Cultural lens and communication

There are different communication theories (for more information, please refer to the Encyclopedia Of Communication Theory by Foss & Littlejohn, 2009); However, to put it simply, we can describe communication as a process of exchanging information. Communication is effective when a message sent by a sender to a receiver is understood in accordance with the senders´ intention. As many factors impact the communication process, e.g., a communication channel or language, there might be some difficulties in understanding messages correctly. Global communication requires additional effort to be effective. This, because of a cultural lens that has a great impact on the way we communicate.

Let me introduce you to the concept of low-context and high-context cultures. Low-context cultures are the following: the USA, all Anglo-Saxon cultures, Germany, Netherlands, and some Nordic countries, whereas high-context cultures are African and Asian cultures. Countries that speak Romance languages (for example, Italy, Spain, France, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina) fall in the middle with a tendency to be high-context cultures (Meyer, 2014).

On the other side of the scale, there are high-context cultures. For people coming from those cultures, verbal communication is just one of the communication process elements. The real meaning of messages could sometimes be hidden between the lines of what is expressed verbally. As Meyer (2014) describes, children in Chinese culture learn to put the attention not only on what is heard but also on how something is said and what is not said. Meyer (2014) further stresses the ability to read between the lines to communicate with people from high-context cultures. In opposition to their colleagues from low-context cultures, high-context business partners do not have a habit of recapping meetings in any way. All participants are supposed to know what has been decided without going through the conclusions once again. In written communication, avoiding unnecessary repetition might wait for a response until the expected action is done or the correct answer is found. Such behavior might confuse team members from lower-context environments, as they expect some feedback, even though the issue is not yet resolved.

As you can see, cross-cultural communication is challenging, especially when there is a blend of many cultures cooperating in one team. That is why bearing in mind differences in communication styles helps you better understand your communication partner´s behavior and respond accordingly. According to what has been said in the beginning, effective communication in global teams helps build stronger relationships based on trust, positively impacting performance. That is why raising awareness on this matter is crucial in the global business world we are all a part of.