High and Low Context

Ever lost a contract with a foreign company and you don’t know why? Maybe your offer was the best but somehow your message wasn’t delivered. As an intercultural adviser, with working experience in the USA, UK, France and Germany and a very good knowledge of the Japanese culture, I can help avoid cultural mistakes and understand the « hidden » messages and expectations of your clients. I speak fluently French, German, British and US English and I’ve studied Japanese for 2 years. I’ve stayed several years in the USA and UK, I’ve lived on the French-German border for decades and 2 months in Japan.

I have a postgraduate degree in Intercultural Communication (Universität des Saarlandes, Germany)

Photo: Nathalie Schon

I have a postgraduate degree in Intercultural Communication (Universität des Saarlandes, Germany). The services which I am able to offer can certainly be instrumental in establishing successful business relationships. Whereas you may not need to speak a language perfectly for informal discussions at sites like foxy bingo and cysticfibrosis.com and may have no difficulty in being understood conversationally, having an advanced understanding of culture and communications can prove essential within a more corporate environment. Accurate and reliable translation services can prove essential for almost any business which is looking to work with international clients and contacts.

Edward Hall, a famous anthropologist, identified high and low context cultural factors. In a high-context culture, like the French or Japanese culture, there are many contextual elements that help people to understand the rules. As a result, much is taken for granted. This can be very confusing for a person who does not understand the ‘unwritten rules’ of the culture and leads often to profound misunderstandings. On the contrary, in a low-context culture, like the US or German culture, very little is taken for granted. As a result a person of a high context culture dealing with a client of a low context culture may feel irritated. Detailed contracts may be perceived as too formal, too « lawyer-friendly ». A person of a low context culture dealing with a person of a high context culture may also feel irritated but for different reasons. Short contracts may be perceived as flimsy, not thought through. So it is crucial not to underestimate the cultural informations you will need to deal successfully with a potential client of another culture.

Photo: Nathalie Schon

Options:

Option 1 : One week intensive training of employees or business owners

Option 2: Ongoing advice as a full-time or part-time  intercultural adviser

Option 3: One day to one month missions in the company or on business trips

Contact me for a quote!

natjaschon@gmail.com