Poland is a member of the European Union, NATO, the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. Imagine youre having an interaction with an individual from India. These are some important high-context culture characteristics to look out for. Geography Communication in Polish society is ' low context ', meaning that they usually speak frankly and can be very direct when it comes to saying 'no'. Messages are both spoken and read between the lines. Krzysztof Komeda was a famous Jazz musician from the country who composed several movie soundtracks. But respect for hierarchy of seniority and position is practiced. High-Context Cultures - Avoid Misunderstandings And Build Stronger Lets briefly look at each of these. The Catholic Church is core to everyday life. Individual Orientation Starting one step at a time to develop these can really transform the way you react and manage challenging intercultural scenarios! The Polish culture has greatly evolved over the years having been influenced by the geographic location of the country at the confluence of European regions with their distinct cultures. When it comes to external business communication however, my experience is that the British are closer to the low-context end of the scale. Legal. "The Culture Map Persuading. In my opinion Polish sarcasm is however very often related to some linguistic games or is bound to historic events or leaders. Obviously, these two incidents have gone down in the annals of presidential history as cultural faux pas. PDF Cultural Differences in Business Communication 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. 6: Cultural and Environmental Factors in Interpersonal Communication, Book: Interpersonal Communication - A Mindful Approach to Relationships (Wrench et al. Being on time is important. While working in multicultural teams therefore important to state the fact that there are currently various cultures involved in the project. According to a 2013 report from the U.S. Census department (using income data from 2012), here is how income inequality in the U.S. looks: Households in the lowest quintile had incomes of $20,599 or less in 2012. Poland, and the United States. If something was not clear, the team was asking clarifying questions easily. A high-context culture has the opposite communication style to a low-context culture. Trait affection given and received: A test of Hofstedes theoretical framework. In my eyes however thats nothing in comparison to what the Polish are capable of. As a manager, take time to articulate specific tasks and check with employees to demonstrate the importance of the employee and the project. In his 1959 book, The Silent Language, Hall states, culture is communication and communication is culture.19 In the previous chapter, we talked about the importance of nonverbal communication. However, income is just one indicatory of power distance within a culture. The peasants and workers constitute the majority of the population. High-Context Cultures. Hiking, skiing, ski jumping, and mountain biking are popular activities enjoyed by both amateur and professional sportsperson visiting the mountains of Poland. Let us help you make your transition easy! - Our Planet Today on April 20, 2022 Is Poland a high or low context culture? Meetings are formal. Each of the participants (culturally diverse team) was making notes on their particular tasks as well as general goals of the project. 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). Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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?) . Pickles and sauerkraut are popular side dishes and dessert options will often include ice cream, cheesecake, apple pie and "makowiec", a poppy-seed cake. Dismissal is governed by the laws of the EU. Another very important researcher in the area of culture is a man by the name of Geert Hofstede. It's a set of competences which help you relate and work effectively in culturally diverse situations. Most business entertaining takes place in restaurants. 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. What Is The Difference Between Catholic And Christian? These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. However, it is sometimes challenging for outsiders to understand the real message in the communication because people may talk around the main issue and expect the real meaning will be understood. 30.04.2021 - Radio broadcast (no. Poland is in the middle on the scale, closer to low-context which doesn't mean it is easer for us to adjust. In fact, within the latest edition of the book examining these characteristics, Hofstede and his colleagues title the chapter on uncertainty avoidance as What is Different is Dangerous, calling out the threat factor people in high uncertainty avoidance cultures feel.31 Cultures at the high end of uncertainty avoidance include Greece, Portugal, Guatemala, Uruguay, and Belgium Flemish; whereas, cultures at the low end of uncertainty avoidance include Singapore, Jamaica, Denmark, Sweden, and Hong Kong. Therefore the landing page is image-heavy. In my opinion switching from high-context culture to a low-context one is much easier, technically, than the other way around. Men also dress well and adorn a heavily embroidered waistcoat, striped trousers, and an ornamented krakuska cap. IOR collects cookies to improve your experience on our website. Face gaining refers to the strategies a person might use to build their reputation and feelings of prestige (e.g., talking about accomplishments, active social media presence), whereas face losing refers to those behaviors someone engages in that can harm their reputation or feelings of prestige (e.g., getting caught in a lie, failing). 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. Face is the standing or position a person has in the eyes of others. Lets laugh together - what are some of your stories of language misunderstandings? 33 The sixth cultural characteristic is called indulgence vs. restraint, which examines issues of happiness and wellbeing. The father holds absolute authority and must be obeyed by the children. 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). However, because there is still a great deal of bureaucracy, deadlines are often delayed. Vodka became a popular alcoholic drink since then. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 46(2), 161-172. https://doi.org/10.1080/17475759.2017.1292944. Our Privacy Policy can be found. Several types of soups like ros, flaki, and zupa ogrkowa are also part of the Polish cuisine. The cultural variability dimensions of individualism-collectivism and small/large power distance shape the orientations, movements, contents, and styles of facework. High-context and low-context cultures - Wikipedia Feedback must be handled carefully, and many Poles may not feel comfortable evaluating those above them. Collectivistic cultures tend to think about actions that might affect the entire group rather than specific members of the group. As such, there is a focus on both persistence and thrift. (such as the United States, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Finland, Denmark the UK, or Poland) and need to communicate with people from a high-context culture (like Japan, Indonesia, Iran, China, Kenya, . Such a good opportunity!' In any major area of academic study, there are luminaries that one should understand. Low-Context Culture Communication & Examples - Study.com You know, various comments of how things are going to be worse off, when will I come back from that little adventure of mine, why don't I visit more often, why can't I be there for that family occasion and clearly those are no longer important since moving abroad. Summarize the importance of Stella Ting-Toomeys face and facework in interpersonal relationships. The United States ranks 64th out of 76 countries analyzed (Singapore was number 76). The concept of face is especially problematic in emotionally vulnerable situations (such as embarrassment, request, or conflict situations) when the situation identities of the communicators are called into question. When it came to trait affection given, the United . Go to Offer link in the bio (or simply DM me with the word 'CULTURE') to learn more! 3. 6.3: Cultural Characteristics and Communication 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. A high context culture orientation is one in which information is shared consistently by all members of the same group. The U.S. is towards the indulgence end of the spectrum and ranks at #15 along with Canada and the Netherlands. Poland boasts 17 Nobel prize winners, including four Peace Prizes and five in Literature. Building relationships is an important and required step to achieving social and business goals. Other national heroes include: John Paul II, Lech Walesa, Nicolaus Copernicus and Frederic Chopin Poland is bordered by 7 countries and the Baltic Sea. The traditional clothing of the Polish people varies greatly with their location in the country. Admittedly, in Hofstedes research, there does tend to be a difference between females and males on these characteristics (females tend to be more relationally oriented and males more assertive), which is why Hofstede went with the terms masculinity and femininity in the first place. Asian, African, Arab, central European and Latin American cultures are generally considered to be high-context cultures. Does it mean that I sometimes go there and back for just the weekend? As far as Ting-Toomeys theory goes, she takes this idea one step further to understanding how face and communication ultimately enable successful intercultural conflict management. Another form of respectful greeting is a brief, shallow bow. The same is true of thrift. Foreigners are expected to be punctual, and there is a value on being on time. Particularism We also mentioned that nonverbal communication isnt exactly universal. Want to get support in developing these skills and make your intercultural working more of a breeze? Countries, where strong preference for low context communication is on average very high in the society, include for example: Israel, Netherlands, US, Germany. In other words, collectivistic cultures focus on how the group can grow and be productive. Heightened emotion is not necessarily a sign that the discussion is going badly. #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, If youd like to explore your own cultural values and see how they are at play in your working life - DM me the word CULTURE and Ill share more information with you about the CQ Assessment and debrief session where we discuss your personalised assessment report and create a plan forward to develop your cultural competences further! Modern Polish art was associated with heavy experimentation and was born with the Moda Polska movement. These cookies do not store any personal information. Relationship Focused Hofstede refers to this as being more relationally oriented. The concept of face is one that is not the easiest to define nor completely understand. A society is called feminine when emotional gender roles overlap: both men and women are supposed to be modest, tender, and concerned with quality of life [emphasis in original]. It will be based on the book entitled The Culture Map by an INSEAD professor and cross-cultural specialist Erin Meyer. 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. I believe that this book is a great source for reading about cross-cultural differences. Poland has a lively music scene with the roots of the countrys music being traced as far back as the 13th century. Naturally, high-context communication can occur in a low-context culture, as the German biergarten illustrates. This experience just brought my attention to these deep-lying beliefs that are connected to the culture we were raised in. Poland - IOR Small enterprises have the flexibility to move more quickly. 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. 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. What the Best Brands Get Right About Content Marketing - LinkedIn International. Translation Issues Associated With High-context and Low-context Accessibility StatementFor more information contact us atinfo@libretexts.orgor check out our status page at https://status.libretexts.org. Attendees should wait to be told where to sit. They come from people caring for us and the relationships we have together. I think I have been a coconut for a long time, but since living in the UK I embraced some more of the peachiness High-context cultures typically lack explicitly stated or written regulations. When it comes to British humour however, I totally get it (if I understand the vocabulary of course, cause sometimes sadly I dont )! People generally remove their shoes when entering someones home. India, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, low-context approach in business might create additional misunderstandings. Anxiety about the future based on: a history of beingtaken over by neighboring countries; and the legacy ofbeing under communist rule from 1945-1989. During the middle of the conversation, you have a feeling that your interactional partner is losing face. 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. If you're curious about coaching, but perhaps not ready (or not needing) a longer-term commitment at this time, the ad-hoc session set up with me may be just the thing you are looking for. 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. Polish language is also more complex than English, both grammatically and structurally, which has its impact on how we communicate with one another and what we expect in communication. But they pay attention to the volume of their voices and tend to speak quietly in business and in public. The world's cultural diversity naturally leads to many types of communication differences from one region to the next. Learn more about how different cultures rely on high or low levels of context in their communication overall. You may be wondering, by this point, how low-context and high-context cultures differ across different countries. Some gestures can mean wildly different things in different parts of the world. An overview of high context culture. The Culture Of Poland - WorldAtlas A luminary is an expert who sheds light on a subject and inspires and influences others work in that area. Try to make initial introductions through a local representative rather than on your own. Fluid Time If youre interested I would be happy to continue that topic and describe the possible challenges of moving both of these ways. Personally I love that type of humour, I think it reveals the high-context nature of the British. Is Singapore a high context culture or low context culture? I have to admit, I can't remember exactly the moment I told my close ones about the move abroad, it all happened so quickly in my case Since Christianity is the religion of the majority in Poland, Christian festivals are celebrated with great pomp and glory in the country. Wigilia is a popular Christmas Eve supper consumed in Poland. )%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. Messages are expressed and understood at face value. Use titles and surnames until invited to use first names. Hierarchy Designed and Developed by LLT Group. What does that mean? What does High and Low Context mean? - Project Abroad Ultimately, we can define these types of cultures in the following way: A society is called masculine when emotional gender roles are clearly distinct: men are supposed to be assertive, tough, and focused on material success, whereas women are supposed to be more modest, tender, and concerned with quality of life. When realising the way the British work, I managed to easily adjust to their style. #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, Yasser started out our conversation curious about coaching, but also a bit uncertain, anxious and hopeful about what it could bring. Men usually wait for women to offer their hand first. Site Name: UK - London - Brentford, Warsaw Posted Date: Mar 2 2023 HR Business Partner Poland and Austria & HR Country Head Austria Job purpose: HR Business Partner Poland and Austria & HR Country Head Austria will partner with the commercial business to adapt and effectively execute the people plan, leveraging their local context and expertise, to ensure the effective deployment of the GSK HR . This did not come to me as a surprise although it triggered some thoughts on that topic. Let's chat! Marriage plays an important role in the Polish society. In relationship-based cultures, eg. Why would you want to do this at all. The St. Andrew's Day is a traditional holiday in the country and is celebrated on November 29. It is mostly connected with the countrys history, a long period of occupation and fighting for own identity. A high-context culture is a culture in which people rely heavily on nonverbal and implicit communication. Children are taught to be polite and the Polish society stresses a lot on polite behavior. The earliest literature produced in the country was in Latin. Professional titles are used. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. DM me with the word 'AD HOC' and I'll reply with the details of how you can schedule yourself in for that! Moreover, in a collectivistic culture, there is a belief that you should do what benefits the group. President Nixon did the same thing existing an airplane in Brazil flashing his famous OK sign with his thumb and forefinger forming a circle, but this is the middle finger in that culture. 08.09.2020 - Cultural differences: low or high cultural context Pregnancy is kept secret as long as possible to guard against the evil eye. D.I.V.E. His interests ultimately culminated in his 1980 publication Cultures Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values where he explained some basic cultural differences.22 Over the years, Geert has fine-tuned his theory of culture, and the most recent update to his theory occurred in 2010.23 In Geerts research examining thousands of workers from around the globe, he has noticed a series of six cultural differences: low vs. high power distance, individualism vs. collectivism, masculinity vs. femininity, low vs. high uncertainty avoidance, long-term vs. short-term orientation, and indulgence vs. restraint. We want to conserve our resources and underspend to build that financial cushion for the future. singapore is high context society Is Arab. Working with people from low context culture . It triggered a lot of thoughts and memories when I was reading it. The terms low-context culture (LCC) and high-context culture (HCC) were created by Hall to describe how communication styles differ across cultures. In 2017, Daniel H. Mansson and Alds G. Sigurardttir set out to examine the concept of trait affection in relation to Hofstedes theoretical framework. Other national heroes include: John Paul II, Lech Walesa, Nicolaus Copernicus and Frederic Chopin. The Challenges of Communicating Across Cultures - Crisbie coach This is my favourite post on Polonization blog, but I recommend it allto be honest. Business is still largely based on relationships. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. PDF Understanding the Merits and Demerits of High and Low Context - CORE Family provides the foundation for endurance andperseverance, Each family member must take responsibility for self andfamily, Hierarchy helps structure roles and reduce uncertainty, Traditionally male dominated society, slowly changing. Need for Certainty I can feel the differences of course, but its nothing extremely surprising rather something you need to get used to. 2.2: Taxonomies of Cultural Patterns - Social Sci LibreTexts Creating a Culturally Inclusive Online Classroom It was simply a reflection of the need for being 100% clear in the message and avoiding any misunderstandings.