Team Nicole/Jessica/Fay

Cross-Cultural Communication

Communication is an essential aspect of any business relationship, but it is even more important in international settings. Communication styles vary by country, and global companies must understand these differences in order to maintain successful cross-cultural relationships. In order to understand the distinctive features of verbal and non-verbal communication in India, one must examine the cultural context in which the communication takes place.
According to Hall’s dimensions, India is a high-context culture. Communication is indirect and implicit, making it the job of the receiver “to interpret what the message means by correctly filtering through what is being said and the way in which the message is being conveyed” (181). This is not only a verbal form of communication; the receiver also relies on nonverbal clues such as facial expressions and voice intonation to interpret messages.
Verbal and nonverbal communication in India is enacted in the affective style, which is defined similarly to the high-context style: “The affective style is characterized by language that requires the listener to carefully note what is being said and to observe how the sender is presenting the message” (183). The same observations of nonverbal clues that receivers use in high-context cultures are important when interpreting affective style communication.
A contextual style of communication is often found in high-context cultures such as India. This style “is one that focuses on the speaker and relationship of the parties” (182). Relationships play an important role in the way people communicate in India; people often have close personal relationships with the people they communicate with, and in organizational or business settings, “speakers will choose words that indicate their status relative to the status of the others” (182). Personal relationships help people in India better interpret indirect messages, though the contextual style of communication places an importance on hierarchical roles and can serve as a barrier between members of different status levels.
The contextual style creates a difference in both verbal and nonverbal language. In business settings, the boss is regarded as the highest authority and “[i]n some offices, employees rise each time the boss enters the room to acknowledge respect” (Mohan, Lindquist, and Novetzke). The verbal acknowledgement of contextual communication is demonstrated through “a reverence for titles in India” (Mohan, Lindquist, and Novetzke). People address each other through professional or courtesy titles as well as common and honorific Hindi titles (Mohan, Lindquist, and Novetzke).
The business hierarchy is an important part of contextual communication in a high-context culture. Subordinate workers do not openly disagree with their superiors and rarely interact with bosses. “In a group discussion, only the most senior person might speak, but that does not mean that the others agree with him” (Mohan, Lindquist, and Novetzke). This reflects the affective style of language, where verbal communication alone does not convey an entire message.
Due to the importance of relationships in Indian culture, it is common to discuss friends and family in business settings. Because many businesses are run by families, business transactions feature many aspects of family-oriented communication. For example, “many smaller businesses function on handshakes, verbal agreements, and trust” (Mohan, Lindquist, and Novetzke). This form of communication relies heavily on personal interaction and the development of strong relationships.
India is ranked in the GLOBE project as a country with high power distance and low assertiveness orientation. This corresponds with the high-context culture classification and the contextual communication style, as it indicates the importance of power roles and the use of indirect expression in verbal discourse. Assertiveness or aggressiveness is perceived “as a sign of disrespect, particularly if it is from a subordinate or from someone unfamiliar” (Mohan, Lindquist, and Novetzke). Power distance combined with the affective communication style requires inhibited language, especially among subordinates.
India’s cultural characteristics heavily influence the style of communication. Both verbal and nonverbal expression allows messages to be interpreted in this high-context society. Relationships created as a result of the contextual culture are a basis of understanding that can help people better interpret indirect speech. Additionally, an emphasis on power structure is reflected in the language, especially in business settings.

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Personal pre-departure notes:

I can't believe we are leaving tomorrow!

I'm really excited. I can't wait to meet the Indian students and hear about their experiences. I am also looking forward to doing yoga and seeing the Dalai Lama.

-Jessica