Discuss the difference in high-context and low-context cultures.

In a high-context culture,people rely less on verbal communication and more on the context of nonverbal actions and environmental setting to convey meaning.The indirect style can be a source of confusion during discussions with people from low-context cultures,who are more accustomed to receiving direct answers.Also,in high-context cultures,the rules of everyday life are rarely explicit; instead,as individuals grow up,they learn how to recognize situational cues (such as gestures and tone of voice)and how to respond as expected.The primary role of communication in high-context cultures is building relationships,not exchanging information.In a low-context culture such as the United States,people rely more on verbal communication and less on circumstances and cues to convey meaning.In such cultures,rules and expectations are usually spelled out through explicit statements.Contextual differences are apparent in the way businesspeople approach situations such as decision making,problem solving,negotiating,interacting among levels in the organizational hierarchy,and socializing outside the workplace.In low-context cultures,businesspeople tend to focus on the results of the decisions they face,a reflection of the cultural emphasis on logic and progress.In comparison,higher-context cultures emphasize the means or the method by which a decision will be made.