Interpersonal Communication - Cultural Values
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Cultural Values

Description

Examples

Leadership Preference

Discussion Process

High Uncertainty Avoidance

·    need for extensive rules and regulations

·    a desire for consensus about goals

·    a desire for certainty and security

·    reluctant to take risks and concerned about the future

·  Greece

·  Japan

·  Peru

·  Mexico

·  Turkey

·  Portugal

·    Autocratic

·    accept seniority as the basis for leadership

·    making and enforcing rules reduces uncertainty

·      uncomfortable with ambiguous tasks

·      prefer organized and systematic discussion formals

·      more likely to compromise when disagreements arise

·      intolerant of deviant people or ideas

High Task       

       Orientation/

    Achievement

·    focus heavily on getting the job done

·    training and individual achievement valued when it gets the job done.

·   Japan

·   Austria

·   Germany

·   Switzerland

·   Italy

·   Mexico

 

·       Autocratic males

·       Objectivity, assertiveness, discipline and control valued

·   male virtues include assertiveness, independence and individuality

·   men are less conforming than women

·   women are not encouraged in male virtues and not expected to take part in decision making groups

High Social

       Orientation/

   Nurturing

·    concerned about the feelings of members and their smooth functioning as a team

·    people are at least if not more important then task or material achievement

·    equality between the sexes

·  Sweden

·  Norway

·  Denmark

·  Chile

·  Portugal

·  Thailand

·   Democratic

·   Good interpersonal skills and openness valued

·   Task skills required of leadership regardless of sex

·promote a friendly atmosphere

·conformity maintains the group environment

·values cooperative problem solving and a friendly atmosphere

 

High Context

·    relies heavily on subtle, often nonverbal cues to maintain social harmony

·    determine meaning based on the context and history of the relationship

·    harmony is maintained by using indirect expression of opinions

·    Japan

·    Korea

·    Arab

·    Puerto Rico

 

·    refrain from saying no

·    talk around a point and allow the other person to fill in the missing pieces

·    express opinions indirectly

·    ambiguity and use of silence are admired

Low Context

·    use language primarily to express thought feelings and ideas as clearly and logically as possible

·    the meaning is in the message i.e. the words used

·    silence may be interpreted as a lack of interest, unwillingness to communicate, hostility, anxiety, shyness or a sign of interpersonal incompatibility.

·    USA

·    Canada

·    Israel

·  verbal fluency is admired

·   state opinions and desires directly

·   strive to persuade others

·   clear eloquent speech is praised

 

Lustig, Myron and Laura Cassota.  “Comparing Group Communication Across Cultures: Leadership Conformity, and Discussion Process.”  Small Group Communication: A Reader.  6 ed. Ed. Robert Cathcart and Larry Samovar.  Dubuque, IA: Wm. C. Brown Publishers, 1992.

Adler, Rodman, Rosenfeld, Towne, and Proctor.  Understanding Human Communication.  7th Ed. and Culture and Communication from Interplay.  7th Ed.  Fort Worth: Harcourt College Publishers, 2000. 


 

Cultural Values

Description

Examples

Leadership Preference

Discussion Process

Individualistic

·    view their primary responsibility is to take care of self and immediate family

·    characterized by self reliance, competition, independence and privacy

·    values autonomy, change, youth, individual security and equality

·    may have many flexible group memberships based on shared interests and activities

·  USA

·  Australia

·  Great Britain

·  Canada

·    Democratic

·    will respect the legitimate exercise of power

·    rewards talkative members and superstars

·    norm of speaking out directly

·    individual achievement and initiative encouragement

·    individual blame assigned

·    tolerant of conflict and use a direct solution-oriented approach

Collectivistic

·    feel loyalties and obligations to an in-group: one’s extended family, community, or company

·    expect their groups to take care of them and in exchange they feel absolute loyalty to the group

·    belong to a few permanent groups

·    take care of extended family before self

·    high value on duty, order, tradition, age, status and hierarchy

·    concern for getting along in the group

·  Venezuela

·  Taiwan

·  Mexico

·  Philippines

 

·    Autocratic

·    promotes traditional points of view

·    more attentive and concerned with the opinions of significant group members, but may favor those who don’t dominate the discussion

·    team players—credit and blame shared

·    more likely to discuss until agreement is reached

·    the need to conform may make members reluctant to speak out even when it might be in the interests of the group

Power Distance:  the degree to which members of a society accept an unequal distribution of power.

Low Power Distance

·    minimize social or class inequalities—they may still exist but one person is considered as good as another

·    reduce hierarchical organizational structures

 

·    Israel

·    New Zealand

·    Germany

·    USA

·    Austria

·    Denmark

·    Democratic

·    use power only for legitimate purposes

·    respect for leadership is earned

·    value cooperative work and power distribution

·    less powerful encouraged to participate

·    challenging authority is acceptable and even desirable

·    it’s okay to question the status quo

·    may feel unappreciated if they aren’t consulted about decisions

High Power Distance

·    social hierarchies and inequality are accepted—some people are entitled to greater power or privilege

·    each person has a rightful and protected place

·    maintaining the hierarchy is maintaining your place

·    Philippines

·    Mexico

·    India

·    France

·    Venezuela

·    Autocratic

·    paternalistic, persuasive, directive

·    the reason for exercising power is irrelevant

·     inability to be directive may be seen as incompetent

·    solicits opinions from high status members

·    defers to high status members without question

·    respect authority

·    expect the person in charge to know what they are doing and to make decisions

Low Uncertainty

Avoidance

·    accept risk, uncertainty and change

·    believes in a reduction of rules

·    a tolerance for deviation from expected behaviors

·    Singapore

·    India

·    Philippines

·    Denmark

·    USA

·    Ireland

·    Democratic

·    Willing to break rules for pragmatic reasons

·    Accept conflict as natural but are willing to compromise

·    Tolerant of tension and ambiguity that goes with change