High-versus low-Context culture: A comparison of Chinese, Korean, and American cultures

Psychology & MarketingVolume 15, Issue 6 p. 507-521 High-versus low-Context culture: A comparison of Chinese, Korean, and American cultures Donghoon Kim, Corresponding Author Donghoon Kim Yonsei University, Seoul, KoreaYonsei University, Seoul, KoreaSearch for more papers by this authorYigang Pan, Yigang Pan University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403-1217Search for more papers by this authorHeung Soo Park, Heung Soo Park Yonsei University, Seoul, KoreaSearch for more papers by this author Donghoon Kim, Corresponding Author Donghoon Kim Yonsei University, Seoul, KoreaYonsei University, Seoul, KoreaSearch for more papers by this authorYigang Pan, Yigang Pan University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403-1217Search for more papers by this authorHeung Soo Park, Heung Soo Park Yonsei University, Seoul, KoreaSearch for more papers by this author First published: 07 December 1998 https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1520-6793(199809)15:6<507::AID-MAR2>3.0.CO;2-ACitations: 199AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Abstract The potential usefulness of Hall's concept of high- versus low-context cultures to international marketing has been discussed widely. However, implications of this concept in marketing have largely been discussed descriptively and little attempt has been made to empirically compare various cultures in a real setting. In this article the authors report the findings from a cross-cultural study that attempts to show whether Hall's description of the characteristics of high- and low-context cultures can indeed be empirically confirmed. With the use of a survey consisting of 16 items, subjects from three different countries—China, Korea, and the U.S.—representing both high- and low-context cultures, are studied. Overall, the results show that the three cultures differ in a way that is consistent with Hall's conceptualization. Specifically, the Chinese and Korean subjects are shown to exhibit tendencies that are consistent with Hall's description of high-context cultures, and the American subjects are shown to exhibit tendencies that are consistent with low-context cultures. For example, the subjects from China and Korea are found to be more socially oriented, to be more confrontation-avoiding, and to have more trouble dealing with new situations. The article concludes by pointing to a further need for efforts in developing measurement scales for the concept. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Citing Literature Volume15, Issue6September 1998Pages 507-521 RelatedInformation