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Understanding Low and High Context Communication

           Moran and Youngdahl (2008) note that communication systems consist of verbal and nonverbal elements that are used to differentiate one group from another. It is also noted that these elements are often influenced by culture and have been the cause of many misunderstandings in the management of a project. In fact, the failure of most projects can be attributed to communication issues and a lack of understanding between parties (Moran & Youngdahl, 2008). This often occurs because the communication cues among cultures differ and are not readily identified by individuals who are not familiar with the cultural context. Therefore, understanding communication concepts and practices between cultures has increasingly become a vital component in global project management.

Concept of Interest

           The key concept to be explored is low and high-context communication. During the current Covid 19 pandemic, there has been an increase in nurses who are migrating for better opportunities. As a registered nurse, several incidences of misunderstandings among colleagues have been witnessed due to individual perceptions surrounding what was communicated. Therefore, it is worthwhile to explore the concept of low and high-context communication to not only be knowledgeable but also to mitigate future misunderstandings that can primarily stem from cultural differences in communication styles.

What is Low and High Context Communication

Low context communication can be characterized by information that includes explicit codes and messages; whereas, high context communication is characterized by information being shared in a physical context or internalized within, minimally using explicit words or messages (Moran & Youngdahl, 2008). For reference, countries like Germany, Sweden, and the United States use low context communication, while countries like Japan, Spain, and China engage in high context communication.

Low Context Communication

Low context communication can be described as direct, precise, dramatic, and based on true intentions, with an emphasis on tasks and roles (Pratt & Cakula, 2020). Generally, a lot of information is presented explicitly through language with little to no hidden context that may give room for misinterpretation. Personal identity in low context cultures largely depends on an individual’s accomplishments, with professional disagreements being impersonal in nature, generally stemming from conflicts surrounding rational solutions, problem-solving, and data analysis (Pratt & Cakula, 2020).  

High Context Communication

           In contrast, high context communication largely depends on the context and generally does not provide a high level of information sharing. The meaning behind high context communications is often deeply embedded in the information shared and relies heavily on nonverbal communication (Pratt & Cakula, 2020). Personal identity is often based on groups, with professional disagreements being personalized. With a tendency for individuals from high context cultures to be indirect and to talk around things, there is greater room for misinterpretation and misunderstandings (Pratt, 2020).

Major Article Summary

           Globalization has made it easier to work with other countries without being physically present. In communicating with other cultures, it is important to understand the context of their culture when creating a communication plan for the effective sharing of information. Yang et al. (2020) attempted to evaluate the effects cultural influence has on media selection from the perspective of low and high-context cultures. Given the fact that communication mediums can be perceived differently by different cultures, the study evaluates several concepts that will be discussed below. Yang et al. (2020) ultimately sought to explain communication differences referring to styles, messages, and medium choices between students from China and America.  

Media Richness Theory

           The theory of media richness postulates that the medium used for communication can vary in their ability to effectively communicate and promote understanding of the message being sent (Yang et al., 2020). These factors determine the perceived richness or value of the medium. In short, the richness of a medium consists of two factors, the language included in the shared information as well as the performance of the message. Several different types of languages can largely be grouped into the two categories of natural language and numbers (Yang et al., 2020). The sender is often more concerned with the category of natural language in the decision of which medium has the capability required for use. However, the message receiver is often concerned with performance aspects such as decision quality, participant consensus, the time required, and user satisfaction (Yang et al., 2020). Therefore, in the selection of media for group work, it is argued that satisfaction levels for senders and receivers are vital for the performance of the medium chosen.

Immediacy of Feedback

           The concept of immediacy of feedback evaluates how efficient a medium is at giving rapid feedback to the communication that was received (Yang et al., 2020). Successful communication is categorized by an understanding of the transmitted message from both the sender and the receiver. Therefore, feedback to communications is an important factor to evaluate. Two types of feedback include (1) concurrent feedback, which occurs simultaneously with message delivery in the form of nonverbal gestures or brief messages, and (2) sequential feedback which occurs when the sender pauses, is interrupted, or attempts to confirm understanding, but quickly returns to the intended message (Yang et al., 2020). Although these forms of feedback are largely relevant to in-person communication, when communicating with technology the frequency of feedback is even more important. The capability for immediate feedback is considered a richer medium because delayed feedback can be attributed to (1) the use of more words to send a message, (2) more time to complete the communication process, (3) increases in the time to complete a task, and (4) a reduction in the accuracy of the message (Yang et al., 2020).

Social Presence Theory

The social presence theory suggests that media effectiveness is based on its ability to effectively demonstrate the relationship between the sender and the receiver (Yang et al., 2020). The social presence of a medium defines how well the medium allows for the communicator to feel as if others are psychologically present. A low social presence would involve mediums such as letters and memos that are often used to provide information, while a high social presence medium would be face-to-face communication which is better suited for negotiation (Yang et al., 2020). In short, no particular medium is best suited for all situations and the choice in mediums should largely rely on the content of the information being transmitted and the situation being addressed.DB 1 -Understanding Low and High Context Communication.docx Download DB 1 -Understanding Low and High Context Communication.docx 

Cultural Differences in Communication

The concepts of individualism and collectivism offer project managers a way to explain intercultural communication. Individualists, who often come from low context cultures, are more direct in communication, value autonomy in groups, and are more prone to put personal goals above those of the group (Yang et al., 2020). In contrast, collectivistic cultures, which often come from high context cultures, are interdependent within groups and emphasize group goals, behaviors, and values, with more focus on the preservation of relationships. The need to reduce uncertainty and equivocality is the main driver of media selection and can be used to predict media choice to a certain extent among different cultures (Yang et al., 2020).  

Situational Factors

Situational factors such as communication contact, communication content, accessibility, availability, and experience with mediums can often influence an individual’s choice of media (Yang et al., 2020). Some scholars have argued that media selection is largely determined by the perceived richness of media while others have indicated that the situational factors identified above are also valid points to consider.

Findings

There were three relevant findings of this study:

• Prior research was supported that purported the communication style of the Chinese as being high context and the communication style of Americans as that of lower context;
• The perceived richness of a medium is largely determined by culture and utilization regardless of its richness potential; and
• Perceived media richness can hurt a medium’s choice, however, perceived cultural context showed mixed influence on an individual’s media choice (Yang et al, 2020).

Relation to Module

Moran and Youngdahl (2008) relayed the importance of global project leaders being knowledgeable about high and low context communication. By understanding the communication breakdown among intercultural teams identified by Heldal (2020) and the effect project crisis has on communication, addressed by Johansson and Back (2017), project managers can learn common pitfalls and how to avoid them. The information provided by Ho et al. (2020), Pratt and Cakula (2020), and Yang et al. (2020) provides necessary information on how to choose mediums for communication while developing a communication plan that accommodates cultural differences. With an understanding of the concepts presented, project managers can gain the knowledge needed to not only communicate effectively but to ensure understanding among intercultural teams, while becoming efficient in communicating in both low and high contexts.

Relation to Other Cited Works

Yang et al. (2020) largely focus on how media is selected based on the perspective of low and high-context cultural experience. Before communication mediums are chosen in the development of a communication plan, it is important to understand contextual factors that may influence the understanding and perception of communication among cultures. Heldal et al. (2020) notes that contexts can be standardized to compensate for cultural differences to a high degree; however, context can’t be fully static and standardized. Findings by Ho et al. (2020) were in line with Heldal et al. (2020) in the recognition that cultural convergence is occurring. However, Pratt and Cakula (2020) indicated that although cultural convergence can occur, culture is still a factor that influences the effectiveness of technology-based communication and the quality of relationships among groups. Therefore, although a wide array of media platforms are available, identifying the preferred medium for communication is important to limit interruptions and improve performance (Yang et al., 2020). If the effect of culture on communication is neglected, this can often lead to a project crisis. Johansson and Back (2017) offer strategic leadership communication strategies that can be used for the crisis management of communication networks.

Annotated Bibliography

Heldal, F., Sjøvold, E., & Stålsett, K. (2020). Shared cognition in intercultural teams: Collaborating without understanding each other. Team Performance Management, 26(3/4), 211-226. https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/TPM-06-2019-0051

           The authors of this study are all professors at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway, in the Trondheim Business School, and the Department of Industrial Economics. Their study attempts to understand the misunderstandings that arise among intercultural project teams causing delays and financial overruns from a shared cognition perspective. Utilizing this perspective, the authors also relate their findings to several contextual factors that may influence the understanding and perception of communication. By exploring these mental models, the authors make a case for greater use of cross-cultural training to improve social interactions and logical reasoning among groups. From their findings, project managers can gain better insight into how intercultural teams have been able to collaborate without fully understanding each other. In turn, this information can be used by project managers to equip themselves with the knowledge needed to mitigate the effects of miscommunication and allow for interventions to be implemented to communicate not only effectively but also efficiently using different contexts.

Ho, C. L., Whittle, C., & Eaves, M. H. (2020). Mixed methods research – nonverbal observations of cultural convergence in online and offline contexts: Testing hall’s low- vs. high-context framework. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 49(4), 301-312. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17475759.2020.1773902

           Ho is an assistant professor and Eaves is a professor and debate coach in the Department of Communication Arts at Valdosta State University. Whittle is a lecturer in the Department of Communication at Georgia College and State University. Their research attempted to gain insights on non-verbal communication in online and offline contexts using Hall’s low and high context framework. Recognizing the non-verbal communication is culture-bound, the authors use Hall’s framework to get a better understanding of the proxemics, kinesics, and chronemics of non-verbal communication between cultures that are often misunderstood. Their findings suggest that cultural convergency is not only present but is also generally moving towards adopting a low-context culture. As global project managers, this information is significant because it suggests that through frequent communication, cultural differences in communication are likely to become more standardized with time, allowing for more effective communication patterns. This shift in communication patterns would prove beneficial to both parties as much of the guesswork will be taken out of what is being transmitted.

Johansson, C., & Bäck, E. (2017). Strategic leadership communication for crisis network coordination. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 11(4), 324-343. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1553118X.2017.1341889

           Both Johansson and Back belong to the Department of Media and Communication at Mid Sweden University, Sundsvall, Sweden. This article sought to identify the differences in communication in crisis, noncrisis, and team contexts. Through the use of discourse analysis, communication among network leaders and members were analyzed over a ten-week period. Project managers understand that projects often do not go as planned, and sometimes projects are borne out of emergencies where teams are assembled without the luxury of fostering relationships and trust. The information generated from this study can be useful for project managers to coordinate communication efforts when project crises occur, and tensions are high. The authors propose that using salient leadership communication strategies was helpful in crisis network coordination and could be used for teams to become more resilient in crisis management. Given the high rate of project failure due to miscommunication, this study adds to the knowledge of effective communication practices in high-stress situations.

Moran, R. T., & Youngdahl, W. E. (2008). Leading global projects: For professional and accidental project leaders. Elsevier Inc.

           Moran is a professor of global management while Youngdahl serves on the faculty at the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona. Acknowledging the effect globalization is having on the field of project management, the authors sought to provide a reference that combines the themes of project management, project leadership, and cross-cultural leadership. In chapter one, the duo discusses the importance of being able to understand low/high context communication while leading projects. Their overview is important because it provides insight on why communication between cultures has frequently led to misinterpretations and misunderstandings. As project leaders continue to be introduced to new cultures in a professional setting, each individual needs to understand the communication practices of other groups in order to mitigate communication breakdowns.

Pratt, M., & Cakula, S. (2020). The impact of using technology-based communication on quality of work relationships. Baltic Journal of Modern Computing, 8(1), 143-153. https://dx.doi.org/10.22364/bjmc.2020.8.1.07

           Pratt and Cakula are both professors at the Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences in Valmiera, Latvia. Their study sought to identify the effect rapid technology development has on communication and the quality of relationships between teammates. It was found that cultural background played a significant role in communication styles and the expectations of individuals. By exploring the differences between high context and low context cultures, the authors were able to gain an understanding of how technology-based communication impacted each group and influenced their communication practices. These findings are important for global project managers as their projects often solely rely on technology-based communications with individuals from different cultures around the world. With an understanding of how technology-based communication affects high and low-context cultures, project managers are better equipped to strategically improve communication with other parties to improve the probability of project success. The article also suggests that information and technology professionals should use this information to improve communication systems for effective use across cultures.

Yang, X., Hou, J., & Arth, Z. W. (2020). Communicating in a proper way: How people from high-/low-context culture choose their media for communication. The International Communication Gazette, 83(3), 238-259. https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1748048520902617

The authors of this article are affiliated with the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. This study was performed to get a better understanding of the role cultural influences play in how individuals choose which type of media they use for communication. Their findings were not only aligned with the high and low context communication concept but also found that communication mediums are often perceived differently among the two groups. Choosing a preferred medium to interact with others is often based on a variety of factors, however, these choices are also influenced by cultural differences in perceived appropriate communication topics and communication styles. Neglecting to consider these factors can make communicating between cultures inherently difficult. Realizing that communication mediums are valued differently in terms of media richness, by gaining an understanding of the concept of high and low context communication, project managers can effectively manage communication among teams by selecting mediums that best accommodate both communication styles.