Petplan is a corporation with the majority of its employees representing low-contextculture. Yet, the world is diverse, and multiple countries have different perceptions of communication. Relationships between service providers and customers also depend upon the respect of cultural distinctions. For the successful implementation of its expansion strategy, Petplan should consider the specifics of operating in high-context cultures without risking its reputation by neglecting to learn collectivist methods of communication.
The first distinction between the two types of culture that should be taken into account is the expression of emotions. Whereas western civilization is built upon the public displays of personal attitudes and is more conflict-friendly, low-context cultures are the opposite (Bai, 2016). For instance, if Petplan starts working in China, its corporate representatives ought to remember that Chinese customers will avoid direct confrontation but will manifest their displeasure in more subtle ways, refusing to cooperate.
The second cultural subtlety to consider is differences in communication. Low-context cultures prioritize verbal messages, where most of the meaning is conveyed via words (Bai, 2016). In contrast, the Japanese also communicate through non-verbal dialogue. Petplan should carefully consider the image of its advertisements since even details as small as the choice of color can affect the attitude of representatives of low-cost cultures. Despite the number of words describing the quality of the corporation’s services, the new clients will structure their behavior according to the non-verbal clues.
Time perception is one more characteristic that varies between the two types of cultures. Individualistic countries perceive time as a limited resource, which should be used with maximum efficiency, while collectivist consciousness welcomes the diversity of activities without focusing on one (Bai, 2016). The subsequent implication for Petplan is that if it were to enter the Indian market, the managers should be aware of a different conception of time. Customers being late for a meeting is a regular practice in high-context cultures.
Altogether, it is evident that high-context cultures are the opposite of their counterparts. Western societies express emotions freely, while eastern are more inhibited. Individualistic countries emphasize words in communication, while collectivist people pay attention to non-verbal signals. Low-context cultures value time, while high-context ones are not as meticulous. Petplan should consider such cultural discrepancies to successfully communicate with foreign clients.
Reference
Bai, H. (2016). A cross-cultural analysis of advertisements from high-context cultures and low-context cultures. English Language Teaching, 9(8), 21-27. Web.