Customers with long standing are given priority over new customers. The top 5 percent had incomes of $191,157 or more.25. People say what they mean and mean what they say. During Christmas in Poland, the Poles hold grand Christmas feasts at their homes and share the food with family members. His book Beyond Culture is still considered one of the most influential books for the field of intercultural communication.17,18 According to Hall, all cultures incorporate both verbal and nonverbal elements into communication. In 1988, intercultural communication research Stella Ting-Toomey developed face-negotiation theory to help explain the importance of face within interpersonal interactions.37 The basic idea behind face-negotiation theory is that face-saving, conflict, and culture are all intertwined. Several other festivals and holidays are also celebrated in Poland. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 46(2), 161-172. https://doi.org/10.1080/17475759.2017.1292944. In such a culture, conformism, the. The father holds absolute authority and must be obeyed by the children. - Our Planet Today on April 20, 2022 Is Poland a high or low context culture? When Poles are comfortable with you and you are part of their private circle, communication can be more outspoken, direct and even cynical. The first of Geert Hofstedes original dimensions of national cultures was power distance, or the degree to which those people and organizations with less power within a culture accept and expect that power is unequally distributed within their culture. The emphasis on endurance is vital because being persistent today will help you in the future. Documents should all be translated into Polish even if negotiations are in English. For example, an invitation to a party would be addressed to Mr. Employees may withhold discussing problems for a long time before finally raising them. If something was not clear, the team was asking clarifying questions easily. Shaking hands is the most common business greeting. We had tables for each region or country and coordinating the event preparation and lists of invitees with our recruiting colleagues from the participating offices. When it came to trait affection given, the United States participants reported giving more affection than any of the three other countries. Hierarchy yes it is a high context culture! Generally Polish employees are motivated by the recognition of good performance, a more visible position with a higher title, the opportunity to work in a company that is contributing to the modernization of Poland, a chance to develop good relationships with colleagues, and by incentives that allow them to spend more leisure time with family and friends. In his work, "Beyond Culture", Hall described these two different types of cultural relationships as they applied to information. Pickles and sauerkraut are popular side dishes and dessert options will often include ice cream, cheesecake, apple pie and "makowiec", a poppy-seed cake. The top five most masculine countries are Slovakia, Japan, Hungary, Austria, and Venezuela (the U.S. is number 19 out of 76); whereas, feminine countries are represented by Sweden, Norway, Latvia, Netherlands, and Denmark. According to Hsien Chin Hu, the concept of face stems from two distinct Chinese words, lien and mien-tzu. Theres also a massive difference in the approach to marriage. Fluid Time Well, typical. Collectivistic cultures tend to think about actions that might affect the entire group rather than specific members of the group. The United States ranks 64th out of 76 countries analyzed (Singapore was number 76). Others are who gets educated and what type of education they receive, who gets health care and what type, and what types of occupations do those with power have versus those who do not have power. Low-context cultures are cultures where the emphasis is placed on the words that come out of an individuals mouth. Although Poland and England are not so far away from each other on the communication scale, I had moments when low-context behaviours were annoying for me. High-context cultures will use communication that focuses on underlying context, meaning, and tone in the message, and not just the words themselves. The elements of culture, and the high and low context cultures in Hofstede's dimensions of culture will affect customer services offered and customer buying behavior. I really like how loud you play your music. or Aah, sorry, I cant be friends with someone who doesnt drink tea) know that, been (or still am?) High-context cultures: Much of the society's communication takes place through . Another popular alcoholic drink is the Polish mead which is a honey wine produced in the country since the Middle Ages. The earliest culture of Poland traces its origin to the culture of the Early Slavs who settled in the country. I can feel the differences of course, but its nothing extremely surprising rather something you need to get used to. However, their significance has nearly been eliminated in the modern Polish society. If youre interested I would be happy to continue that topic and describe the possible challenges of moving both of these ways. I have to admit, I can't remember exactly the moment I told my close ones about the move abroad, it all happened so quickly in my case Repetition is appreciated if it helps clarify the communication, High-context: Good communication is sophisticated, nuanced, and layered. However, in collectivistic cultures, a person would answer in terms of the group, organization, and/or corporation that they serve. 3. Does it mean that I sometimes go there and back for just the weekend? The Renaissance period also witnessed the production of great literary works by the Polish authors and poets. This is most common for women, but some men also embrace and kiss. #expatcoaching #expatlife #livingabroad #expatcoach #workingabroad #lifeabroad #workabroad #careerabroad #internationallife #internationalcareer #globalcareer #globallife #globalleaders #culturalawareness #selfawareness #selfgrowth #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #culturalcompetence #movingabroad #zyciezagranica #zycienaemigracji #pracazagranica #rozwojosobisty #polacyzagranica. Contracts can take months to negotiate. Close friends greet each other very affectionately with hugging and kisses on the cheeks. It is crucial that we compare the cultures in relation to each other on the graph. Moreover, in a collectivistic culture, there is a belief that you should do what benefits the group. All who are present are free to participate; however, in some cases rules of hierarchy mean that senior level people speak first and subordinates will speak when they know it is appropriate. I didn't tell many people about me looking for a job abroad, so for some it was somewhat surprising. An hour later I got an email from the person leading the meeting with a list of tasks assigned to each person and description of each of them. The same is true of thrift. And yet they hurt. In emailing, running workshops, structuring the work and presentations its important that all the ideas are stated clearly, asking clarifying questions is encouraged. High-Context Cultures. DRIVE is your motivation and level of curiosity for multicultural interactions. Striving for everyone to have equal rights is an important theme. Christianity is the dominant religion in Poland with about 92.2% of Poles being Roman Catholics. Short-term oriented cultures, on the other hand, tend to focus on both the past and the present. Poland is in the middle on the scale, closer to low-context which doesn't mean it is easer for us to adjust. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Also, my personal preferences come into play, which are closer to the low-context part of the scale. Poles consider themselves independent and self-disciplined. Its a real life example from my first job in London where I was a campus recruiter and was organising an international event for students studying in the UK but wanting to work for our office in other parts of the world. Attendees should wait to be told where to sit. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. DM me with the word 'AD HOC' and I'll reply with the details of how you can schedule yourself in for that! Working with people from low context culture . Although English is the language of business, it is best to have all contracts and documents translated into Polish. Site Name: UK - London - Brentford, Warsaw Posted Date: Mar 2 2023 HR Business Partner Poland and Austria & HR Country Head Austria Job purpose: HR Business Partner Poland and Austria & HR Country Head Austria will partner with the commercial business to adapt and effectively execute the people plan, leveraging their local context and expertise, to ensure the effective deployment of the GSK HR . Use titles and surnames until invited to use first names. Another form of respectful greeting is a brief, shallow bow. It includes language (countries using Anglo-Saxon ones are usually closer to the low-context, Asian countries lean clearly more towards the high-context) and history (high-context cultures tend to have a longer shared history than low-context cultures). According to Hofstedes most recent data, the five countries with the highest power distances are: Malaysia, Slovakia, Guatemala, Panama, and the Philippines.26 The five countries with the lowest power distances are Austria, Israel, Denmark, New Zealand, and Switzerland (German-speaking part). All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions 2023 worldatlas.com. High-context cultures have a lot of unwritten rules that govern communication and interaction. Originally, the concept of face is not a Western even though the idea of saving face is pretty common in every day talk today. Today, many companies have goal-setting, 360 feedback, and training programs. Households in the second quintile had incomes between $20,600 and $39,764, those in the third quintile had incomes between $39,765 and $64,582, and those in the fourth quintile had incomes between $64,583 and $104,096. Family provides the foundation for endurance andperseverance, Each family member must take responsibility for self andfamily, Hierarchy helps structure roles and reduce uncertainty, Traditionally male dominated society, slowly changing. Fluid Time I hope that at this point you more or less get the idea of what the Communication Scale involves. But respect for hierarchy of seniority and position is practiced. Expect polite formality at initial meetings; warmer interactions take place after relationships and trust have been established. Companies who decide to hire locally should be prepared to have translators present during interviews. Messages are communicated in many ways. As a manager, take time to articulate specific tasks and check with employees to demonstrate the importance of the employee and the project. The concept of face is especially problematic in emotionally vulnerable situations (such as embarrassment, request, or conflict situations) when the situation identities of the communicators are called into question. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Hofstede also refers to these tendencies as being more assertive. Poland has a lively music scene with the roots of the countrys music being traced as far back as the 13th century. In the most recent version of her theory, Stella Ting-Toomey outlines seven basic factors of face-negotiation theory: First and foremost, communication and face are highly intertwined concepts, so when coming to an intercultural encounter, it is important to remember the interrelationship between the two. Geography Communication in Polish society is ' low context ', meaning that they usually speak frankly and can be very direct when it comes to saying 'no'. A high-context culture relies on implicit communication and nonverbal cues. Several types of soups like ros, flaki, and zupa ogrkowa are also part of the Polish cuisine. But the Brazilian culture presents some particularities that McDonald's marketing team seem very aware of. Witold Lutosawski and Henryk Grecki are two of the most famous Polish classical Modern Composers. In the past, HR was seen as a channel for instilling the goals of the communist party. However, over the years, the traditional views have changed and marriages are now based more on the consent of couples than the family and divorces have also become more common than before. An effigy of Marzanna is drowned in the river to signify the end of the ills of the winter season. For this study, the researchers studied 606 participants in four different countries: Denmark, Iceland, Poland, and the United States. yes it is a high context culture! 2023 IOR Global Services. Don't hesitate to ask clarifying questions if the intent is not clear or the message sounds confusing. Messages are both spoken and read between the lines. Learn more about how different cultures rely on high or low levels of context in their communication overall. Poles are also used to less personal space in public, and they offer help to one another on trams, busses and in other public locations. Messages are often implied but not plainly expressed.. A society is called feminine when emotional gender roles overlap: both men and women are supposed to be modest, tender, and concerned with quality of life [emphasis in original]. In the modern times, the folk dances are usually performed by dance companies on special occasions like cultural and religious festivals or four tourism purposes. Small enterprises have the flexibility to move more quickly. Feedback must be handled carefully, and many Poles may not feel comfortable evaluating those above them. #expatcoaching #expatlife #livingabroad #expatcoach #workingabroad #lifeabroad #workabroad #careerabroad #internationallife #internationalcareer #globalcareer #globallife #globalleaders #culturalawareness #selfawareness #selfgrowth #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #culturalcompetence #movingabroad #zyciezagranica #zycienaemigracji #pracazagranica #rozwojosobisty #polacyzagranica, Lets laugh at language misunderstandings together! Its always great to get another perspective on cultural differences! High-context: "Good communication is sophisticated, nuanced, and layered. For example, in a high-context culture, you may rely more on subtlety, but it's incumbent upon you to be direct in a low-context culture. Imagine youre having an interaction with an individual from India. Geert Hofstedes research created a taxonomy for understanding and differentiating cultures. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Individualistic, but with a large emphasis on family as an extension of the individual. Such a good opportunity!' Exchange of business cards is important. A variety of other sports like basketball, hockey, swimming, weightlifting, boxing, etc., are played in the country. Generally there is low tolerance for ambiguity and people require detailed explanation and understanding before making decisions. The United States ranked 31 out of 39, with Pakistan being number 39. Wojewdztwo promuje take ofert turystyki zdrowotnej. The society in Poland exhibited a high degree of stratification before 1939. Over the years, Hofstede and his fellow researchers have regularly collected additional data from around the world to make his conceptualization of six cultural differences one of the most widely studied concepts of culture. Swoim okrgiem konsularnym konsulat obejmuje Wojewdztwo . We also acknowledge previous National Science Foundation support under grant numbers 1246120, 1525057, and 1413739. Conversely, low-context 29. If yes - start developing your cultural intelligence! The Drowning of Marzanna is a festival held to bid farewell to winter and welcome spring. Always, and I hate travelling that often and being tired Is it worth it for these relationships? Polish literature developed and evolved since the arrival of Christianity in Poland. Outstanding Polish literature was produced in the 20th century and the Avant-Garde experimentation played an important role during this time. Younger managers are beginning to adopt a less hierarchical, more results-driven manner of managing teams. Concerts are held and carols are sung throughout the country on New Years Day. In his 1959 book, The Silent Language, Hall states, culture is communication and communication is culture.19 In the previous chapter, we talked about the importance of nonverbal communication. Mikoaj z Radomia was the first noted Polish composer who lived in the 15th century. Hofstede refers to this as being more relationally oriented. Furthermore, there tend to be higher levels of prejudice and higher levels of ideological, political, and religious fundamentalism, which does not allow for any kind of debate. What is Poland culture? While working in multicultural teams therefore important to state the fact that there are currently various cultures involved in the project. Professional titles are used. Why would you want to do this at all. These include particular types of body language, a person's social or familial standing, and the tone of voice used when speaking. Wojewdztwo pomorskie - wojewdztwo znajdujce si w pnocnej czci kraju. The history and customs of the country are well reflected by the Jan Matejko inspired Historicist painting of Krakw school. The Catholic Church is core to everyday life. However, it is sometimes challenging for outsiders to understand the real message in the communication because people may talk around the main issue and expect the real meaning will be understood. During communist rule, educational and economic advancement of the Polish worker and peasants were fostered. Additionally, there is a strong emphasis on saving face, which we will discuss more in the next section, fulfilling ones obligations today, and enjoying ones leisure time. The earliest culture of Poland traces its origin to the culture of the Early Slavs who settled in the country. Anxiety about the future based on: a history of beingtaken over by neighboring countries; and the legacy ofbeing under communist rule from 1945-1989. Decisions come from the top, but only after managers can demonstrate consensus has been reached by their teams. The results also indicated that trait affection given was significantly associated with the individualism-collectivism, masculinity-femininity, and uncertainty avoidance dimensions of cultures. The United States is number one on individualism, according to Hofstedes data.27 Americans are considered individualistic. In general, for me as a Polish person UK approach doesnt seem extremely far away from what Im used to. "The Culture Map Persuading. With time after the move, some innocent guilt-tripping began too. Intercultural facework competence refers to the optimal integration of knowledge, mindfulness, and communication skills in managing vulnerable identity-based conflict situations appropriately, effectively, and adaptively. Notice that the U.S. does not make it into the top five or the bottom five. High-context communication style may be detrimental to the design of global Web sites, making them less readable, less effective in their use of colors and graphics, and less interactive for. A high-context culture is a culture or society that communicates dominantly through the use of contextual elements, such as specific forms of body language, the status of an individual, and. there. My first thought was not Oh cool, good to have that in writing, but Why did she bother sending that to us? Polish art has been a blend of European trends with indigenous influence. In fact, within the latest edition of the book examining these characteristics, Hofstede and his colleagues title the chapter on uncertainty avoidance as What is Different is Dangerous, calling out the threat factor people in high uncertainty avoidance cultures feel.31 Cultures at the high end of uncertainty avoidance include Greece, Portugal, Guatemala, Uruguay, and Belgium Flemish; whereas, cultures at the low end of uncertainty avoidance include Singapore, Jamaica, Denmark, Sweden, and Hong Kong. The earliest literature produced in the country was in Latin. In 1924, the novel Chopi won Wadysaw Reymont a Nobel Prize in Literature. Face is the standing or position a person has in the eyes of others. He ended up more comfortable and confident when it comes to talking about emotions, with a tool to help him actually name what he's feeling, and empowered to reach for his professional goals. Polish folk dance has a long and rich tradition and is associated with several historical or religious events of the country. Onboarding programs for foreign companies are key to helping new recruits understand international business culture which may differ from traditional Polish business culture. Hiking, skiing, ski jumping, and mountain biking are popular activities enjoyed by both amateur and professional sportsperson visiting the mountains of Poland. With time, I reached a point where I managed to organise myself in a way that allowed me to still keep in touch with people I wanted to stay in close touch with (scheduled online calls - because 'let's catch up' just doesn't ever work well enough) and visit relatively often. I left the meeting happy with all the information thatI received and ready to start working on my tasks. With time I actually started to appreciate most of these minutes after meetings and sometimes I dont even take notes any more if I know the lead will send a summary afterwards! South Korea, Canada, England, Saudi Arabia, What statement best describes a high power distance culture?, T/F: Cultures with a strong uncertainty avoidance orientation sense that uncertainty in life is a continuous threat that must be fought. One of the biggest differences between cultures is the method by which we communicate. According to a 2013 report from the U.S. Census department (using income data from 2012), here is how income inequality in the U.S. looks: Households in the lowest quintile had incomes of $20,599 or less in 2012. India, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, low-context approach in business might create additional misunderstandings. Its important to understand that for an American for instance (America is located to the very left of the scale, by the low-context), both British and Polish cultures may seem very high-context and combining that with a tendency to use sarcastic humour cultural shock guaranteed! Approaches to problem-solving can be indirect, and often one-on-one meetings are more productive than large group discussions. Heres a 4-minute speech from Erin Meyer on this topic as an extra source: click. These are some important high-context culture characteristics to look out for. Need for Certainty When it came to trait affection received, all four groups differed from one another. The terms "low-context culture" (LCC) and "high-context culture" (HCC) were created by Hall to describe how communication styles differ across cultures. Finally, the researchers examined affection given and received with regards to Hofstedes work. This post is a part of the series where Id like to share some of my cross-cultural experiences and stories. Therefore the landing page is image-heavy. How did your friends and family react to your decision of moving abroad? Our Privacy Policy can be found. As far as Ting-Toomeys theory goes, she takes this idea one step further to understanding how face and communication ultimately enable successful intercultural conflict management. People in more indulgent countries are going to be happier than their restrained counterparts, and people within indulgent cultures show lower rates of cardiovascular problems commonly associated with stress. As such, there is a focus on both persistence and thrift. Individualism-collectivism shapes members preferences for self-oriented facework versus other-oriented facework. Indirect International. Privacy Policy. Is Poland a high context culture? Business is business. Authors: Przemysaw Hensel No full-text available . As such, facework should be viewed as a necessary component for understanding any form of interpersonal interaction but is especially important when examining interpersonal interactions that occur between people from differing cultural backgrounds.