2023 IOR Global Services. How Do I Format and Cite Long Direct Quotes? Managers are expected to be decisive and assertive. People tend not to smile in public with people they dont know. Hofstede, G. (1984). First, it is expected that participants from a higher-context culture will like the complex ad better than participants from a lower-context culture (H3). Coming from a high context culture, I found the German colleagues too wordy when writing minutes of meeting and focus too much on details in discussions. In communication theories, the important role of comprehension has been acknowledged. General information IOR collects cookies to improve your experience on our website. Cultures Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values. Hofstede Insights enables you to solve Intercultural and Organisational Culture challenges by utilising our effective and proven frameworks. Navigating the Cultural Minefield - Harvard Business Review All Rights Reserved. In the current comparative survey-based study, participants were exposed to 12 different product ads; asking for actual comprehension of all of the ads might have revealed the purpose of the study. The review process on Helpful Professor involves having a PhD level expert fact check, edit, and contribute to articles. In general, not a high touch culture. First, whereas the present study took a linear relationship between comprehension and liking as a starting point, future research may examine nonlinear relationships. Germany has a relatively low score when it comes to indulgence, meaning the country is restrained in nature. He studied English literature at the University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University. The mean scores for perceived complexity and ad liking were submitted to regression analyses for the direct effect of nationality on perceived complexity (H1) and ad liking (H3). Another source of variation is consumers' cultural background; namely, their context culture, as the next section will explain. The Culture Map - Communication: Low and High context cultures. %PDF-1.6 % A number of scholars have claimed that the comprehension and interpretation of visual metaphors in particular may differ between cultures (e.g., Kvecses, Citation2005; Le Pair & Van Mulken, Citation2008; McQuarrie & Mick, Citation1999; Van Mulken etal., Citation2010). The Belgian students were sampled from the Dutch-speaking part of the country: Flanders. A low-context (LC) communication is just the opposite; i.e., the mass of the information is vested in the explicit code.". It can imply understanding or agreement, but it can also mean their conversea lack of certainty. In general, both Germany and the U.S. are low-context cultures, meaning that information and meaning are usually communicated explicitly through words. Learn more about our academic and editorial standards. The result is a highly structured and punctual culture, which plays into the high masculinity. Comfort with structure. An in-depth understanding of cultural norms is not required because the communication is explicit. When it comes to complex messages in the advertising domain, though, there have been empirical studies that based their expectations on context theory. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Social media in Germany is used by only 50 percent of the populationdrastically lower than many countries in Europe. 4. Cultural Comparison between Germany and Thailand - GRIN Small families with a focus on the parent-children relationship rather than aunts and uncles are most common. Communication is among the most direct in the world following the ideal to be honest, even if it hurts and by this giving the counterpart a fair chance to learn from mistakes. Meaning depends on what is said- the literal content of the message- rather than how it is said. They assume that listeners know very little and must be told practically everything. Belgian participants have a higher ad liking than Dutch participants, and this national difference is explained by the participants' personal context score. Communicating with high-context cultures can require you to focus on politeness strategies that demonstrate your respect for readers and listeners. One framework for approaching intercultural communication is with high-context and low-context cultures, which . The ability to navigate successfully across cultures is not a luxury; it is a necessity. London: Routledge. The study had a one-factor design: advertisements with visual metaphors were presented to participants with the Belgian or the Dutch nationality (between-subject design). Low-context and high-context culture are anthropological concepts that describe the level of explicit information and the importance of context in a culture's communication. That is, recipients can be persuaded by a message even if they have not processed (and thus comprehended) that message. The upper half of the figure models the relationship between receiver nationality and perceived complexity of the message. Finally, place focus on personal achievement, success, and competition, values which drive the German business world. Original music by Dan Powell and . The German society is a truly Individualist one (67). In K. Berardo & D. K. Deardorff, eds. This means that, however popular, context theory has mainly been used as a theoretical construct to study cultural differences and similarities. In low-context cultures, good communication is precise, simple, explicit, and clear. Examples of low-context cultures include Germany, the United States, and Australia. Germanys high score of 83 indicates that it is a pragmatic country. Finally, the present study focused on ad liking as a form of persuasion, which makes sense from Hall's predictions about comprehension and appreciation. After the two perceived complexity items, ad liking was assessed with two items for each ad with 7-point scales (taken from Le Pair & Van Mulken, Citation2008): The advertisement is badly/well chosen and The advertisement is unattractive/attractive (mean reliability: =.90, range.82.93). Honesty is also valued highly because German communication as a whole is incredibly low-context. This proved to be the case (F(1, 287) = 5.85, p =.016, 2 =.02). Loyalty is based on personal preferences for people as well as a sense of duty and responsibility. Our Privacy Policy can be found. Jeffrey, "High context cultures are more common in the eastern nations than in western and in countries with low racial diversity. Put it in writing. Without socialization we do not become human. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education and holds a PhD in Education from ACU. Which of the following countries is considered a high context culture? A number of experimental studies have presented results that are in line with predictions from Relevance Theory. By closing this message, you are consenting to our use of cookies. Two studies have empirically tested this expectation. If empirical support for the role of context-cultures scores is to be found, it would considerably strengthen the notion of context culture as a perspective to study cultural differences and similarities in advertising and communication. Phillips (Citation2000), for example, constructed ads in three versions. i~^/NGu8Oc$j*$hd$BC+ji.9mkK"B?0m`d()-r//JQ ?7M!7|Q]pTX6w9 Neuliup, J. W. (2011). The red line (Benrath-Linie) divides Low German and Middle German. A person's culture shapes their beliefs, as well as the way they express themselves through communication. Results of regression analyses in the theoretical model. That is to say, despite these small (but significant) differences in context score in this study, these context scores proved to be the explanation for the national difference in both complexity and liking of the ads. Honesty is also valued highly because German communication as a whole is incredibly low-context. Also, in contrast to Indulgent societies, Restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. In low-context cultures, people are said to prefer explicit, task-related language. ommunication between Population of Germany and German - MCSER At the same time, for many cultures, working in Germany can be challenging because of the direct communication style and high need for detailed information. Instead of doubling down on the tried and true method of fossil fuel power, however, Germany has launched a massive clean-energy revolution. This methodological issue is not unique; Cardon (Citation2008), in his review of papers on context culture and communication, also noted that context culture was measured at the individual level in only a minority of studies. Low-Context Culture Communication & Examples - Study.com In other words, messages should not be too complex. Communication Research Reports. \}c^a3e7n o+:~z Keep away from uncertain situations, and instead focus on the known and practical. These models, however, do not account for the design of complex ads such as the example of the liquid detergent, which suggests that complexity is employed to positively affect appreciation. Order Free Brochure. Based on their fact-orientation, they may appear confrontational and overly critical. In addition to striving for personal accomplishment through masculine traits, Germans also enjoy tokens of status, which often comes from high-quality cars and new technology. Cite this Article in your Essay (APA Style), Privacy PolicyTerms and ConditionsDisclaimerAccessibility StatementVideo Transcripts. This dimension deals with the fact that all individuals in societies are not equal it expresses the attitude of the culture towards these inequalities amongst us. What is an Interculturally Effective Person (IEP)? According to the influential context theory of Hall (Hall, Citation1976; Hall & Hall, Citation1990; see also Kittler, Rygl, & Mackinnon, Citation2011), a person's cultural background affects how well that person is able to comprehend complex messages and how well s/he appreciates such messages. Culture of Germany - Wikipedia The current study used an abridged version of the scale used by Richardson and Smith (Citation2007), which is among the very few scales available. To become successful as a cross-cultural communicator in Germany: In high-context cultures (such as those in Japan, China, Korea, and Arab countries), communication relies heavily on non-verbal, contextual, and shared cultural meanings. If we explore the German culture through the lens of the 6-D Model, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of German culture relative to other world cultures. As expected by context theory, perceived complexity was lower for Belgian (a higher-context culture) than for Dutch participants (a lower-context culture), and participants' personal context culture score fully accounted for this difference. Figure1 visualizes the theoretical model of the role of context culture in perceived complexity and message liking that is under investigation. In countries like Germany, it is a sign of respect and professionalism to speak clearly and leave no room for misinterpretation especially in a difficult conversation. We cite peer reviewed academic articles wherever possible and reference our sources at the end of our articles. The present study shows that individuals' context scores account for the national differences between perceived complexity and liking of ads with complex visual metaphors. The authors thank Ellen van Maaren for her assistance in the data collection, and Christian Burgers for his suggestion for the data analysis. The culture of Germany has been shaped by major intellectual and popular currents in Europe, both religious and secular. The effect size is small, but what matters is the relationship between personal context score, on the one hand, and perceived complexity and ad liking on the other. It describes the level of explicit information and the importance of context in a given culture, indicating the range of communicative abilities (verbal messages, gestures, etc.) Germany, Sweden, and the United States are generally classified as low-context cultures. Reviewers ensure all content reflects expert academic consensus and is backed up with reference to academic studies. It has worked in the past will not buy you much credibility. This result supported H1. Nevertheless, it persists: Political self-effects in the context of German Communication Style Low Context Little attention is given to non-verbal cues & body language. The Belgian participants had a higher context score (M = 3.07, SD = 0.49, n = 174) than the Dutch participants (M = 2.92, SD = 0.52, n =.115). This result supported H3 (see the lower part of Figure2). Performance is highly valued and early required as the school system separates children into different types of schools at the age of ten. Le Pair and Van Mulken (Citation2008) examined the perceived complexity and appreciation of ads with metaphors in France, Spain (both relatively high-context cultures), and the Netherlands (a relatively low-context culture). In the first half of the theoretical framework, we will outline the role of comprehension in the persuasion process in general, and in the case of complex advertisements in particular. jCA(/pq/2?$O-@$h8KYGd N. 17 Germany is an excellent example for a low context country as its population is commonly known for its direct way of stating opinions and its logical, almost emotionless . Germanys need for structure is again seen in its moderately high uncertainty avoidance. The present study had an approach taken in a number of other studies (e.g., Le Pair & Van Mulken, Citation2008; McQuarrie & Mick, Citation1999, Study 2; Van Enschot & Hoeken, Citation2015): participants were asked to report the degree to which they understood the message. Your email address will not be published. His analysis showed that only a small percentage of these studies were empirical (see also Kittler etal., Citation2011). Being autistic seem to be a lot easier in low context cultures (USA, Germany) and a lot harder in high context cultures (France, Japan)." Self-motivation and personal identity are important values to Germans. In contrast, when anthropologist Edward T. Hall developed the terms in the 1930s, his usage was far broader: The original theory compared different views on . They often use written contracts and agreements to clarify expectations (Gudykunst & Ting-Toomey, 1988). Germany - IOR The complexity of a message can be the result of different message components (Lowrey, Citation2008), such as the difficulty of the words that are used (e.g., jargon or words from a foreign language), the syntax of the sentences (see Lowrey, Citation1998), or the length of the message. 1.5: Taxonomies of Cultural Patterns - Social Sci LibreTexts An example of such a complex ad is an ad for liquid detergent that was used in Western Europe. Low context Chapter 2 sets the theoretical background on leadership styles, and the differentiation between high- and low-context . We use cookies to improve your website experience. Cultures where the group is valued over the individual promote group reliance. The ages ranged from 17 to 25 (M = 20.94, SD = 1.78). Imagine an ad for a sports car that does not feature the car, but instead shows a leopard running on a coastal road. That is, not only were ads with more complex metaphors better liked than ads with less complex metaphors, but ads with too complex metaphors were liked less than ads with less complex metaphors (Phillips, Citation2000; Van Mulken etal., Citation2014). More responsibility; moving up in the company; time off (as monetary rewards are taxed at a very high rate). According to the information processing theory of McGuire (Citation1972), for instance, a persuasive communicative attempt is only expected to be successful if it passes a number of critical steps, including the comprehension of the message. The terms "low-context" and "high-context" usually refer to language groups or nationalities. B`%~Prj_G:r`m^1&[3PfX$]#b?UoZs43avM"M iwz|t&GEyea;Nu;Y;VNv3'k[dX@^kN+Vd4.?BBSKeA{x/ Uyg"] )1MQS z6lx{(7x*g6'lfD2q9up q61M 0.R Because of this, communication can change drastically from one generation to the next, creating communication gaps between parents and children. After completing this chapter, you will be able to: Now that we know, broadly, what culture is, lets discuss some ways to categorize aspects of different cultures. The current study is the first empirical examination of context theory's role on message comprehension and liking. Bernstein, B. This concept was first advanced by Edward T. Hall in the 1950s. This work argues that message persistence (i.e., the temporal extent to which messages can be accessed by users) is a central affordance of many . Based on their insights into Hall's context theory and the Dutch and Belgian (communication) culture, cross-cultural communication scholars Gerritsen and Claes (Gerritsen, Citation2002; Claes & Gerritsen, Citation2011) indicate that Belgium is a medium-context culture, and the Netherlands a low-context culture. Conclusions are explicitly stated. Goodwill Messages and Recommendations. Intercultural Communication in the Workplace, 18. Desire for stability and caution toward change, Value of academic accomplishments and formal knowledge, Punctuality (reflects reliability and discipline), Strong distinction between public space (formal at work) and private space (informal with family and friends), Healthy balance between work and leisure time, Thoroughness in decision making (analytical, theoretical, deductive), Detail orientation; tendency toward perfectionism, Honesty (may be perceived as overly critical and blunt), Legacy of former communist East (GDR) and capitalist West Germany (FRG), Formality among older generation (use of Sie) vs. informality of the younger generation (use of Du), Strong sense of order and discipline vs. crowding and pushing when standing in line, Lack of mobility vs. open employment market across the European Union (EU), Sophisticated language indicative of social status vs. increasingly pervasive use of D-English (use of Anglicisms), Traditional Christian culture vs. increase of religious diversity entering mainstream society, particularly Islam. Context High context. From Relevance Theory (Sperber & Wilson, Citation1995) and the resource-matching hypothesis (e.g., Larsen etal., Citation2004), we know that, for visual metaphors in particular, the relationship between comprehension and persuasion is nonlinear: with an increase in complexity, persuasion also increases up to a point where it starts to decrease. According to this hypothesis, the highest level of persuasion is obtained if there is a balance between the required cognitive resources for understanding the message and the cognitive resources that are available from the receiver. ULG covered the basics of the six cultural dimensions in full here. Although the use of understandable messages is commonplace in advertising and communication, complex messages are regularly used; for example, through the use of jargon, foreign languages, or verbal or visual metaphors. Two examples of items were A speaker can assume that listeners will know what they really mean, and People understand many things that are left unsaid (all nine items are in Appendix1). Jobs are changed infrequently (long-term thinking); labor laws support job stability and make it difficult to dismiss people. They rely less on the shared values/assumptions of the group and the context of the situation. In the second half, we will explain how context theory is related to people's comprehension of messages, leading to the hypotheses of the current study. Meetings are only scheduled when necessary; punctuality important; agenda is followed; lengthy discussions of agenda items possible (expression of need for thoroughness). Individual Orientation People rather live in order to work and draw a lot of self-esteem from their tasks. The American legal system, for example, relies on low context communication. On the basis of his review of studies on context theory, one of Cardon's (Citation2008, p. 423) concluding remarks was about this measurement issue: [F]uture research must employ rigorously developed measures. Strict application of formal rules without much attention to context. /T?KrGM7IL];K7,~`}b`x2Zp|yMkX1h1s]0;Vq4{i `{DXB=1 u`sBY.I43VO9#"43puz qAZf6I'a^OD. The five areas of future research relate to the study of context culture on the nonlinear relationship between comprehension and persuasion, the selection of complex message components other than visual metaphors, the measurement of context culture on an individual level, the measurement of message comprehension, and the measurement of persuasion. These results are visualized in the upper part of Figure2. Based on their detail-orientation, they tend to talk at great length. In such circumstances, a less complex message is more effective. Van Mulken etal., Citation2014) or to ask them to write down what they think is the meaning of the message (cf. These countries were selected because they are similar in many respects, but differ in context culture. This means that Germans tend to pay more attention to the literal meaning of words than to the context surrounding them. Callow and Schiffman (Citation2002) examined the degree to which consumers infer meaning from images in advertising. Low-context communication aspires to get straight to the point. 4.3: Variations in Communication Styles - Social Sci LibreTexts Having a Difficult Conversation with Someone from a Different Culture Edited by Liz O. Baylen and Mike Benoist. PDF THE CULTURE MAP - NetElixir endstream endobj 316 0 obj <>stream In particular he is known for his high and low context cultural factors. In combination with their low Power Distance, where the certainty for own decisions is not covered by the larger responsibility of the boss, Germans prefer to compensate for their higher uncertainty by strongly relying on expertise. Germany is masculine. In the studies that did investigate the role of context culture in comprehension and persuasion, individuals' nationality was measured but not individuals' context culture. Understanding German business protocol is the first step toward success in Germany. Intercultural Communication on Websites: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Websites from High-Context Cultures and Low-Context Cultures. An example of Germans tentative disposition toward the unknown is the countrys mentality towards Internet privacy. To request a reprint or commercial or derivative permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below. [/footnote], Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits and Obstacles, Intercultural Communication in the Workplace, Additional Resources to Help you Format your Paper in APA Style. In public, space is less of a physical concept: people bump into each other in the street and push others when queuing; it is more a concept of the mind. The terms low-context and high-context usually refer to language groups or nationalities. As Hall (Citation1976, p. 79) states: A high-context (HC) communication or message is one in which most of the information is either in the physical context or internalized in the person, while very little is in the coded, explicit, transmitted part of the message. Beyond these kinds of replications, we suggest five directions for future investigations to further examine how context theory affects comprehension and persuasion in advertising and communication. Anchor Press/Doubleday. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context and time. Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices. High-context cultures, on the other hand, depend on both the spoken words and the context of the situationincluding the shared values/assumptions of the groupto convey meaning. Achievement, competition, success, and skilled performance at work are what drives many Germansbeing the best is the goal. Third, future research may invest in developing new and/or refining existing measures for high/low context (see Kim, Pan, & Park, Citation1998). It will examine whether it is indeed people's individual context score that affects the degree of comprehension and liking of complex messages. A polite nod accompanied by a firm handshake is a common greeting, both in a business as well as social context; eye contact is made and held during a face-to-face conversation. High and low context cultures were a concept that emerged from anthropology in the 1950s and became more prevalent starting in the 1990s. Deutsch-lernen.com recommends: Learn melodious standard German at ActiLingua Academy in Vienna. - |Cjg@Q.TN"8. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context and time. Intercultural communication. For high-context cultures, language is a kind of social lubricant, easing and harmonizing relations that are defined according to a group or collectivist orientation where we rather than I is the key to identity. Many aspects of cultural behavior are not made explicit because most members know what . We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. C\s{58id]wE&= 4y3H[K302LQB7LU] #Bnf+cC As a preliminary test, we first checked whether Belgian participants indeed scored higher on their personal context score than Dutch participants. Moreover, their communication is often task-oriented and driven by rational decision-making, which can further add to their formality.. An example of a fusion metaphor is the ad for Ariel liquid detergent that was discussed in the introduction. Wurtz, Elizabeth (2005). Websites catering to high-context audiences had a lot of animation & images. Many low context cultures are individualist so people openly express their views, and tend to make important information obvious to others. This dimension is defined as the extent to which people try to control their desires and impulses, based on the way they were raised.