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Communication Differences Across Cultures
4) Informing a superior about something that is going on.
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Meaning in a Direct Culture:
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Asking for some kind of intervention or help. Direct communicators may interpret this as a request for a solution or some kind of assistance and offer help where none is needed or wanted by the speaker. |
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Meaning in an Indirect Culture:
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Being respectful to a superior by keeping him/ her informed of routine goings-on. Indirect communicators might interpret such a conversation as a routine update, a common courtesy to the bosses who like to know everything that's going on-and fail to offer help that was, in fact, being requested by the speaker. |
5) Qualified answers. (Examples: "Probably", "I think so", "I'm almost sure", "There's a good possibility.")
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Meaning in a Direct Culture:
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Suggesting the likelihood that the thing will happen. Direct communicators interpret these literally as affirmations, when often they are, in fact, polite ways of saying the opposite of what the words mean. |
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Meaning in an Indirect Culture:
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The person is not in agreement with or positive about the matter and doesn't want to say so. Indirect communicators hearing these words would take them as polite "No's" when, in fact, they may be meant literally, as near affirmations. |
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