Question

Claudia and Dayson are upper-level managers working for the same company, but they are located in different countries and come from different cultures. The company is implementing a new accounting process, so Jorge, the company CEO, invites Claudia, Dayson, and a few other managers to join him on a video conference. During the video conference, Claudia asks Jorge if the company will be creating a temporary help desk to ease the transition. Jorge replies, "I'll think about it and get back to you later." To Claudia, this means he will honestly consider the possibility and will send an email with his decision. To Dayson, Jorge's expression during this statement indicates that he is simply maintaining social harmony and that a help desk will not be created. Which of the following is most likely true about Claudia's and Dayson's cultures?
A) Claudia is from a high-context culture, and Dayson is from a low-context culture.
B) Dayson is from a high-context culture, and Claudia is from a low-context culture.
C) Both Claudia and Dayson are from high-context cultures.
D) Both Claudia and Dayson are from low-context cultures.

Answer 1

The correct answer is B) ) Dayson is from a high-context culture, and Claudia is from a low-context culture.

Explanation:

The term "high-context culture" is used to refer to cultures in which implicit communication, nonverbal elements, and context are important factors of communication. This implies many words and expressions in these cultures do not have a literal meaning. According to this, it is likely Dayson is from a high-context culture, considering he focused on the implicit message in Jorge's words rather than considering the message was literal.

On the other hand, in "low-context culture" elements such as implicit meaning or context are not frequently used, this means, most communication is literal and explicit. This shows Claudia is from a low-context culture because rather than thinking Jorge's answer was just a formalism or irony, she interpreted the message literally.