High Context Culture in Asia
In the last edition, we explored verbal and nonverbal communication in Asia. In today’s edition, let’s delve into different cultural contexts.
Low-Context Cultures: In countries like Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, the United States, and Australia, communication is explicit and detailed. Messages are usually spelled out, and there is a lot of talking versus silence. You will find extensive manuals, detailed agendas, and over-explained information.
High-Context Cultures: However, in regions such as the southern Mediterranean, South America, Africa, the Middle East, and here in Asia, communication relies heavily on nonverbal cues, body language, and intonation. Messages are often implicit, requiring one to read between the lines. Silence, metaphors, and historical references all play a significant role in the way we communicate and build relationships.
Here are some interesting aspects we need to be mindful of:
Personal Space: Observe how close people stand when they talk. In high-context cultures, personal space is more intimate, while in low-context cultures, people maintain a greater distance.
Writing Tone: High-context cultures often use formal greetings, titles, and build rapport through their writing. On the other hand, low-context cultures are more direct, contractual where written communication serves as a formal record.
Physical Touch: This is gonna be "touchy" topic ?? but high-context cultures may involve more touching, such as hand-holding, shoulder pats, or hugs, indicating the value placed on relationships and face time. Low context cultures have minimal touching as physical touch is generally less frequent and less tolerated compared to high-context cultures.
Nonverbal Body Language: When it comes to body language, pay attention to eye contact, smiles, and other nonverbal cues. In virtual meetings, observe how animated faces and bodies are. For example, in Indonesia, people often smile and laugh, even in serious or uncomfortable situations, as a way to maintain harmony and avoid confrontation.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach when communicating with different cultures. Hence, it’s important to observe and adapt accordingly. But it is good to observe how others within the culture communicate, note their use of silence, gestures, and eye contact. This will help adjust the communication style to fit the cultural context we are in.
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Edwin Koh
It's almost FRIDAY!
Stay ahead with the latest leadership articles and insights! Subscribe to this newsletter and join a community of leaders and forward-thinkers in Asia.
Don’t keep it to yourself—invite your friends and colleagues to subscribe to this newsletter and check out other editions here: Asia's Leadership Lounge.
Cheers,
Edwin Koh