germany high or low context culture

H1: Participants from a higher-context culture perceive ads with visual metaphors as less complex than participants from a lower-context culture. Repeat key points. The indirect effect of nationality on ad liking through participants' individual context score also proved to be significant (b = .04; CI [0.104, 0.005], bootstrapping technique, N = 50,000). For each advertisement, perceived ad complexity was measured with two items with 7-point scales: The message of the advertisement is easy/hard to understand and The message of the advertisement is simple/complex (mean reliability: =.93, range.83.96). An example of a fusion metaphor is the ad for Ariel liquid detergent that was discussed in the introduction. Relevance Theory has been successful in explaining findings related to comprehension and persuasion of metaphors. After the data collection, two of the participants were randomly selected to receive a 25-euro coupon. Low-context culture refers to a culture that communicates explicitly. In contrast, high-context cultures use facial expressions, body language, and gestures in a nuanced manner. https://helpfulprofessor.com/low-context-culture-examples/. Your email address will not be published. In line with the philosophical heritage of Kant, Hegel and Fichte there is a strong preference for deductive rather than inductive approaches, be it in thinking, presenting or planning: the systematic overview has to be given in order to proceed. These great minds from Germany have come up with . The Belgian students were sampled from the Dutch-speaking part of the country: Flanders. It has worked in the past will not buy you much credibility. While a lot of resources are in the realm of international relations and business, there are some valuable high and low context culture lessons to glean for community engagement. 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. The Nine Competencies that Characterize an IEP, Strategies to Increase your IEP[footnote]Deardorff, D. K. (2012). We used 2-item scales for perceived ad complexity and ad liking because participants had to assess these constructs for 12 different ads. 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. The upper half of the figure models the relationship between receiver nationality and perceived complexity of the message. A number of theoretical models have been developed to help understand how culture affects communication. This post is a part of the series where I'd like to share some of my cross-cultural experiences and stories. One framework for approaching intercultural communication is with high-context and low-context cultures, which . 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. Which one of the following countries is considered a low context culture? Anchor Press/Doubleday. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. When it comes to the role of context culture on perceived complexity, a linear regression showed, in the first place, that nationality predicted perceived complexity (F (1, 287) = 4.48, p =.035, R2 =.01; B = .216, SE =.102, p =.035): Belgian participants (M = 3.28, SD = 0.86) perceived the ads as less complex than the Dutch participants (M = 3.49, SD = 0.83). 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). Consumers differ in these resources; for instance, because they vary in the motivation to invest in cognitive tasks (e.g., Lagerwerf & Meijers, Citation2008; See etal., Citation2009). To become successful as a cross-cultural communicator in Germany: Comfort in knowing the rules; protocol important; sensitivity to position and age. Why is managing Cultural Diversity important? This means that messages beyond a certain tipping point (Van Mulken etal., Citation2014) are too complex, and therefore become less effective. It is more important to state a message efficiently than with great detail. Intercultural Communication in the Workplace, 18. Privacy Policy. Individual Orientation This is why complex messages are sometimes more effective than less complex messages. Examples of low-context cultures include the United States, Australia, and many Western countries. Start by finding experienced, knowledgeable employees within your own company. A message that is too simple or too difficult to understand is therefore expected to be less persuasive than a message with matching resources. This actually implies that context theory is a powerful explanation for differences in perceived complexity and liking of ads. The dimension Uncertainty Avoidance has to do with the way that a society deals with the fact that the future can never be known: should we try to control the future or just let it happen? 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. Instead, Germans try to avoid the ambiguity of an uncertain future by planning responses and systems well in advance. Hofstede, G. (1984). According to Hall (Citation1976; Hall & Hall, Citation1990), the extent to which such complex messages are comprehended and appreciated depends on context culture. South Korea. Countries such as Germany and Sweden are also low context while Japan and China are high context. Note: Comparison of low- and high-context cultures reprinted from Business communication: Process & product (p. 64) by M.E. In a comparative survey-based study (N = 289), Belgian and Dutch participants judged 12 complex product advertisements with visual metaphors. Low-context countries, on the other hand, relied more on linear processes and verbal communication. Scheduling, punctuality emphasized; time is a commodity not to be wasted, Equality For complex messages to be effective, consumers need to have a minimum of cognitive resources. Although context theory has been a dominant perspective in studying cultural differences and similarities in advertising and communication, the theory has received only very limited empirical attention (Cardon, Citation2008; Kittler etal., Citation2011). Two studies have empirically tested this expectation. Also remember that although cultures are different from one another, no culture or cultural characteristic is better or worse than any other. Germany is valued around the world for its precision engineering, especially in the auto industry. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are Restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong. Stability desired, less tolerance for risk. Bernstein, B. b'K/{:6 ,eQ_`RYHS9pkRg91o)?OM8u}Vo0~8m Understanding German business protocol is the first step toward success in Germany. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This can be quite confusing to an outsider, especially someone from a low-context culture who is used to communicating via explicit messages. They rely less on context & non-verbal cues and instead convey meaning more directly. In Individualist societies people are supposed to look after themselves and their direct family only. Edited by Liz O. Baylen and Mike Benoist. Examples of high-context cultures include Japan, Korea, and India. Conclusion Cultural Communication is always a challenge. It will be based on the book entitled The Culture Map by an INSEAD professor and cross-cultural specialist Erin Meyer. Studies have shown that this satisfaction transfers to higher ad liking and to a more positive product attitude for ads that require considerable cognitive efforts than for ads that need lower cognitive efforts (e.g., Forceville, Citation1996; Phillips, Citation2000; Tanaka, Citation1992). Achievement, competition, success, and skilled performance at work are what drives many Germansbeing the best is the goal. They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results. There is an aversion to letting the future take its course. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. The frequent use of complex ads can be best understood when these ads are conceptualized as messages with rhetorical figures, such as visual metaphors (Forceville, Citation1996; Phillips, Citation1997). For example, the Native Americans in the United States rely heavily on their tradition. 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. [5]. The present study shows that individuals' context scores account for the national differences between perceived complexity and liking of ads with complex visual metaphors. \}c^a3e7n o+:~z We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Guffey, M. E., Lowey, D., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P. (2013). Germany demonstrate the characteristic features of the low-context culture, the communicative style of the German-speaking Swiss is mitigative as they are referred to the high-context culture. All Rights Reserved. This means that, however popular, context theory has mainly been used as a theoretical construct to study cultural differences and similarities. w'SJVJu V\.|w0#1n`(+~#/ w6'nZ6eFaLYCfFUL_xZ7(oe4pT`s;@Cu}E+=Rg 8Mt:}=v6mqFA*h;oC,}Y aE^:w?M0y'HF;c& nZiQR e C\s{58id]wE&= 4y3H[K302LQB7LU] #Bnf+cC endstream endobj 313 0 obj <>stream 1. . Long Term Orientation describes how a society deals with the challenges of the present and future, while also continuing to uphold time-honored traditions. 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. This result supported H1. Le Pair and Van Mulken (Citation2008, p. 289) stress that their choice to relate the findings on ad liking to participants' context culture is a tentative explanation, and Callow and Schiffman (Citation2002, p. 274) acknowledge, It would also be advantageous to measure context at an individualas opposed to a culturallevel.. 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. Belgium and the Netherlands are highly comparable in their political system, their economic status, and their geographical location, and they both have Dutch as a national language. People may say, you are wrong. To compare your personal preferences to the scores of a country of your choice, get theCulture Compass from our store. In societies with a pragmatic orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context and time. All Rights Reserved. However, this type of segregation is not rigid, but takes the form of a gradient since the contextual . However, be sure to consider that your communication style doesnt highlight instant gratification or a can-do emotion. Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab. cH[f;uQbRgt`Fyoj@o |RSs:3;-iKH/nsO.1DO"k~:&R8a9mSXnMy&0iX$x!yH,MSI"tuu[ Low-context cultures tend to focus more on the individual than the group, which is why they value individualism and autonomy. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. When working with low context cultures be . This result supported H3 (see the lower part of Figure2). Although there are problems associated with the use of self-reported measurements, it is the best tool there currently is (see Matsumoto & Yoo, Citation2006; Taras, Rowney, & Steel, Citation2009). 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. Germanys need for structure is again seen in its moderately high uncertainty avoidance. Surprisingly, despite the research attention devoted to context theory (for a review, see Cardon, Citation2008), one of the central tenets of the theory has only been tested indirectly. It should be noted that the present study cannot rule out a potential role of the participants' study background, as we did not assess this in the questionnaire. German Communication Style Low Context Little attention is given to non-verbal cues & body language. There is some empirical evidence that consumers from different context cultures vary in their reaction (i.e., perceived complexity, ad liking) to complex visual messages, such as ads containing visual metaphors. 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. An example of an ad with a juxtaposition metaphor is the one for Land Rover, which shows three objects crossing a large river: two hippos and one Land Rover (with the implicature that the vehicle is able to cross that river as smoothly as the two animals). In two studies, they observed that participants' attitudes towards the product were affected by the source's expertise when the message was difficult to understand. 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. Virtual programme Cross-Cultural Management, The Multi-Focus Model on Organisational Culture. According to Hall's context theory, people from different cultures may react differently to complex messages. About half of the participants were female (56%). This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. `Sm-!qJsx(99&om,?Ub8R2yYY0(md]-zW.ASGwqNOY O `Y`\:gh&u In a high-context culture, there are many contextual elements that help people to understand the rules. Sage Publications. Let's analyse the first dimension today! The context refers to the information, with regards to communication and cultural issues conveyed via action, behavior, or speech. More responsibility; moving up in the company; time off (as monetary rewards are taxed at a very high rate). )&ucLHD

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