Many organizations want a strong corporate culture. Culture differs from values, norms, traditions, and the place of words in communications. In some cultures, words are central and the main means of communication. This distinction made by Edward T Hall of low-context and high context communication became very important when learning different cultures around the world. A low-context culture refers to societies where people tend to have much connection and cultural behaviors and beliefs may need to be spelled out explicitly so that those coming into the cultural environment know how to behave (Beer, 2003). In high context cultures, groups of people have close connections over a long period. This implies that these societies use more vague forms to communicate and are not made explicit because most members know what to do and what to think from years of interaction with each other (Beer, 2003).

Just like Saudi Arabia and Spain, Japan is also characterized by high-context communication (R. T. Moran; N. R. Abramson; S. V. Moran, 2014, p. 44). Some of Japan’s traditions, values and norms have supported its high context communication. According to Hofstede’s culture dimension, Japan scores 46 on individualism, indicating that they are more likely to show characteristics of a collectivistic society; such as putting harmony of the group above the expression of individual opinions and people have a strong sense of shame for losing face (Hofstede Insights, n.d.). With this, the Japanese have established an in-direct and non-verbal communication within their inner circle rather than the outside circle of the world. Thus, in Japan, communication goes non-verbally, through subtle gestures, facial expression and voice tones. However, this can be a big challenge for foreigners and westerners that do not understand the Japanese language and communication.

Also, Japan borderline hierarchical society as its score 54 on power distance (Hofstede Insights, n.d.). When dealing with businesses, the Japanese has also been known to take their time in their decision-making process. In other words, all the decisions must be confirmed by each hierarchical layer and finally by the top management in Tokyo keeping it a closeness in their culture (Hofstede Insights, n.d.). This closeness with one’s group is another enabler for high context communication. It also allows for a more polychronic approach to work, where numerous tasks are juggled simultaneously (Beer, 2003).

Whether an individual prefers low-context communication or high-context communication, understanding both styles is necessary to avoid discomfort with the other party. Since Japan supports many different countries within the global market, Japanese people made it a point to be sensitive to the different low-high context communication styles that they encounter. For an example, the Japanese require more information about the person with whom they interact, so they can determine which form to use in their complex language (R. T. Moran; N. R. Abramson; S. V. Moran, 2014, p. 434). In conclusion, Japanese people understand the importance of building a relationship with others of different cultures. A relationship is key in a high-context culture. By knowing the history and the character of whom they are communicating with influences what is communicated and how to better stand infirm in a growing global economy.

References

Beer, J. E. (2003). Communicating Across Cultures. Retrieved from High and low context: http://www.culture-at-work.com/highlow.html

Hofstede Insights. (n.d.). Retrieved from Japan: https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/japan/

T. Moran; N. R. Abramson; S. V. Moran. (2014). In Managing cultural differences (9th ed.). Oxford: Routledge.