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CMA Foundation · Fundamentals of Business Laws and Business Communication · Intercultural and International Business Communication

A Chennai software firm's manager notices that his Japanese partners rarely say a direct 'no' and instead say 'it will be difficult'. This is an example of communication in a:

This is a high-context culture. In such cultures, meaning is conveyed through implied cues, tone and the situation rather than explicit words, so a refusal is softened as 'it will be difficult'. Low-context cultures would state the 'no' directly.

  1. ALow-context culture, where meaning is stated explicitly in words
  2. BHigh-context culture, where meaning relies heavily on implied cues and the situationCorrect
  3. CCulture with no rules for communication
  4. DCulture that depends only on written contracts

Explanation

In high-context cultures such as Japan, much of the meaning is conveyed through context, tone and indirect expressions, so refusals are softened. Low-context cultures prefer explicit, direct statements, which is the opposite of what is described.

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