Edward T. Hall
What should Hall's theory of high- and lox context culture be used for?
It should be used for individuals to combine preprogrammed culture-specific context and information to create meaning (of what is happening/situation/behavior)
How can Hofstede's model be used?
1) The model is only meaningful when culture is in comparison.
2) The model is both a theoretical framework and practical tool that might help explain cross-cultural challenges by cultural values. In international marketing/management, it might be used to better understand the diversity of employees or other business partners.
Subsequently, the model became a cornerstone for cross-cultural research, providing an extremely popular method for the study of cultural differences in a wide range of disciplines, including international management
What is the Sapir/Whorf hypothesis also known as?
Linguistic relativity.
How do we use the Sapir/Whorf hypothesis in relation to our findings?
We find that due to different languages, Danes and Germans have different world views --> before the initiate contact Danes and Germans already perceive situations and business partnerships differently.
What is non-verbal communication also called?
The silent language.
Low context culture is a culture that communicates information in a direct manner that relies mainly on words (meaning it does not rely on contextual elements).
What is Hofstede's model of national culture?
The Hofstede model of national culture consists of six dimensions. The cultural dimensions represent independent preferences for one state of affairs (behavior) over another that distinguish countries (rather than individuals) from each other.
What is the Sapir/Whorf hypothesis?
The belief that language influences thought, thus language influences the way we view the world.
How does the functionalist approach help us in our analysis of customer behaviour?
Discuss this.
"Det beskrivende kulturbegreb" og "Det dynamiske/komplekse kulturbegreb".
= Interpretive versus Functionalist approach,
Is it possible for a culture to be both high- and low context?
Hall explains that cultures are categorized into mainly high or low context cultures - but emphasizes that a specific situation may include either/both high- or low context communication (e.g in law practice: the law is low context, but the jury is high context)
What are Hofstede's six dimensions?
1) Power distance (index)
2) Individualism versus collectivism
3) Masculinity versus femininity
4) Uncertainty avoidance (index)
5) Long-term orientation versus short-term orientation
6) Indulgence versus restraint
Gudykunst and Kim have in 1984 developed a model of intercultural communication. What does it do?
The model shows what aspects one needs to take into consideration in intercultural communication such as cultural, socio-cultural and psycho-cultural influences. They talk about symbols, meaning and transaction which has an influence for how we interpret messages that are coded by 'strangers'. Gudykunst and Kim believe that if you know a stranger's 'filters' (influences), then you are better equipped at interpreting and foresee stranger's behaviour. The model is distinguished from functionalism.
How does culture affect customer behaviour?
Because culture affects norms, values and behaviours thus making it eligible for marketing and finding out what motivates people to buy things / perceive you as a serious business partner.
(Discuss more options)
How does philosophy of science help us in our cultural analysis?
It helps us understand and interpret Germans' view of their own culture + discuss more.
What is Hall's view on culture? (definition)
Hall believed that 'culture is communication and no communication by humans can be divorced from culture’.
-->, therefore, his communicative approach to culture.
1) Low power distance
2) Individualist society
3) Masculine society
4) High uncertainty avoidance
5) Pragmatic country (short-term)
6) Restrained culture
What is Geertz' thick description?
Cultural analysts (us) are supposed to gain access to people's own interpretations of their lives so they appear complex description, so-called 'thick descriptions'. According to Geertz culture cannot be reduced to general characteristics because you then skip the complexity that characterises culture.
What specific demands in written communication motivates Germans to consider doing business?
Rich information, detailed, proof-focused, direct and clear textual outlets.
How are we interpretive in our approach to our analysis?
An interpretative analysis is an approach to qualitative research with an idiographic focus, which means that it aims to offer insights into how a given person, in a given context, makes sense of a given phenomenon.
What are the issues of using Hall's framework?
1) A problematic issue is using nation as a proxy for culture (Germany might have variations considering its large size).
2) Former studies using Hall have only looked at communication patterns within the selected cultures rather than how these communication patterns are reflected in communication between these cultures. Therefore, it might be useful to interpret the behaviour of individuals in static, monocultural contexts but are less so in dynamic, multilingual situations.
1) Denmark has a lower power distance than Germany
2) Denmark is a feminine country and Germany is a masculine country
3) Denmark is less uncertainty avoidant than Germany
4) Germany is a pragmatic country (more long-term oriented) and Denmark is a normative country (more short-term oriented)
5) Denmark is an indulgent country and Germany is a restraint country
What is Geertz' interpretive approach to culture?
The concept of culture is a semiotic one. "Culture is the web that suspends man, but he himself has spun the web".
Geertz view culture as dynamic.
What is the combination of dimensions that create the German's need for specialisation?
High uncertainty avoidance with low power distance.
What is the difference between cross-cultural communication and intercultural communication?
Cross-cultural communication is used in comparative studies, e.g. between Danes and Germans way of doing things.
Inter-cultural communication is used in interactive studies, e.g. face-to-face communication between people from another culture (like language)