Most business entertaining takes place in restaurants. A high context culture may look very different to a person who is familiar with a low context communication style. Most marriages were arranged and divorces were rare and looked down upon. 7. The order of affection received was (in order of the most trait affection received) United States, Denmark, Poland, and Iceland. Authors: Przemysaw Hensel No full-text available . Go to Offer link in the bio (or simply DM me with the word 'CULTURE') to learn more! India, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, low-context approach in business might create additional misunderstandings. A luminary is an expert who sheds light on a subject and inspires and influences others work in that area. Decisions come from the top, but only after managers can demonstrate consensus has been reached by their teams. Leadership, Culture, and Ethics in The Polish Context Anna Odrow-Coates Maria Grzegorzewska University, Warsaw The core purpose of the article is to discuss the Polish business lead-ership style in a wider perspective. Men usually wait for women to offer their hand first. In other words, collectivistic cultures focus on how the group can grow and be productive. People in more indulgent countries are going to be happier than their restrained counterparts, and people within indulgent cultures show lower rates of cardiovascular problems commonly associated with stress. The cultural variability dimensions, in conjunction with individual, relational, and situational factors influence the use of particular facework behaviors in particular cultural scenes. High-Context Cultures. I really like how loud you play your music. or Aah, sorry, I cant be friends with someone who doesnt drink tea) know that, been (or still am?) In relationship-based cultures, eg. But the Brazilian culture presents some particularities that McDonald's marketing team seem very aware of. Poland is also known for its electronic dance music with Vader being the most famous band performing this genre of music. Poland is definitely a culture of a higher context than UK. Humor is sometimes used to make a point. I can feel the differences of course, but its nothing extremely surprising rather something you need to get used to. #expatcoaching #expatlife #livingabroad #expatcoach #workingabroad #lifeabroad #workabroad #careerabroad #internationallife #internationalcareer #globalcareer #globallife #globalleaders #culturalawareness #selfawareness #selfgrowth #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #culturalcompetence #movingabroad #zyciezagranica #zycienaemigracji #pracazagranica #rozwojosobisty #polacyzagranica, Lets laugh at language misunderstandings together! When it comes to British humour however, I totally get it (if I understand the vocabulary of course, cause sometimes sadly I dont )! When we look at only the two however, it turns out that even though UK and Poland are so close to each other on the scale, you can still feel the difference in the communication style. With time, I reached a point where I managed to organise myself in a way that allowed me to still keep in touch with people I wanted to stay in close touch with (scheduled online calls - because 'let's catch up' just doesn't ever work well enough) and visit relatively often. His book Beyond Culture is still considered one of the most influential books for the field of intercultural communication.17,18 According to Hall, all cultures incorporate both verbal and nonverbal elements into communication. High-context cultures will use communication that focuses on underlying context, meaning, and tone in the message, and not just the words themselves. Documents should all be translated into Polish even if negotiations are in English. Its important to understand that for an American for instance (America is located to the very left of the scale, by the low-context), both British and Polish cultures may seem very high-context and combining that with a tendency to use sarcastic humour cultural shock guaranteed! However, in collectivistic cultures, a person would answer in terms of the group, organization, and/or corporation that they serve. According to Hofstede and his coauthors, Indulgence stands for a tendency to allow relatively free gratification of basic and natural human desires related to enjoying life and having fun. The earliest culture of Poland traces its origin to the culture of the Early Slavs who settled in the country. What is Poland culture? "In high-context culture, people tend to personalize their disagreement with others. 2023 IOR Global Services. In essence, "in LCC, meaning is expressed through explicit verbal messages, both written and oral. In high-context communication, a message cannot be understood without a great deal of background information. Others are who gets educated and what type of education they receive, who gets health care and what type, and what types of occupations do those with power have versus those who do not have power. Repetition is appreciated if it helps clarify the communication, High-context: Good communication is sophisticated, nuanced, and layered. Messages are both spoken and read between the lines. To show one's disagreement and anger in public is tantamount to admitting loss of control and face, because what is being said is taken personally which may have an influence on interpersonal relationships. Its opposite pole, restraint, reflects a conviction that such gratification needs to be curbed and regulated by strict social norms. 34 The top five on the Indulgence end are Venezuela, Mexico, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, and Nigeria, whereas those on the restraint end are Pakistan, Egypt, Latvia, Ukraine, and Albania. In the Krakw region of Lesser Poland, women wear elaborate traditional dresses that comprise of a white blouse, an embroidered vest, an apron, and a full floral skirt. Furthermore, individuals from more indulgent cultures tend to be more optimistic, while their restrained counterparts tend to be more cynical. Uncertainty avoidance then involves the extent to which cultures as a whole are fearful of ambiguous and unknown situations. Wojewdztwo promuje take ofert turystyki zdrowotnej. Poles are also used to less personal space in public, and they offer help to one another on trams, busses and in other public locations. He ended up more comfortable and confident when it comes to talking about emotions, with a tool to help him actually name what he's feeling, and empowered to reach for his professional goals. The notion of masculinity and femininity are often misconstrued to be tied to their biological sex counterparts, female and male. Employees may be suspicious of training because of the communist legacy and may not recognize it as a perk for advancement. The Catholic Church is core to everyday life. The next category identified by Hofstede involves the concept of uncertainty avoidance.30 Life is full of uncertainty. The Poles have always welcomed artists from abroad and adopted cultural trends of other countries to enrich their own lively cultural scene. My first thought was not Oh cool, good to have that in writing, but Why did she bother sending that to us? in with awareness or stay confused. 30.04.2021 - Radio broadcast (no. Like China, Brazil is a high-context culture. The U.S. is towards the indulgence end of the spectrum and ranks at #15 along with Canada and the Netherlands. Want to get support in developing these skills and make your intercultural working more of a breeze? People from high-context culture communicate in an allusive way, body language is very important because the interlocutors use non-verbal signals to a large extent. Onboarding programs for foreign companies are key to helping new recruits understand international business culture which may differ from traditional Polish business culture. When it came to trait affection received, all four groups differed from one another. Catholicism plays a significant role in the lives of people living here and around 65% attend Church services regularly. For understanding culture, Hofstede acknowledges that this distinction ultimately has a lot to do with work goals.28 On the masculine end of the spectrum, individuals tend to be focused on items like earnings, recognition, advancement, and challenge. In an individualistic culture, if someone asked what you do for a living, they would answer by saying their profession or occupation. This is my favourite post on Polonization blog, but I recommend it allto be honest. Always, and I hate travelling that often and being tired Is it worth it for these relationships? High-context cultures: Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, . Negotiations with new customers are going to be tougher and longer until a relationship is established. The terms low-context culture (LCC) and high-context culture (HCC) were created by Hall to describe how communication styles differ across cultures. Flicking one finger against your neck is an invitation to join someone for a drink. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. A high-context culture relies on implicit communication and nonverbal cues. Close friends greet each other very affectionately with hugging and kisses on the cheeks. The other countries did not differ from each other with regard to trait affection given. Intercultural facework competence refers to the optimal integration of knowledge, mindfulness, and communication skills in managing vulnerable identity-based conflict situations appropriately, effectively, and adaptively. Poland, and the United States. Christianity is the dominant religion in Poland with about 92.2% of Poles being Roman Catholics. as well as much of Europe. It includes language (countries using Anglo-Saxon ones are usually closer to the low-context, Asian countries lean clearly more towards the high-context) and history (high-context cultures tend to have a longer shared history than low-context cultures). Some interesting findings associated with indulgence include experiencing higher levels of positive emotions and remembering those emotions for more extended periods. In essence, in LCC, meaning is expressed through explicit verbal messages, both written and oral. It consists of four capabilities - Drive, Knowledge, Strategy and Action, and they can be used in a variety of diverse situations! Think about a co-cultural group that you belong to. It triggered a lot of thoughts and memories when I was reading it. The United States is number one on individualism, according to Hofstedes data.27 Americans are considered individualistic. High-context cultures have a lot of unwritten rules that govern communication and interaction. Heightened emotion is not necessarily a sign that the discussion is going badly. Messages are often implied but not plainly expressed." Here is the graph showing UK and Polish cultures compared with my preference on the Communication scale. Meyer in her book mentions that there are a couple of factors influencing countries position on that scale. Its always great to get another perspective on cultural differences! When it came to trait affection given, the United States participants reported giving more affection than any of the three other countries. Theres also a massive difference in the approach to marriage. . In anthropology, high-context culture and low-context culture are ends of a continuum of how explicit the messages exchanged in a culture are and how important the context is in communication.The continuum pictures how people communicate with others through their range of communication abilities: utilizing gestures, relations, body language, verbal messages, or non-verbal messages. A high context culture orientation is one in which information is shared consistently by all members of the same group. Anxiety about the future based on: a history of beingtaken over by neighboring countries; and the legacy ofbeing under communist rule from 1945-1989. and more. After the country lost its sovereignty in the 19th century, Romantic literature flourished in the country. According to this theory, a high context (HC) culture, such as Japan, is characterized by nonverbal communication and meanings shared implicitly by speaker/listener that are highly dependent on the context. Face is the standing or position a person has in the eyes of others. Some everyday Polish foods include kiebasa (a type of sausage), pierogi (filled dumplings), pyzy (dough balls filled with meat), kopytka (potato dumpling), gobki (cabbage leaves wrapped around meat and rice), bigos (stewed meat and cabbage), etc. Are you experiencing identity crisis while living abroad? Homes are generally very small, so there is not a great deal of personal space in the home. It is mostly connected with the countrys history, a long period of occupation and fighting for own identity. Although Poland and England are not so far away from each other on the communication scale, I had moments when low-context behaviours were annoying for me. Other national heroes include: John Paul II, Lech Walesa, Nicolaus Copernicus and Frederic Chopin Poland is bordered by 7 countries and the Baltic Sea. Older, more traditional managers have technical skills but may lack management skills. Another popular alcoholic drink is the Polish mead which is a honey wine produced in the country since the Middle Ages. Individual Orientation Compare and contrast two countries and their levels of context. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Countries, where strong preference for low context communication is on average very high in the society, include for example: Israel, Netherlands, US, Germany. Top 10 Alcohol Consuming Countries In The World, The Biggest Heists and Bank Robberies in American History. Outstanding Polish literature was produced in the 20th century and the Avant-Garde experimentation played an important role during this time. What Is The Difference Between Catholic And Christian? #expatcoaching #expatlife #livingabroad #expatcoach #workingabroad #lifeabroad #workabroad #careerabroad #internationallife #internationalcareer #globalcareer #globallife #globalleaders #culturalawareness #selfawareness #selfgrowth #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #culturalcompetence #movingabroad #zyciezagranica #zycienaemigracji #pracazagranica #rozwojosobisty #polacyzagranica, Which one - peach or coconut - do you feel closer to yourself? In general, for me as a Polish person UK approach doesnt seem extremely far away from what Im used to. Pregnancy is kept secret as long as possible to guard against the evil eye. Foreigners are expected to be punctual, and there is a value on being on time. Does it mean that I sometimes go there and back for just the weekend? Designed and Developed by LLT Group. )%2F06%253A_Cultural_and_Environmental_Factors_in_Interpersonal_Communication%2F6.03%253A_Cultural_Characteristics_and_Communication, \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}}}\) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\), 6.4: Improving Intercultural Communication Skills, https://doi.org/10.1080/17475759.2017.1292944, Jason S. Wrench, Narissra M. Punyanunt-Carter & Katherine S. Thweatt, source@https://milnepublishing.geneseo.edu/interpersonalcommunication, status page at https://status.libretexts.org, Strong Distinctions Between In and Out-Groups. You can read a short introduction to the series here. Poles are good listeners, and may listen thoroughly before responding. With class, many cultures have three clear segments low, middle, and upper. The terms "low-context culture" (LCC) and "high-context culture" (HCC) were created by Hall to describe how communication styles differ across cultures. South Korea, Canada, England, Saudi Arabia, What statement best describes a high power distance culture?, T/F: Cultures with a strong uncertainty avoidance orientation sense that uncertainty in life is a continuous threat that must be fought. However, the concepts of what is low, middle, and upper can have very large differences. Figure 6.3.2 illustrates some of the patterns of context that exist in todays world.21. In other words, we think about ourselves as individuals rather than the collective group. Accessibility StatementFor more information contact us atinfo@libretexts.orgor check out our status page at https://status.libretexts.org. When Poles are comfortable with you and you are part of their private circle, communication can be more outspoken, direct and even cynical. According to Hofstedes data, the U.S. is 16th from the bottom of power distance, so we are in the bottom third with regards to power distance. Geerts taxonomy was originally based on data collected by IBM, and he found that cultures could be differentiated by power distance, individualism/collectivism, masculinity vs. femininity, uncertainty avoidance, long-term vs. short-term orientation, and indulgence vs. restraint. Historically pregnant women are expected to observe a number of taboos like not looking at fire, mice and the disabled to avoid harm to the baby. Poland boasts 17 Nobel prize winners, including four Peace Prizes and five in Literature. Today, many companies have goal-setting, 360 feedback, and training programs. More simplistically, face is essentially a persons reputation and feelings of prestige within multiple spheres, including the workplace, the family, personal friends, and society at large.49 For our purposes, we can generally break face down into general categories: face gaining and face losing. Currently, the Polish society has 6 groupings. Poles gesticulate a great deal while speaking to make their point. Poland is a member of the European Union, NATO, the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. Women tend to stand and walk very close, and often hold hands when walking. In such a culture, conformism, the. Another form of respectful greeting is a brief, shallow bow. Japan is the most high-context society due to long shared history, followed by Korea, China and Indonesia. DRIVE is your motivation and level of curiosity for multicultural interactions. Don't hesitate to ask clarifying questions if the intent is not clear or the message sounds confusing. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. and also 'Oh wow, noo, you're leaving? singapore is high context society Is Arab. Affectionate communication is conceptualized as a persons use of intentional and overt communicative behaviors to convey feelings of closeness, care, and fondness in the form of verbal statements, nonverbal behaviors, and social support.35. To give you an example, in comparison to Asian countries such as Japan, China or Indonesia both UK and Poland could be described as rather a low-context culture. Poland is also one of the largest beer producers in Europe and a beer consumer in Poland drinks 92 liters of beer annually. From years of research examining both extraversion and neuroticism, we know that extraverted individuals have more successful interpersonal relationships than those who are highly neurotic. We also acknowledge previous National Science Foundation support under grant numbers 1246120, 1525057, and 1413739. With time after the move, some innocent guilt-tripping began too. Households in the highest quintile had incomes of $104,097 or more. Jan Kochanowski was a renowned Polish poet of the time. Small/large power distance shapes members preferences for horizontal-based facework versus vertical-based facework. In 1988, intercultural communication research Stella Ting-Toomey developed face-negotiation theory to help explain the importance of face within interpersonal interactions.37 The basic idea behind face-negotiation theory is that face-saving, conflict, and culture are all intertwined. Traditionally, the Polish households have been large with three generations living under the same roof. Femininity, on the other hand, involves characteristics like having a good working relationship with ones manager and coworkers, cooperating with people at work, and security (both job and familial). Formality is very important in Poland. Striving for everyone to have equal rights is an important theme. Hiking, skiing, ski jumping, and mountain biking are popular activities enjoyed by both amateur and professional sportsperson visiting the mountains of Poland. However, over the years, the traditional views have changed and marriages are now based more on the consent of couples than the family and divorces have also become more common than before. Messages are communicated in many ways. The danger here is that a person from a direct culture may come across as insensitive and ill-mannered, while the person from the indirect culture may appear scattered and shifty. #expatcoaching #expatlife #livingabroad #expatcoach #workingabroad #lifeabroad #workabroad #careerabroad #internationallife #internationalcareer #globalcareer #globallife #globalleaders #culturalawareness #selfawareness #selfgrowth #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #culturalcompetence #movingabroad #zyciezagranica #zycienaemigracji #pracazagranica #rozwojosobisty #polacyzagranica, There are a few more myths that I see again and again, and I'd like to dispel them once and for all! In 1924, the novel Chopi won Wadysaw Reymont a Nobel Prize in Literature. and Mrs. John Smith. In feminine cultures, men and women are upheld to the same standards, and their relationships should be based on mutual friendship. Working with people from low context culture . The top five most masculine countries are Slovakia, Japan, Hungary, Austria, and Venezuela (the U.S. is number 19 out of 76); whereas, feminine countries are represented by Sweden, Norway, Latvia, Netherlands, and Denmark. Poles consider themselves independent and self-disciplined. Younger managers are beginning to adopt a less hierarchical, more results-driven manner of managing teams. The beaches and coastal waters of the country offer aquatic sports and beach activities like canoeing, kayaking, sports-fishing, etc. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions 2023 worldatlas.com. Explain the importance of Geert Hofstedes research in cultural studies. Why do you think context is such an important cultural characteristic? I left the meeting happy with all the information thatI received and ready to start working on my tasks. These are some important high-context culture characteristics to look out for. During this time, large-scale migration of the rural population to Polish cities was observed. It can be served hot or cold. Think through Geert Hofstedes six categories used to evaluate differing cultures and apply Hofstedes ideas to your co-culture. Starting one step at a time to develop these can really transform the way you react and manage challenging intercultural scenarios! Indirect An overview of high context culture. According to Hofstedes most recent data, the five countries with the highest power distances are: Malaysia, Slovakia, Guatemala, Panama, and the Philippines.26 The five countries with the lowest power distances are Austria, Israel, Denmark, New Zealand, and Switzerland (German-speaking part). #expatcoaching #expatlife #livingabroad #expatcoach #workingabroad #lifeabroad #workabroad #careerabroad #internationallife #internationalcareer #globalcareer #globallife #globalleaders #culturalawareness #selfawareness #selfgrowth #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #culturalcompetence #movingabroad #zyciezagranica #zycienaemigracji #pracazagranica #rozwojosobisty #polacyzagranica, Book your CQ assessment and debrief session today! Poland is in the middle on the scale, closer to low-context which doesn't mean it is easer for us to adjust. They required me to work on myself so that this narrative doesn't get stuck in my head, and that I still continue living my own life, while doing my best to care for the relationships that I wanted to keep in my life.