Adapted from Moreau, Campbell & Greener, Effective Intercultural Communication: A Christian Perspective, p.130. High- and Low-Context Communication illustrated. Do we prefer to spell things out explicitly or do we let others read between the lines? Do we give more weight to words or to the context of those words? Our choices depend a great deal on our cultural background. With so many means of communication at our disposal, we have to choose which to prioritize when giving and receiving messages. Experts estimate that anywhere from 70-93% of communication is nonverbal. Even clothing, posture, and use of space and time convey a message. Each of us uses a variety of means to do so – words, gestures, tone of voice, silence and touch. In this article, we will focus on the area of communication: how words and context are used to communicate truth.Įvery person from every culture communicates, both intentionally and unintentionally. Some of the more commonly discussed values continua include Individual vs. Though individual preferences within a society do vary, these continua are useful tools for comparing the general values of one culture, relative to another. The greater mass of culture lies beneath, and we must go out of our way to recognize and understand it.Ĭulture specialists often explore a particular aspect of culture in terms of a spectrum or continuum of values (Hall Hofestede Storti). Below the water is The Why: the intangible, subconscious aspects of culture which include attitudes, beliefs, expectations, values and assumptions. Above the water lies The What: that which we can observe with our senses. In my last article, I introduced the concept of the cultural iceberg: the idea that culture exists both above the waterline and below. Basic assumptions about the intrinsic or ultimate aspects of human nature, whether human nature is fundamentally good or bad, and whether it can be perfected.Top banner photo: “There is so much value in having Indian architects & engineers in EMI to communicate design and negotiate with local contractors!” Photo by Ligy A., 2014, India-Bhutan border. Assumptions about how space is to be owned and allocated, the symbolic meaning of space around persons, the role that space plays in shaping relationships between individuals, and boundaries between intimacy and privacy.Ĥ. ![]() ![]() Assumptions about the importance of time in a group, how time is to be defined and measured.ģ. Assumptions about what is the ‘truth’ in physical and social matters, how reality and truth are determined, and whether truth is to be revealed or discovered.Ģ. Schein (1985) gave six types of assumptions that form the paradigm for every organization:ġ. When the basic assumptions are understood, the apparently isolated and confusing artifacts and values become coherent. A pattern of basic assumptions evolve among the members of a social group and makes the core of the culture in any organization. Thus, the shapers of culture as well as students should avoid going too much into detail about an artifact, as well as overgeneralizing and labeling.Īn assumption is a kind of belief that is taken for granted as a fact and so it is never challenged. In fact, artifacts can be confusing for an observer who is tempted to use readily available labels and stereotypes upon noticing them. ![]() Visible traditions displayed at ceremonies and rituals, social practices, leadership practices, and work traditions that show ‘our way of doing things’.Īrtifacts are visible, but that does not mean that they can be understood easily and by everyone alike.Technology is also a part of the culture, since it reflects and shapes the values and assumptions through operations, materials, and knowledge.These stories can be about another-day-at-work-here, or about key events as well as about the past glory of the organization. Especially interesting are the stories that narrate what happens in ‘our’ organization if a high-status person breaches a rule, what happens if the organization has to choose between profits and people, what happens if you make a mistake around here/there. Stories and myths circulating among the staff indicate what type of persons or acts are considered heroic, how certain types of situations should be handled, what should not be done, what happens in this organization if one acts in a particular way, and so on.Language gives away culture through modes of speaking, levels, and types of sound, slogans, and special expressions.Physical Artifacts can be found through the architecture and interior arrangements, physical space, and its allocation and office design, decoration, manner of dressing, and even mementos and trophies awarded on chosen occasions.The visible part of the culture can be noticed by a visitor or an ‘outsider’ in the form of the following aspects:
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