What characterizes low-context cultures in their communication styles?

Low-context cultures are characterized by a communication style that emphasizes explicit, clear, and direct expression of ideas. Individuals in these cultures tend to focus on the specific objectives they want to achieve, valuing straightforwardness to convey their thoughts and intentions effectively. This characteristic leads to communication that is more transactional and less reliant on the nuances of social context or shared understandings.

Direct communication helps minimize misunderstandings, as individuals articulate their needs, opinions, and desires in a clear manner. This focus on achieving specific objectives aligns with business practices in many low-context cultures, where efficiency and clarity are prioritized to meet goals and drive outcomes.

In contrast, high-context cultures rely more heavily on the surrounding context, shared knowledge, and non-verbal cues, making options related to inferred messages or implicitly understood expressions less applicable to low-context communication styles.