How we change what others think, feel, believe and do

Hall's cultural factors

Explanations > Culture > Hall's cultural factors

Time | Context | Space | So what?

Edward T. Hall was an anthropologist who made early discoveries of key cultural factors. In particular he is known for his high and low context cultural factors.

Context

High context

In a high-context culture, there are many contextual elements that help people to understand the rules. As a result, much is taken for granted.

This can be very confusing for person who does not understand the 'unwritten rules' of the culture.

Low context

In a low-context culture, very little is taken for granted. Whilst this means that more explanation is needed, it also means there is less chance of misunderstanding particularly when visitors are present.

Contrasting the two

French contracts tend to be short (in physical length, not time duration) as much of the information is available within the high-context French culture. American content, on the other hand, is low-context and so contracts tend to be longer in order to explain the detail.

Highly mobile environments where people come and go need lower-context culture. With a stable population, however, a higher context culture may develop.

Note the similarity with Trompenaars' Universalism (low context) and Particularism (high context).

Time

Monochronic time

M-Time, as he called it, means doing one thing at a time. It assumes careful planning and scheduling and is a familiar Western approach that appears in disciplines such as 'time management'.

Monochronic people tend also to be low context.

Polychronic time

In Polychronic cultures, human interaction is valued over time and material things, leading to a lesser concern for 'getting things done' -- they do get done, but more in their own time.

Aboriginal and Native Americans have typical polychronic cultures, where 'talking stick' meetings can go on for as long as somebody has something to say.

Polychronic people tend also to be high context.

Contrasting the two

Western cultures vary in their focus on monochronic or polychronic time. Americans are strongly monochronic whilst the French have a much greater polychronic tendency -- thus a French person may turn up to a meeting late and think nothing of it (much to the annoyance of a German or American co-worker).

Note the similarity with Trompenaars' time as sequence (monochronic) and time as synchronization (polychronic).

Australian Aboriginal people will say that they belong to the land rather than the other way around. Before we scotch this, we should remember that they have thrived in harsh conditions for thousands of years. Western society, on the other hand has shown much barbarity over ownership of land.

So what?

When working across cultures, pay attention to high and low cultures through the actions of others. For example if people are late for meetings it may be because they are polychronic, not because they are disrespectful or lazy.

When you understand the personal, national or organizational culture, then you can seek to align with them and hence gain greater influence.

References

Hall, E.T. (1959). The Silent Language, New York: Doubleday

Hall, E.T. (1966). The Hidden Dimension, New York: Doubleday

Hall, E.T. (1976). Beyond Culture, New York: Doubleday

Hall, E.T. (1983). The Dance of Life, The Other Dimension of Time, New York: Doubleday

Hall, E.T. (1985). Hidden Differences: Studies in International Communication, Hamburg: Grunder and Jahr

Hall, E.T. (1990). Hidden Differences: Doing Business with the Japanese, Garden City, NY: Anchor Press/ Doubleday

Hall, E.T. (1990). Understanding Cultural Differences, Germans, French and Americans, Yarmouth: Intercultural Press

See also

The Managerial Grid, Trompenaars' and Hampden-Turner's cultural factors