For lunch, you meet a foreign executive who will decide whether to sign a contract with your company. You open by explaining you're the company's senior technical expert, you've won several awards, and you're well acquainted with the executive's company. The executive nods throughout. When lunch concludes, you hand her a contract. Rather than sign, the executive smiles politely and agrees to consider the offer. Most likely, the executive comes from what kind of culture?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

High-context cultures rely heavily on non-verbal cues and the context of the communication rather than just the words spoken. The executive's polite smile and agreement to consider the offer, rather than directly signing, suggest a preference for indirect communication and understanding beyond the explicit words, typical of high-context cultures.

For Lunch, You Meet a Foreign Executive Who Will Decide