High-contextandlow-contextcommunicationaretermsusedtodescribehowinformationisconveyedindifferentcultures.Inhigh-contextcultures,communicationreliesheavilyonimplicitmessages,context,andnonverbalcues.Peopleintheseculturesoftenshareacommonbackground,somuchofthemeaningisunderstoodwithoutbeingdirectlystated.Examplesofhigh-contextculturesincludeJapan,China,andmanyArabcountries.Inlow-contextcultures,communicationismoreexplicit,direct,andreliesonclearverbalexpression.Peopleexpectdetailstobespelledout,andlessemphasisisplacedonsharedcontext.Examplesoflow-contextculturesincludetheUnitedStates,Germany,andSwitzerland.Understandingthesedifferencesisimportantforeffectivecross-culturalcommunication,asmisunderstandingscanariseifexpectationsaboutcontextanddirectnessdon’talign.
