Memo #1 Culture’s Impact on Communication

Culture’s Impact on Communication
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
September 22, 2018
To: Danny Leon
From: Liam McKenzie
Subject: Culture’s Impact on Communication
Contact Information:
Culture forms part of the aspects that govern the way that people interact, think, and behave. It entails various layers related to customs, food, celebrations, and arts. Countries have specific native cultures that often vary across regions. It is worth to note that cultural connotations may render some behaviors as usual and others as strange. Cultures have rules that its members must observe. These guidelines usually result in biases linked to the cultural imprinting that begins at an early age. Cultural differences impact communication as people from different backgrounds cannot respond in the same way.
Layers of Culture:
Customs
Food
Celebrations
Arts
High Context Cultures
Civilizations related to Asian, African, and South American countries are described as high-context cultures due their high regard for collectivity and society. Concepts of intuition and harmony are essential in these societies. Since they value context more than words, non-verbal aspects of communications such as eye behavior and body language are esteemed aspects of communication (Piroşcă, 2016). Since culture influences behavior, it is a critical element of communication, especially in the business world. When doing business with foreigners from high-context cultures, formality and hierarchy are essential.

Professional interactions that consider local cultural cues minimize deal-breaking mistakes besides establishing longstanding relations.
Characteristics of High Context Cultures:
Value intuition and harmony
Value non-verbal communication
Value formality and hierarchy
Low-Context Cultures
Outsiders find it easy to penetrate into communities with low context cultures since the environment entails participation and formulation of relationships. These societies are highly diverse and focus on individual achievements as opposed to the group. Communication in these contexts must be simple enough to facilitate understanding among as many people as possible (Piroşcă, 2016). These societies also value written communication as it is easy to preserve and minimize wastage of money and time resources. Importantly, written communication is vital for future reference. Unlike the high context counterparts who prefer oral communication reinforced by non-verbal cues, low-context communities use texts, emails, and online messaging to ensure quick communication.
Characteristics of Low-Context Cultures:
They are highly diverse and focus on individual achievements
Value simple communication facilitate understanding
Value written communication
You can contact me through my email for further discussion concerning the topic.
Thank you.
ReferencePiroşcă, G. (2016). Communicational features in high/low context organizational culture: A case study of Romania and Russia. Valahian Journal of Economic Studies, 7(4), 7–12.