Crosscultural Online Communication - Articles
Article 1: Gudykunst & Ting-Toomey 1988
Verbal communication styles (armchair research)
Individuals learn the norms and rules of interaction through the language socialisation
process
1. Appropriate interactional behaviour in specific contexts
2. Attaining goals and meeting needs
3. Expressing intentions and wishes
4 verbal communication styles
Direct -vs- indirect
‘The extend to which speakers reveal their intentions, wants and needs’
Direct: honesty and openness
Indirect: group harmony and face honouring
Elaborate -vs- succinct
‘The quantity of talk that is valued in different cultures’
Elaborate style: rich, expressive language
Exacting style: contribution is neither less or more info than required
Succinct style: understatements, pauses, silences
Personal -vs- contextual
‘Verbal personal style is individual-centered language, while verbal contextual style is role-
centered language’
Instrumental -vs- affective
‘An instrumental communication is characterised by goal oriented and sender-oriented
language, as opposed to an affective style where communication is receiver-oriented and
process-oriented’
Criticism of Gudykunst & Ting-Toomey
1. Cultural attribution error
2. Overlap in dimensions
3. Unclear definitions of dimensions, linking language expression styles
4. Tendentious, not based on empirical research
, Relationship between cultural dimensions and communication styles
Cultural dimensions High context Low context
Collectivism Indirect style
Affective style
Individualism Direct style
Instrumental style
Low uncertainty avoidance Exacting style
Middle uncertainty Elaborate style
avoidance
High uncertainty avoidance Succinct style
Low power distance <-> Personal style
High power distance <-> Contextual style
Article 1: Gudykunst & Ting-Toomey 1988
Verbal communication styles (armchair research)
Individuals learn the norms and rules of interaction through the language socialisation
process
1. Appropriate interactional behaviour in specific contexts
2. Attaining goals and meeting needs
3. Expressing intentions and wishes
4 verbal communication styles
Direct -vs- indirect
‘The extend to which speakers reveal their intentions, wants and needs’
Direct: honesty and openness
Indirect: group harmony and face honouring
Elaborate -vs- succinct
‘The quantity of talk that is valued in different cultures’
Elaborate style: rich, expressive language
Exacting style: contribution is neither less or more info than required
Succinct style: understatements, pauses, silences
Personal -vs- contextual
‘Verbal personal style is individual-centered language, while verbal contextual style is role-
centered language’
Instrumental -vs- affective
‘An instrumental communication is characterised by goal oriented and sender-oriented
language, as opposed to an affective style where communication is receiver-oriented and
process-oriented’
Criticism of Gudykunst & Ting-Toomey
1. Cultural attribution error
2. Overlap in dimensions
3. Unclear definitions of dimensions, linking language expression styles
4. Tendentious, not based on empirical research
, Relationship between cultural dimensions and communication styles
Cultural dimensions High context Low context
Collectivism Indirect style
Affective style
Individualism Direct style
Instrumental style
Low uncertainty avoidance Exacting style
Middle uncertainty Elaborate style
avoidance
High uncertainty avoidance Succinct style
Low power distance <-> Personal style
High power distance <-> Contextual style
