INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION ASSIGNMENT

Assigned by Dr. Sumera Umrani

Submitted by ; Binfisha Baloch 2k22Mal/04

Sonia selro 2k20Al/129

Pirah samejo 2k22Mal/ 16

Mushtaque khoso 2k20Al90

An analysis of a High context culture
country and low context culture country
with the feature of:
1> Communication styles for various occasions
2> Non verbal codes
3> Affiliation
4> Negotiations strategies

 What is High context countries and low context countries ?

Every culture has a dominant communication style shaped by specific values, social norms, and
standards. The high and low context cultures in this concept refers to how important contextual cues are
in interpreting a message. High context cultures have a communication style based on body language,
tone, and overall context; while low context cultures are more straightforward and explicit in
communication. For low context cultures, the exact meaning of words is important, in comparison to
high context cultures which put the focus not just on what people say, but when, where, and how they
say it, and even what they do not say at all. A lot of meaning is implicit, while the social setting and
personal impressions play an important role in building trust and understanding. To put it simply, people
from high context cultures tend to leave some things unsaid, while people from low context cultures are
quite direct and mean what they say as they said it.
RUSSIA AS A HIGH CONTEXT COUNTY:>

Russia is twice the size of the U.S. and is made up of many different regions and ecosystems like massive
rivers, deep freshwater lakes, wild plains, tundras, and forests. There are different climate zones from
subtropical to polar. The Russian landscape is home to thick forests (taiga), vast plains (steppe), the
highest mountain in Europe, Mount Elbrus in the Caucasus (5,642m), the deepest lake in the world, Lake
Baikal, and many other wonderful places. Russia is equally rich in history and traditions and has a deep
cultural heritage of art and music. Though the Soviet Union ceases to exist, traces of this period can still
be found in everyday Russian life in the habits and ways of thinking of Russian people, especially of the
older generation. It’s deeply rooted in Russian culture and requires respect and understanding. It’s
common to see people working outside in their vegetable gardens and old men sitting in the park
playing chess.

 Communication styles for various occasions

Russia is a country of high-context culture. This means that a lot of things are not said directly but must
be understood. Usually Russians expect their family members to see or feel, what should be done.
Russian culture is not direct. People don’t like to say negative things openly. It is considered rude. So,
people learn to feel what the “right thing to do” is. Thus, “No” often means “maybe”, “yes” could be
“no”. An indifferent face doesn’t mean indifference; not every loud conversation is a quarrel; smiling to
a stranger is very rare. This is a traditional way of communication between people. Russian culture is a
culture of sharing. There is a saying that “Even in need, a Russian person will share his last piece of
bread with anyone by him and never eat it himself.” This unspoken “rule” works among friends and
family.

 Non verbal codes

• Personal Space: Russians tend to sit and stand quite close to one another.

• Physical Contact: To reach out and touch another person during conversation (e.g. an arm around the
shoulder or a pat on the back) is a sign of confidence in the relationship. Friends may hug or kiss on the
cheek to greet, but Russians are generally limited in their physical contact. Strong physical affection is
generally only seen between couples of opposite genders.
• Expressions: Russians, particularly men, often have a serious front towards strangers that softens once
they build familiarity with a person. While they are known to be very animated with friends, smiles are
not often exchanged between strangers on the street. There is an old idea that people who smile for no
reason must be simpletons.

• Gestures: It is an obscenity to make a fist with the thumb protruding between the middle finger and
index finger. The symbol for ‘Okay’ (with the forefinger and the top of the thumb meeting to form a
circle, with the other fingers stretched out) also has offensive connotations. It is also a very rude and
obscene gesture to place your wrist or arm on the inside of your opposite elbow and then bend the
elbow with a hand closing in a fist.

• Blessing: It is traditional for Orthodox Christians to make the ‘sign of the cross’ by using their index and
middle finger to touch their forehead, followed by their chest, right shoulder and left shoulder.
However, today, people generally perform the same gesture using three fingers (middle finger, index
finger and thumb) pinched together. This is a Russian Orthodox silent prayer to bless oneself throughout
the day.

 AFFILIATION

The exact statistics for religious affiliations in Russia are difficult

to summarize since the official census does not record these
numbers. However, estimates taken in 2012 indicate that 41% of
Russians identify with the Russian Orthodox Church, 25%
consider themselves spiritual but not religious, 13% identify
as atheist and 5.5% are undecided about their religious
affiliation.1 A further portion of the population identifies with
minority religions: Islam (6.5%), other variations of Christianity
including Protestant, Evangelist and other Orthodox sects (7.3%),
native Slavic faiths, Paganism and/or Tengrism (1.2%) and Tibetan
Buddhism (0.5%).One’s language and ethnicity somewhat
correlates with their religious affiliation. For example, most
Christians are ethnic Russians (russkiye) and Slavic speakers;
Buddhists are generally Mongolian-speaking people from the
central or eastern regions of the country; and most Muslims are
from Turkic ethnic groups (e.g. the Tatars) and from the Caucasus
region. However, this is not always a clear relationship. For
example, while many Turkic speakers are Muslims, several
continue to follow shamanistic traditions and some have
converted to Christianity. It is perhaps more accurate to say that
Russians are likely to follow the religion relevant to their
individual ancestral groups’ regional or cultural tradition. A
general trend has also shown that Russians become more
religious as they age.

 NEGOTIATIONS STRATEGIES

Russians have a distinct negotiation style that differs from many Western cultures. Russians are often
assertive, emotional, and unpredictable in their bargaining tactics. They may make high demands, use
threats or ultimatums, or change their positions frequently. They may also test your patience,
endurance, and credibility by delaying decisions, asking for more information, or adding new conditions.
You need to adapt to their style and be flexible, resilient, and confident. You should also be prepared to
make concessions, but not too easily or too early, as they may see it as a sign of weakness or
desperation. You should also have a clear bottom line and a walk-away point, and be ready to enforce
them if necessary.
 CANADA AS A LOW CONTEXT CULTURAL COUNTY:>

Canada’s cities are thriving centers of art and culture, as well as commercial, industrial and financial
activity. Most of Canada’s population is concentrated in the southern part of the country where there
are many large cities such as Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and Quebec City. It has an advanced
economy with a high standard of living and high life expectancy. Anglophones and Francophone refer to
the official languages of Canadians. Anglophone (English-speaking) and Francophone (French-speaking)
communities are the largest linguistic groups in Canada. A majority of Albertans, Quebecers, and
Newfoundlanders speak English. French is spoken alongside English as a first language by approximately
80% of Quebecers and 10% of Newfoundlanders. At the same time, most Canadians speak at least one
or two other languages in addition to English and French.

 COMMUNICATION STYLES

 In Canada, people tend to be more indirect when communicating with others. They do this
because they want to avoid making anyone feel uncomfortable or embarrassed.
 A common trait among Canadians is to be overly polite and friendly. They have developed a
culture of politeness and respect, which they apply to all situations.
 Canada’s communication style is very formal. People tend to address each other by their last
names and titles, and they are rarely familiar with those they have just met.
 Canadian communication is generally considered low-context. This means that Canadians tend
to express themselves through what they say rather than how they say it. In other words,
they’re not big on subtext.
 In Canada, small talk is used as a way to get acquainted with someone before starting a more
serious conversation about business or personal matters.
 Canadians tend to be egalitarian and open-minded, which means that they will not hesitate to
share their opinions with you or ask for yours in return.
 The Canadian business culture also emphasizes punctuality: it’s important to arrive on time for
meetings and appointments, and it’s considered rude if you’re late without offering an
explanation.

 NON VERBAL CODES

 Greetings: Anglophones are more likely to shake hands, while Francophones

are more likely to kiss on the cheek or hug.
 Eye Contact: Eye contact can be very important in Canada. It’s not uncommon
to see people making eye contact with one another while talking.
  Dress code: In the workplace, Canadians dress conservatively, with men
wearing suits and ties and women wearing dresses or skirts.
 Body language: Canadians tend to be more reserved than people from other
countries, especially when it comes to expressing their emotions through body
language. This means that they will often use less body language.
 Personal Space: Anglophones tend to have a much larger personal space than
Francophone, who are more likely to be very close when talking.

 AFFILIATION

Representing 250 ethnic origins or ancestries, Canadians are free to practice any religion they
choose. This includes people who adhere to Catholic, Protestant, Christian Orthodox, Muslim,
Buddhist, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu, and many other faiths. Atheism has also been increasing
steadily in recent times, with around 25% of Canadians declaring no religious affiliation.
Historically, the Canadian language, folklore, humors, culinary, art and music have been
influenced mostly by a mixture of British, French, American and its own indigenous cultures
and traditions. Over time, settlers with Caribbean, African and Asian nationalities have added
to the Canadian identity and its culture.
Progressive, diverse, and multicultural. All this and more makes Canada a sought-after
destination for international workers, students and immigrants. Hardly surprising, as of 2021,
Canada is ranked as the #1 country in the world for quality of life..

 NEGOTIATIONS STRATEGIES

Attitudes and Styles – To Canadians, negotiating is usually a joint problem-solving

process. With French-Canadians, however, it may mean engaging in a somewhat more
aggressive debate aimed at Reaching a mutually agreeable solution. While the buyer is
in a superior position, both sides in a business Deal own the responsibility to reach
agreement. They may focus equally on near-term and long-term benefit’s. The primary
negotiation style is cooperative and people may be open to compromising if viewed
Helpful in order to move the negotiation forward. Since Canadians believe in the
concept of win-win, They expect you to reciprocate their respect and trust. They are
often very pragmatic and usually find Compromises both sides can live with. While the
negotiation exchange may include conflicts, you should Keep a positive attitude and
show willingness to work with the other side in an effort to reach agreement.

Pace of Negotiation – Negotiations in Canada often move at a rapid pace. Though

somewhat cautious, Canadians believe in the ‘time is money’ philosophy almost as
strongly as Americans do. Accordingly, Your counterparts will generally want to finish
the negotiation in a timely manner and implementation s soon. Even complex
negotiations may not require more than one trip, as follow-up negotiations are
often conducted via phone and e-mail.
Bargaining – Most Canadians are not overly fond of bargaining and dislike haggling. They
can be tough Negotiators but are usually less aggressive than Americans can be.
Appearing confident and assertive is Essential, though, since facing an apparently
insecure counterpart may encourage Canadians to negotiate harder. State your position
clearly and be willing to push for it as needed.

REFERENCES;

https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/russian-culture/russian-culture-core-concepts
https://www.linkedin.com/advice/0/what-some-strategies-negotiating-vendors-
from#:~:text=Russians%20have%20a%20distinct%20negotiation,or%20change%20their
%20positions%20frequently.

https://www.slideshare.net/ADV20001Group13/canada-cultural-analysis

“Negotiating International Business – The Negotia-Tor’s Reference Guide to 50

Countries Around the World” by Lothar Katz.