Lecture 1
Why is intercultural communication important for Communication
Scientists?
1. Globalization
Globalization has made it necessary for people from different cultures and
nations to interact and work together.
2. Effective Communication
Understanding culture is key to crafting messages that are received as
intended, avoiding miscommunication.
3. Career Relevance
Essential for careers in international marketing, PR, global media,
diplomacy, HR, and virtually any fields with diverse teams or audiences.
4. Social Cohesion & SDGs
Culture is an agent of sustainable development. Effective intercultural
communication can contribute to understanding, collaboration, and
achieving global goals.
What is culture
- Culture is the shared way of thinking and behaving that makes
one group of people different from another
- Culture and communication go hand in hand: how we share
messages shapes our culture, and our culture shapes how we
communicate
- Culture is the collection of common beliefs, values, traditions,
habits and objects that people use to live together and
understand their world, passed down through learning
Key Characteristics of Culture
o Learned: We are not born with culture. We learn it by growing up in a
society
o Shared: Culture is something people in the same group have in
common
o Dynamic: Culture can change over time. It is not always the same
o Systemic: All parts of culture are linked and affect each other
o Symbolic: Culture is shown through things like language, traditions,
and objects
o Often invisible: We don’t always notice our own culture until we see
a different one
Timeline of Important Theories in Intercultural Communication
This field has grown over time. People have tried to understand how
communication is different in each culture.
1950s–1970s: Edward T. Hall – The “Founding Father”
- One of the first to study this field.
, - Worked with the U.S. government to train people in cultural
awareness.
Important ideas:
- High-Context vs. Low-Context Cultures (how direct or indirect
communication is)
- Proxemics (personal space)
- Chronemics (how different cultures use time)
1970s–1980s (and later): Geert Hofstede – Cultural Dimensions
- Studied people at IBM in over 70 countries.
- Created a model to compare cultures using things like:
o Individualism
o Power Distance
- His work is widely used, but also sometimes criticized.
- In this lecture, we also focus on Hofstede’s model.
1990s: Fons Trompenaars & Charles Hampden-Turner
- Added to Hofstede’s work.
- Focused on culture in the business world.
- We will look at this later in the course.
1990s: Harry C. Triandis – Individualism and Collectivism
- Gave more details to the idea of individualism and collectivism.
- Introduced new terms like "horizontal" and "vertical" cultures.
- We will talk more about this in the second part of the lecture.
2000s: Project GLOBE
- A very big study in many countries.
- Continued Hofstede’s work but added new ideas.
- Looked at what cultures do in real life (“practices”) and what they
value (“should be”).
- We will learn about this today.
2020s and beyond: New topics
- Focus on real-world skills in communication.
- Looks at how culture supports sustainable development.
- Also studies how culture affects online communication and social
identity.
Hall’s High-Context vs. Low-Context Cultures
Edward T. Hall studied the "hidden" parts of communication — things we
don’t say directly but still understand.
Context means how much information is said out loud versus how much is
just understood.
High-Context (HC) Cultures:
- People do not say everything directly.
, - They use body language, tone, and shared history to communicate.
- You are expected to "read between the lines."
- Long-term relationships are important.
- Examples: Japan, China, Korea, Arab countries, Latin America.
Low-Context (LC) Cultures:
- People say what they mean very clearly and directly.
- Messages are open and exact.
- Tasks and personal success are often more important than
relationships.
- Examples: Germany, Switzerland, USA, Australia, Scandinavian
countries.
High-Context vs. Low-Context Communication Styles
Here is how people from high-context and low-context cultures usually
communicate:
Kim, Pan & Park Study:
Compared people in China and Korea (high-context) with people in the U.S.
(low-context).
Found that:
- Koreans used more indirect communication
- Americans used more direct communication
- In high-context cultures, people avoid embarrassment, so they’re
more careful with words
, Advertising Examples
Low-Context Ad (like in Germany or the USA):
- Focuses on the product: what it does, what it costs, and why it’s
better than others
- Clear message like: “Buy now!” or “Limited time offer!”
- Gives a lot of facts and details
- Goal: Help people make a logical choice
High-Context Ad (like in Japan or China):
- Focuses on feelings, mood, and beauty
- Message is often indirect; uses visuals and emotions
- May use celebrities to build trust and connect with values like family
or harmony
- Goal: Build trust and connect emotionally
Why this matters for communication professionals
- Marketing & Advertising: You need different styles for different
cultures
- Business Negotiations: High-context cultures want to build
relationships first. Low-context cultures want to get to the point
- Teamwork: People may misunderstand each other if they use
different communication styles
- Public relations: Writing press releases or dealing with a crisis needs
the right style
- Online communication: Emojis and tone may matter more in high-
context cultures. Low-context cultures want clear answers
“A culture-literate communicator can reduce miscommunication caused by
not understanding cultural differences.”
Main points
- Intercultural communication is very important in our global world
- Culture is something we learn, and it can be complicated
- Edward T. Hall’s theory (High-Context vs. Low-Context) helps us
understand how people from different cultures communicate
Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions
Who is Geert Hofstede?
- A Dutch researcher who studied IBM workers in over 70 countries
during the 1960s and 1970s.
- He found patterns in how people from different countries think and
behave.
What is Hofstede’s Model?
- It compares cultures using several categories, called dimensions.
- These dimensions show what people in one country prefer or value
more than others.
- It compares countries, not individual people.
Why is intercultural communication important for Communication
Scientists?
1. Globalization
Globalization has made it necessary for people from different cultures and
nations to interact and work together.
2. Effective Communication
Understanding culture is key to crafting messages that are received as
intended, avoiding miscommunication.
3. Career Relevance
Essential for careers in international marketing, PR, global media,
diplomacy, HR, and virtually any fields with diverse teams or audiences.
4. Social Cohesion & SDGs
Culture is an agent of sustainable development. Effective intercultural
communication can contribute to understanding, collaboration, and
achieving global goals.
What is culture
- Culture is the shared way of thinking and behaving that makes
one group of people different from another
- Culture and communication go hand in hand: how we share
messages shapes our culture, and our culture shapes how we
communicate
- Culture is the collection of common beliefs, values, traditions,
habits and objects that people use to live together and
understand their world, passed down through learning
Key Characteristics of Culture
o Learned: We are not born with culture. We learn it by growing up in a
society
o Shared: Culture is something people in the same group have in
common
o Dynamic: Culture can change over time. It is not always the same
o Systemic: All parts of culture are linked and affect each other
o Symbolic: Culture is shown through things like language, traditions,
and objects
o Often invisible: We don’t always notice our own culture until we see
a different one
Timeline of Important Theories in Intercultural Communication
This field has grown over time. People have tried to understand how
communication is different in each culture.
1950s–1970s: Edward T. Hall – The “Founding Father”
- One of the first to study this field.
, - Worked with the U.S. government to train people in cultural
awareness.
Important ideas:
- High-Context vs. Low-Context Cultures (how direct or indirect
communication is)
- Proxemics (personal space)
- Chronemics (how different cultures use time)
1970s–1980s (and later): Geert Hofstede – Cultural Dimensions
- Studied people at IBM in over 70 countries.
- Created a model to compare cultures using things like:
o Individualism
o Power Distance
- His work is widely used, but also sometimes criticized.
- In this lecture, we also focus on Hofstede’s model.
1990s: Fons Trompenaars & Charles Hampden-Turner
- Added to Hofstede’s work.
- Focused on culture in the business world.
- We will look at this later in the course.
1990s: Harry C. Triandis – Individualism and Collectivism
- Gave more details to the idea of individualism and collectivism.
- Introduced new terms like "horizontal" and "vertical" cultures.
- We will talk more about this in the second part of the lecture.
2000s: Project GLOBE
- A very big study in many countries.
- Continued Hofstede’s work but added new ideas.
- Looked at what cultures do in real life (“practices”) and what they
value (“should be”).
- We will learn about this today.
2020s and beyond: New topics
- Focus on real-world skills in communication.
- Looks at how culture supports sustainable development.
- Also studies how culture affects online communication and social
identity.
Hall’s High-Context vs. Low-Context Cultures
Edward T. Hall studied the "hidden" parts of communication — things we
don’t say directly but still understand.
Context means how much information is said out loud versus how much is
just understood.
High-Context (HC) Cultures:
- People do not say everything directly.
, - They use body language, tone, and shared history to communicate.
- You are expected to "read between the lines."
- Long-term relationships are important.
- Examples: Japan, China, Korea, Arab countries, Latin America.
Low-Context (LC) Cultures:
- People say what they mean very clearly and directly.
- Messages are open and exact.
- Tasks and personal success are often more important than
relationships.
- Examples: Germany, Switzerland, USA, Australia, Scandinavian
countries.
High-Context vs. Low-Context Communication Styles
Here is how people from high-context and low-context cultures usually
communicate:
Kim, Pan & Park Study:
Compared people in China and Korea (high-context) with people in the U.S.
(low-context).
Found that:
- Koreans used more indirect communication
- Americans used more direct communication
- In high-context cultures, people avoid embarrassment, so they’re
more careful with words
, Advertising Examples
Low-Context Ad (like in Germany or the USA):
- Focuses on the product: what it does, what it costs, and why it’s
better than others
- Clear message like: “Buy now!” or “Limited time offer!”
- Gives a lot of facts and details
- Goal: Help people make a logical choice
High-Context Ad (like in Japan or China):
- Focuses on feelings, mood, and beauty
- Message is often indirect; uses visuals and emotions
- May use celebrities to build trust and connect with values like family
or harmony
- Goal: Build trust and connect emotionally
Why this matters for communication professionals
- Marketing & Advertising: You need different styles for different
cultures
- Business Negotiations: High-context cultures want to build
relationships first. Low-context cultures want to get to the point
- Teamwork: People may misunderstand each other if they use
different communication styles
- Public relations: Writing press releases or dealing with a crisis needs
the right style
- Online communication: Emojis and tone may matter more in high-
context cultures. Low-context cultures want clear answers
“A culture-literate communicator can reduce miscommunication caused by
not understanding cultural differences.”
Main points
- Intercultural communication is very important in our global world
- Culture is something we learn, and it can be complicated
- Edward T. Hall’s theory (High-Context vs. Low-Context) helps us
understand how people from different cultures communicate
Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions
Who is Geert Hofstede?
- A Dutch researcher who studied IBM workers in over 70 countries
during the 1960s and 1970s.
- He found patterns in how people from different countries think and
behave.
What is Hofstede’s Model?
- It compares cultures using several categories, called dimensions.
- These dimensions show what people in one country prefer or value
more than others.
- It compares countries, not individual people.
