How Culture Impacts Communication

You are in a meeting with staff members of a manufacturing company in a country with a low-context culture.Which statements reflect appropriate communication strategies in this situation?

-"How's everyone? Fine? Good, let's move to the first agenda item." -"By my calculations, these time estimations for setting up the new machinery are off by about five weeks." -Sandra, it's good to meet you in person. We've only spoken on the phone. So, what are your thoughts on unit cost?"

Identify guidelines to succeed at cross-cultural communication

-Acknowledge people's cultural differences -Engage with a different culture but don't imitate it -Be flexible and prepared to change -Recognize barriers and challenges to cross-cultural communication

Which of these behaviors are typical of a high-context communication style?

-Employees at a status meeting address each other politely, and use titles -Principal parties avoid direct conflict and use inference to convey their feelings -Meeting participants don't pose direct questions during discussions

Which of these behaviors are typical of a low-context communication style?

-Meeting participants pose direct questions during discussions -A presenter at a meeting lays out her points sequentially, from A to B to C

You're meeting with the team from a country with a high-context culture.Which statements reflect appropriate communication strategies in this situation?

-We have the highest regard for your abilities, but I will ask that you reflect further on the proposal you've submitted to me." -"I respect the contribution of team leader Fujita." -"Let's take a moment to sit and think about the options that have been presented."

1.High-context cultures 2.Low-context cultures

1.Information and requests are often presented in a cyclical, non-linear order 2.Information and requests are often presented in a logical, sequenced order -Information is routinely spelled out completely