Since Japan first opened its ports to western ships, billions of words have been written and tons of printed material and electronic media have been consumed in efforts to define and categorize the differences between Japanese and American cultures. One method of definition, that of high-context culture vs. low-context culture has been widely adopted and applied.
Edward T. Hall, a Foreign Service veteran, identified the concepts of high-context and low-context in the 1960’s to categorize differences in communication styles. In his Beyond Culture, published in 1976 by Anchor Press/Doubleday, in New York, Hall states:
High context transactions feature pre-programmed information that is in the receiver and in the setting, with only minimal information in the transmitted message. Low context transactions are the reverse. Most of the information must be in the transmitted message in order to make up for what is missing in the context.
Yikes! In plain English, please?
Using the high-context/low-context classification, Japan and most Asian countries are classified as high-context cultures. The US and Canada, along with northern European countries, are classified as low-context. This is, of course, an oversimplification. Within a low-context culture, you'll find yourself in high-context situations and vice-versa. For example, within a low-context American culture, communications among family members are generally high-context because of the high level of shared experience. For our purposes, though, we'll rely on the broad-brush definition.
Let’s say you’re an American, overhearing a conversation between two Japanese persons. Even though you can clearly hear them, the words passed between the two Japanese may lack clarity and definition. You have no idea what's really being said. That’s because the Japanese rely on long-term and underlying meanings known by both because of their shared cultural background. They are also highly attuned to non-verbal communications and derive meaning from the speaker's facial expressions and body language. The Japanese person learns as much from the way you sit and whether or not you smile as from your words.
In contrast, conversations between two businesspersons from a low-context culture will be direct and structured, specific. Shared background is not assumed. The person from the low-context culture will place a much higher value on the words spoken than on the non-verbal aspect of communications.
It's easy to see how these very different styles can cause misunderstandings and even complete failures in the communications process. It's also easy to see how problems can result when you're trying to land a job and your interviewer is from a different context culture than you are.
To learn how to bridge these differences during the job search process, review the following:
Following Protocols Key for Japanese Company Interview
Add These Tips to your Interview Repertoire
American-Japanese Communications 101
When you're getting ready for an interview, it's helpful to ask your search consultant what to expect and how you can adapt to cultural differences in communications styles.
