In any major area of academic study, there are luminaries that one should understand. India, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, low-context approach in business might create additional misunderstandings. With time I actually started to appreciate most of these minutes after meetings and sometimes I dont even take notes any more if I know the lead will send a summary afterwards! Another popular alcoholic drink is the Polish mead which is a honey wine produced in the country since the Middle Ages. When it came to trait affection given, the United States participants reported giving more affection than any of the three other countries. Business is business. The United States ranked 31 out of 39, with Pakistan being number 39. #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, There are a few more myths that I see again and again, and I'd like to dispel them once and for all! Messages may seem direct because Poles believe people should be free to express opinions. 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. In HCC, on the other hand, intention or meaning can best be conveyed through implicit contexts, including gestures, social customs, silence, nuance, or tone of voice.20 Table 6.3.1 further explores the differences between low-context and high-context cultures. As a manager, take time to articulate specific tasks and check with employees to demonstrate the importance of the employee and the project. 33 The sixth cultural characteristic is called indulgence vs. restraint, which examines issues of happiness and wellbeing. 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. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. #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, Which one - peach or coconut - do you feel closer to yourself? Originally, the concept of face is not a Western even though the idea of saving face is pretty common in every day talk today. Households in the second quintile had incomes between $20,600 and $39,764, those in the third quintile had incomes between $39,765 and $64,582, and those in the fourth quintile had incomes between $64,583 and $104,096. Conversely, low-context One of the biggest differences between cultures is the method by which we communicate. The United States is number one on individualism, according to Hofstedes data.27 Americans are considered individualistic. Finally, the researchers examined affection given and received with regards to Hofstedes work. Feedback must be handled carefully, and many Poles may not feel comfortable evaluating those above them. Face-negotiation theory ultimately concerned with three different types of face: self-face (concern for our face), other-face (concern for another persons face), and mutual-face (concern for both interactants and the relationship).39 As you can see from Ting-Toomeys last assumption in her theory above, individuals who are competent in facework can recognize when facework is necessary and then handle those situations appropriately, effectively, and adaptively. There are still emotional difficulties involved of course, but it is technically easier to focus on facts than to understand the communication based on hundreds years of complicated history and customs. Most Asian countries are considered collectivistic cultures because these cultures tend to be group-focused. Dismissal is governed by the laws of the EU. Poland is a member of the European Union, NATO, the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. 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. In 2017, Daniel H. Mansson and Alds G. Sigurardttir set out to examine the concept of trait affection in relation to Hofstedes theoretical framework. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. there. Documents should all be translated into Polish even if negotiations are in English. Uncertainty avoidance then involves the extent to which cultures as a whole are fearful of ambiguous and unknown situations. Most often, in cultures which are closer to the Direct side of the spectrum, you can expect that what is being said has the most value. "In high-context culture, people tend to personalize their disagreement with others. When realising the way the British work, I managed to easily adjust to their style. Formal In such a culture, conformism, the. Speedway is extremely popular in Poland and the Polish Extraleague attracts the greatest number of spectators among all sports played in the country. Although English is the language of business, it is best to have all contracts and documents translated into Polish. What is important to remember when analysing these graphs is that we cant definitely say whether a culture IS a low or high context. In Table 6.3.1, we broke down issues of context into three general categories: communication, cultural orientation, and business. The headgear consists of a floral wreath in the case of unmarried women while the married ones tie a white kerchief. If youre interested I would be happy to continue that topic and describe the possible challenges of moving both of these ways. Geert Hofstedes research created a taxonomy for understanding and differentiating cultures. It includes language (countries using Anglo-Saxon ones are usually closer to the low-context, Asian countries lean clearly more towards the high-context) and history (high-context cultures tend to have a longer shared history than low-context cultures). You can read a short introduction to the series here. The Polish also love playing volleyball and the country has a history of participation in several international competitions of this game. Being an American and moving from a lower context culture to a higher context culture, you will experience different emotions and challenges than moving from higher context culture to the lower one. It is crucial that we compare the cultures in relation to each other on the graph. Some cultures, notably the French and Italians, tend toward deductive arguments, focusing on theories and complex concepts before presenting a fact, statement, or opinion. During an interpersonal interaction, individuals strive to create a positive version of their face for the other person. The other countries did not differ from each other with regard to trait affection given. The traditional clothing of the Polish people varies greatly with their location in the country. Poland, and the United States. 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. Working with people from low context culture . These include particular types of body language, a person's social or familial standing, and the tone of voice used when speaking. Flicking one finger against your neck is an invitation to join someone for a drink. Companies who decide to hire locally should be prepared to have translators present during interviews. High-context cultures typically lack explicitly stated or written regulations. What could you do at that point to help rebuild that persons face? Other national heroes include: John Paul II, Lech Walesa, Nicolaus Copernicus and Frederic Chopin. Individualism-collectivism shapes members preferences for self-oriented facework versus other-oriented facework. Meetings generally start on time. We cannot escape it; however, some people are more prone to becoming fearful in situations that are ambiguous or unknown. During communist rule, educational and economic advancement of the Polish worker and peasants were fostered. Poland has a lively music scene with the roots of the countrys music being traced as far back as the 13th century. Poles gesticulate a great deal while speaking to make their point. He ended up more comfortable and confident when it comes to talking about emotions, with a tool to help him actually name what he's feeling, and empowered to reach for his professional goals. All Rights Reserved. This is most common for women, but some men also embrace and kiss. #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, Are you a global leader who has these topics on your mind recently, but not yet sure of the 'how'? An hour later I got an email from the person leading the meeting with a list of tasks assigned to each person and description of each of them. In general, for me as a Polish person UK approach doesnt seem extremely far away from what Im used to. A high-context culture is a culture or society that communicates dominantly through the use of contextual elements, such as specific forms of body language, the status of an individual, and. South Korea, Canada, England, Saudi Arabia, What statement best describes a high power distance culture?, T/F: Cultures with a strong uncertainty avoidance orientation sense that uncertainty in life is a continuous threat that must be fought. In my opinion switching from high-context culture to a low-context one is much easier, technically, than the other way around. Like China, Brazil is a high-context culture. A high-context culture relies on implicit communication and nonverbal cues. Other religions practiced in the country include Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. 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]. They may have the respect of their subordinates who complete tasks for them, but younger employees may not trust them to respond to the demands of modern business. This is my favourite post on Polonization blog, but I recommend it allto be honest. But respect for hierarchy of seniority and position is practiced. Outstanding Polish literature was produced in the 20th century and the Avant-Garde experimentation played an important role during this time. Poles are good listeners, and may listen thoroughly before responding. Some everyday Polish foods include kiebasa (a type of sausage), pierogi (filled dumplings), pyzy (dough balls filled with meat), kopytka (potato dumpling), gobki (cabbage leaves wrapped around meat and rice), bigos (stewed meat and cabbage), etc. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions 2023 worldatlas.com. To do that, I needed to put the relationship-approach aside and realise that whether the person was sending minutes after the meeting or not had nothing to do with trust. After the country lost its sovereignty in the 19th century, Romantic literature flourished in the country. As you can imagine, depending on the type of culture you live in, you will have wildly different social interactions with other people. Several types of soups like ros, flaki, and zupa ogrkowa are also part of the Polish cuisine. Children are taught to be polite and the Polish society stresses a lot on polite behavior. Looking forward to hearing your story! Short-term oriented cultures, on the other hand, tend to focus on both the past and the present. )%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. The Poles place great importance on gentle manners and graceful behavior. Wincenty Kadubek, Gallus Anonymus, and Jan Dugosz were some of the famous Middle Age Polish authors. Poland is bordered by 7 countries and the Baltic Sea. Some interesting findings associated with indulgence include experiencing higher levels of positive emotions and remembering those emotions for more extended periods. It includes a broad literature review that describes management styles in Poland and draws some comparisons to other countries. Generally Polish employees are motivated by the recognition of good performance, a more visible position with a higher title, the opportunity to work in a company that is contributing to the modernization of Poland, a chance to develop good relationships with colleagues, and by incentives that allow them to spend more leisure time with family and friends. Link to sign up in bio. Employees may withhold discussing problems for a long time before finally raising them. 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. A high-context culture relies on implicit communication and nonverbal cues. Expect employees to be willing to share opinions, though it may be in an indirect, but insistent manner. One of Halls most essential contributions to the field of intercultural communication is the idea of low-context and high-context cultures. A traditional Polish meal starts with soup (zupa), followed by a main course with meat (cutlets) served with cooked (boiled) potatoes or dumplings. Polish literature developed and evolved since the arrival of Christianity in Poland. The Polish version of Santa, Mikolaj visits children on Christmas Eve or on December 6th to shower them with gifts. Dress, manner-isms, relationships, meeting setting and hierarchy all contrib-ute to the way a message may be delivered and interpreted. Decisions come from the top, but only after managers can demonstrate consensus has been reached by their teams. DM me with 'GLOBAL LEADER' and I'll share with you how I support international leaders in their ability to work well across cultures. 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 The order of affection received was (in order of the most trait affection received) United States, Denmark, Poland, and Iceland. Its important to understand that for an American for instance (America is located to the very left of the scale, by the low-context), both British and Polish cultures may seem very high-context and combining that with a tendency to use sarcastic humour cultural shock guaranteed! Lace-up boots and a coral bead necklace complete the look. You may be wondering, by this point, how low-context and high-context cultures differ across different countries. 30.04.2021 - Radio broadcast (no. With time after the move, some innocent guilt-tripping began too. Lets briefly look at each of these. I think I have been a coconut for a long time, but since living in the UK I embraced some more of the peachiness According to this theory, a high context (HC) culture, such as Japan, is characterized by nonverbal communication and meanings shared implicitly by speaker/listener that are highly dependent on the context. High-context cultures will use communication that focuses on underlying context, meaning, and tone in the message, and not just the words themselves. High-Context Cultures. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. During Christmas in Poland, the Poles hold grand Christmas feasts at their homes and share the food with family members. Polish art has been a blend of European trends with indigenous influence. DRIVE is your motivation and level of curiosity for multicultural interactions. 6: Cultural and Environmental Factors in Interpersonal Communication, Book: Interpersonal Communication - A Mindful Approach to Relationships (Wrench et al. Expect polite formality at initial meetings; warmer interactions take place after relationships and trust have been established. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 46(2), 161-172. https://doi.org/10.1080/17475759.2017.1292944. When Poles are comfortable with you and you are part of their private circle, communication can be more outspoken, direct and even cynical. The Catholic Church is core to everyday life. Homes are generally very small, so there is not a great deal of personal space in the home. Exchange of business cards is important. During the middle of the conversation, you have a feeling that your interactional partner is losing face. His book Beyond Culture is still considered one of the most influential books for the field of intercultural communication.17,18 According to Hall, all cultures incorporate both verbal and nonverbal elements into communication. Pregnancy is kept secret as long as possible to guard against the evil eye. The national dances of the country are Oberek, Mazurek, Krakowiak, and Kjawiak. Management in high-and low-context cultures - Poland and Korea in the light of empirical research. Don't hesitate to ask clarifying questions if the intent is not clear or the message sounds confusing. In other words, collectivistic cultures focus on how the group can grow and be productive. 45 Lien represents the confidence of society in the integrity of egos moral character, the loss of which makes it impossible for him to function properly within the community. IOR collects cookies to improve your experience on our website. 2023 IOR Global Services. People say what they mean and mean what they say. A person's culture shapes their beliefs, as well as the way they express themselves through communication. 3. 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. With time, I reached a point where I managed to organise myself in a way that allowed me to still keep in touch with people I wanted to stay in close touch with (scheduled online calls - because 'let's catch up' just doesn't ever work well enough) and visit relatively often. With class, many cultures have three clear segments low, middle, and upper. Fluid Time Business is still largely based on relationships. What is Poland culture? Wigilia is a popular Christmas Eve supper consumed in Poland. What am I going to do without you!'. I would like to close this article with a recommendation as I feel like it can really be an interesting read for you. Easter is also celebrated with great fun in the country. Is it tiring? and more. Wojewdztwo promuje take ofert turystyki zdrowotnej. Today, many companies have goal-setting, 360 feedback, and training programs. In 1924, the novel Chopi won Wadysaw Reymont a Nobel Prize in Literature. Relationship Focused Messages are both spoken and read between the lines. and also 'Oh wow, noo, you're leaving? The next category identified by Hofstede involves the concept of uncertainty avoidance.30 Life is full of uncertainty. In the past, men and women who crossed their marriageable age (twenty for women and late 20s for men) were subjected to mockery. This may take several group and one-on-one meetings. Poles are also used to less personal space in public, and they offer help to one another on trams, busses and in other public locations. High-Context Cultures. Each of the participants (culturally diverse team) was making notes on their particular tasks as well as general goals of the project. 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. In this section, were going to examine three important luminaries that have helped shape our understanding of culture and intercultural communication: Edward T. Hall, Geert Hofsteded, and Stella Ting-Toomey. Among the non-alcoholic beverages, the Kompot is an indigenous drink that is produced by boiling one or more types of fruits with or without the addition of sugar and spices. If you are from a high context culture and working with someone from a low context culture, focus on the content of the message without looking for hidden meaning. 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. 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?) Messages are often implied but not plainly expressed.. To determine power differences within a culture, Hofstede originally was able to examine cultural value survey data that had been collected by IBM. Emotionally Expressive What does that mean? While working in multicultural teams therefore important to state the fact that there are currently various cultures involved in the project. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Think through Geert Hofstedes six categories used to evaluate differing cultures and apply Hofstedes ideas to your co-culture.