germany high or low context culture

In high-context cultures, people are said to prefer symbolic, artful language that is implicit. In other words, messages should not be too complex. Which one of the following countries is considered a low context culture? Fewer words can often lead to better understanding. Cultures and languages are defined as higher or lower context on a spectrum. Intentions not explicitly stated can often be inferred from the context. No decisions are made until all parties involved are heard; negotiations are fact and subject matter based. Characteristics of HC and LC Communication. First, whereas the present study took a linear relationship between comprehension and liking as a starting point, future research may examine nonlinear relationships. Imagine an ad for a sports car that does not feature the car, but instead shows a leopard running on a coastal road. Guffey et al. Rather than valuing positions that are based on family connections or age, Germans prefer to put trust in those who demonstrate experience and vast knowledge. /T?KrGM7IL];K7,~`}b`x2Zp|yMkX1h1s]0;Vq4{i `{DXB=1 u`sBY.I43VO9#"43puz qAZf6I'a^OD. This means that messages beyond a certain tipping point (Van Mulken etal., Citation2014) are too complex, and therefore become less effective. As we discuss culture, we are making generalizations to create cultural prototypes. %PDF-1.6 % High context refers to societies or groups where people have close connections over a long period of time. Writing Topic Sentences and Body Paragraphs, 39. n Finally, it is expected that the effect predicted in H3 is mediated by participants' context-culture scores (H4): H3: Participants from a higher-context culture like ads with visual metaphors better than participants from a lower-context culture. When doing business with German clients, having employees in place who command respect with extensive knowledge and a willingness to have an open mind will be a huge asset. The extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid these is reflected in the score on Uncertainty Avoidance. Development of long-term relationships; trust is created based on high-quality and reliability of services and products; quality may override price considerations. Getting the message across. Criticism is viewed as a sign of forthrightness and honesty. Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine. Information is transmitted not through words alone but also through non-verbal cues such as gestures, voice inflection, and facial expression, which can have different meanings in different cultures. Germans are very detail-oriented and tend to ask a lot of subject-related questions. Cardon (Citation2008, p. 400), for instance, noted, Studies that use contexting as an explanatory framework for cross-cultural variation almost invariably accept the contexting continuum, neglecting to measure participants' context scores. Theoretical model of the role of context culture in perceived complexity and liking of ads. High and low context cultures were a concept that emerged from anthropology in the 1950s and became more prevalent starting in the 1990s. ;#EtZ-P`IsPv;SFMx+CS~!v}w\ `p>cgVX A major limitation of the studies providing this evidence is that they drew their conclusions on the basis of groups of people: consumers from a country with a presumed lower-context culture versus consumers from a country with a presumed higher-context culture. All Rights Reserved. This result supported H1. Germany, Sweden, and the United States are generally classified as low-context cultures. All articles are edited by a PhD level academic. Status is often shown, especially by cars, watches and technical devices. 6e`pS"\wFR-O/XXdg%8a'Gz:A9=w5G>+1 ) 3099067 =AUj/9B Xxbhn%nH4o In the 21 st century, Germany has been key in developing analytic philosophy in Europe together with nations such as France, Scandinavian states, Switzerland, and Austria. Besides cultural context, personal experiences and preferences also shape communication. 45-52). In the main study, the scale proved to be just adequate ( =.68). For the processing of complex messages, the perspective of context theory is very relevant. The result is a highly structured and punctual culture, which plays into the high masculinity. It is more important to state a message efficiently than with great detail. In other words, people communicate explicitly in low-context cultures. Deductive reasoning that relies on details are what matter in German society, and having a carefully thought out plan for the future is essential. 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. Yet, relatively little is known about how affordances provided by social media platforms affect whether and how users express political opinions. In absolute terms, the differences between the Belgian and Dutch participants in the comprehension and liking scores were small. 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. Recognizing High and Low Context Cultures - National Charrette Institute As Lowrey (Citation2008, p. 173, italics in original) argued: The important issue is the recognition that complexity effects occur in the individual. When we refer to the complexity of a message in this article, we therefore also refer to the comprehension of the message by the receiver. These great minds from Germany have come up with . Focus on individual; very task-oriented; Hoechstleistung (to give your best) is expected and nothing less; depending on the position and the nature of the organization, working overtime might be expected. What is High Context Culture - Culture Matters Complex ads, such as the example of the liquid detergent, may be better comprehended and better appreciated in higher- than in lower-context cultures. Highly decentralised and supported by a strong middle class, Germany is not surprisingly among the lower power distant countries (score 35). Also remember that although cultures are different from one another, no culture or cultural characteristic is better or worse than any other. Guffey, M.E., Lowey, D., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P. (2013). There is a strong preference for a direct communication style. Potential characteristics may be verbal metaphors (cf. The general terms "high context" and "low context" (popularized by Edward Hall) are used to describe broad-brush cultural differences between societies. Registered in England & Wales No. Scheduling, punctuality emphasized; time is a commodity not to be wasted, Equality This conservative, reasoned approach to problems that arise gives Germany the ability to change quickly to local and global situations. 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). Communicating in High Context vs. Low Context Cultures Since they value collectivism and interdependence, it makes sense that their communication requires an understanding of the communitys shared values. For instance, if an ad contains a slogan in a foreign language that the recipient does not recognize (let alone understand), more effort will not result in better comprehension and better liking. High German languages - Wikipedia C\s{58id]wE&= 4y3H[K302LQB7LU] #Bnf+cC Thus, Relevance Theory accommodates two seemingly opposing outcomes: a more complex message may generate higher as well as lower appreciation than a less complex message. When working with low context cultures be . Remember that culture is dynamic, and that every individual within a culture is unique and may not conform exactly to the general characteristics of that culture. Navigating the Cultural Minefield - Harvard Business Review In our fully Read More, Is your business looking for French translation services or interpreting services? Croucher, S., Bruno, A, McGrath, P, Adams, C, McGahan, C, Suits, A & Huckins, A. High-Context and Low-Context Cultures - OUP Academic For more information please visit our Permissions help page. Cultures where the group is valued over the individual promote group reliance. According to Hall (Citation1976; Hall & Hall, Citation1990), the extent to which such complex messages are comprehended and appreciated depends on context culture. In addition, personal preference for high/low context was measured on a 5-point scale with nine items taken from Richardson and Smith (Citation2007), which were selected on the basis of a principle component analysis run on data collected in a pretest (N = 30, age: M = 23.90, SD = 2.16). Watch this video from international business expert Erin Meyer [1]. 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. EJ]?SGfekI NTj\*5~RGzN%#QeOJkLPvYwA9xCk9?FM~0xtCxjg-G3'Uw?g`#IcN!Yr%{U4`8sDUTEP^ b'K/{:6 ,eQ_`RYHS9pkRg91o)?OM8u}Vo0~8m This is especially true when it comes to business dealings. 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). Germany's high score of 83 indicates that it is a pragmatic country. The present study is the first of its kind to test one of the central claims of context theory: namely, that complex messages are perceived as less complex and are better liked in higher-context than in lower-context cultures. The High German languages (German: hochdeutsche Mundarten), or simply High German (Hochdeutsch) - not to be confused with Standard High German which is commonly also called "High German" - comprise the varieties of German spoken south of the Benrath and Uerdingen isoglosses in central and southern Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and eastern Belgium, as well as in . The terms low-context and high-context usually refer to language groups or nationalities. It relies on the straightforward use of language, without depending much on nonverbal cues. Germany, Sweden, and the United States are generally classified as low-context cultures. A conclusion may be implied but not argued directly. Germany Germany is one of the so-called " low-context " cultures. Xu & Wyer, Citation2010), or foreign languages (cf. Multi-cultural teams need . A low-context (LC) communication is just the opposite; i.e., the mass of the information is vested in the explicit code. For the processing of complex messages, the perspective of context theory is very relevant. To request a reprint or commercial or derivative permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below. They rely less on the shared values/assumptions of the group and the context of the situation. London: Routledge. ^o_JcqT Meaning depends on what is said- the literal content of the message- rather than how it is said. He studied English literature at the University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University. In Collectivist societies people belong to in groups that take care of them in exchange for loyalty. which score low on this dimension, for example, prefer to maintain time-honoured traditions and norms while viewing societal change with suspicion. Examples of high-context cultures include China, India, and many non-Western societies. Callow and Schiffman (Citation2002) examined the degree to which consumers infer meaning from images in advertising. Emotions are discredited as unprofessional; in a business context, trust and credibility are developed through suppression of emotions; tendency to be more emotionally expressive with family and friends, particularly in southern Germany. In . About half of the participants were female (56%). 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. Learn more about our academic and editorial standards. Cultures can, therefore, be described as Indulgent or Restrained. 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). He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education and holds a PhD in Education from ACU. cH[f;uQbRgt`Fyoj@o |RSs:3;-iKH/nsO.1DO"k~:&R8a9mSXnMy&0iX$x!yH,MSI"tuu[ The blue line (Main-Linie) divides Middle German and High German. While some traditions and norms are important to Germans, they can also be adapted to suit solutions that are dependent on time, situation, and context. Gudykunst, W. B., & Ting-Toomey, S. (1988). However, in conflict situations, Germans often defend their position strongly and loudly (independent of job level). The ads featured different products, such as a car, detergent, soda, and a mobile phone. Co-determination rights are comparatively extensive and have to be taken into account by the management. This post is a part of the series where I'd like to share some of my cross-cultural experiences and stories. 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). Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices. As a result, much is taken for granted. 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). Websites catering to high-context audiences had a lot of animation & images. Germany is masculine. The cultural context. G~D6cA>`E4SR_.H@vuc_FT_+ QY6PCz~Y*MLH4+p} Examples of high-context cultures include Japan, Korea, and India. Restrained Emotions are discredited as unprofessional; in a business context, trust and credibility are developed through suppression of emotions; tendency to be more emotionally expressive with family and friends, particularly in southern Germany. The current study is the first empirical examination of context theory's role on message comprehension and appreciation. Second, it seems useful to conduct conceptual replications of this kind of study with other complex ads that do not contain visual metaphors, but instead contain other complex message characteristics. They also displayed pictures of individuals, while high-context websites foregrounded group pictures. \}c^a3e7n o+:~z They were Belgian (n = 174) or Dutch (n = 115) students. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 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. These small differences seem to be related to the large similarities between the two populations, both in broad characteristics (e.g., political system, geographical location) and in context culture. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results. B;dd xs f^Jg.!^#>QAc Low-Context Cultures Communicators in low-context cultures (such as those in Germany, Scandinavia, and North America) convey their meaning exclusive of the context of a situation. Those with a culture which scores high, on the other hand, take a more pragmatic approach: they encourage thrift and efforts in modern education as a way to prepare for the future. Goodwill Messages and Recommendations. The assignment will also discussed the impact of adapting good cross cultural practices by local managers across borders. For the sake of completeness, Figure2 displays the (un)standardized coefficients of the discussed relationships in the model. Exact Time (1971). They rely less on context & non-verbal cues and instead convey meaning more directly. The Lavin Agency Speakers Bureau. Low-context countries, on the other hand, relied more on linear processes and verbal communication. people generally use. But we can also use them to talk about smaller groups, such as corporate cultures or a specific setting like the airport. We used 2-item scales for perceived ad complexity and ad liking because participants had to assess these constructs for 12 different ads. More recent persuasion models, such as the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM; Petty & Cacioppo, Citation1986) and the Heuristic-Systematic Model (HSM; Chaiken, Citation1987), have nuanced the role of comprehension. The Influence of High-/Low-Context Cultu . https://doi.org/10.1080/08911762.2017.1296985. Information has to be explicit and detailed for the message to be conveyed without distortion. Which of the following statements best describes a larger power distance. Dr. Drew has published over 20 academic articles in scholarly journals. From the same gender distributions in the two samples, it might be considered unlikely that, for instance, one sample contained predominantly arts students (which are mostly female students) and the other predominantly engineering students (which are mostly male students). For example, the Native Americans in the United States rely heavily on their tradition. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. In a low-context culture, communication occurs through explicitly spelled out and defined words, and listeners just have to interpret spoken or written words as they are. All the advice on this site is general in nature. Intercultural Communication in the Workplace, 18. There is an aversion to letting the future take its course. $suH\ endstream endobj 316 0 obj <>stream Small families with a focus on the parent-children relationship rather than aunts and uncles are most common. A similar conclusion is also drawn from another perspective, which is the resource matching hypothesis (Anand & Sternthal, Citation1990; Larsen, Luna, & Peracchio, Citation2004). High Context Culture: What Does It Mean and How to Adapt Therefore, empirical evidence was also found for H4, which means that participants' personal context scores indeed mediated the effect of nationality on ad liking. Stylus Publishing. 1. Low-context cultures can seem slightly more formal due to the explicit & precise nature of their messages. In this study, we follow their classification: Belgium is expected to be a higher-context culture than the Netherlands. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to examine whether national differences in the comprehension and appreciation of ads with visual metaphors can indeed be attributed to participants' context-culture scores. The Culture Map - intercultural communication - Project Abroad Communicators in high-context cultures pay attention to more than the words spoken they also pay attention to interpersonal relationships, nonverbal expressions, physical settings, and social settings. low context processes. Intercultural Business Communication by Confederation College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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