Intercultural Communication Theory

Intercultural communication occurs whenever a message that is produced in one culture is interpreted in another culture. To understand the dynamics of intercultural communication, one must first understand the concepts of culture and communication. The concept of culture has many different definitions. Yet most definitions accept that culture is a learned collective or group process that is tied to communication. Communication is a meaning-making process. Intercultural communication, then, is all about making meaning of the messages from a different culture.

The 21st century is a century of rapid changes in technology, trade, and communication. Both large and small organizations now operate in intercultural environments. For instance, American companies now have subsidiaries all over the world. Likewise, companies from other parts of the world have business relationships with the United States. Public relations practitioners must understand the fundamentals of intercultural communication. Practitioners, both in the United States and abroad, should become familiar with how public relations can be explained and improved upon by a consideration of intercultural communication theories.

The ways in which organizations can effectively communicate with international publics depend on a variety of cultural and societal forces. These cultural and societal variations will affect the communication between international organizations and the publics in the host nations. Extensive research shows the similarities and differences between cultures, and many researchers agree that context is one of the most useful theories for understanding intercultural communication. The theory of context is foundational for understanding the various cultural differences that influence interpersonal communication. Context is most easily understood as the situation or environment that encompasses a communicative interaction. By understanding the context of the situation, the parties gain the meaning and cues that guide people in how to act [Page 429]and react in an interpersonal encounter. Edward Hall (1984) identified two types of context. Highcontext cultures, such as those in Asia and Latin America, are characterized by communication that is driven by the cues of both the situation and the relationship between the parties. In a high context the parties evaluate the environment and understand the meaning of the situation without too many words being spoken. Personal and professional relationships in these high-context societies have very little room for negotiation. These roles (superior, subordinate, partner, member) dictate the tone and content of the communication; when people do not know each other very well, they rely on very polite and formal communication. In low-context cultures, such as the United States and Germany, the tone and content of the communication is literally what is being spoken or written. People from lowcontext cultures generally seek certainty in their understanding of the situation by relying on spoken words, written documents, and formal agreements. In low-context cultures, the meanings that guide people's understandings of the situation are in the words, not the situation.

The theory of context offers several applications for public relations practitioners. In the highercontext cultures, individuals act out a particular role—manager, technician, or client—and little or no clarification is needed regarding tasks. In lowcontext cultures, public relations practitioners may need to ask more questions and seek verbal or written agreements.

...