards global markets, professionals are finding themselves in foreign locales, wheeling and dealing like never before. However, the key to effective communication between countries is an understanding of each other's culture, especially a working knowledge of how each society conveys meaning.

It is important to remember that every individual uses both high-context and low context difference, not simply a matter of choosing one over the other. Often, the types of relationships we have with others and our circumstances will dictate the extent to which we rely more on literal or implied meanings.

The concepts of high contest and low context refer to how people communicate in different cultures. Difference can be derived form the extent to which meaning is transmitted through actual words used or implied by the context.

Understanding whether your international colleagues are high context or low context will help you to adapt our communication style and build stronger relationships with them. These concepts are covered during cross-cultural training which focuses on one or more specific cultures like live or work in China will also address these concepts.

However, nowadays the world economic growth and the internationalization of business, or even globalization greatly, people in different parts of the world form different countries and cultures are changing people’s verbal styles, For example, China is stepping into the progress from the high-context culture to the low-context culture. The peoples’ verbal styles are changing.

The difference between low-context and high-context culture

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difference between low-context and high context culture