The Culture Map

Tell them what you are going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you’ve told them

The United States is the lowest-context culture in the world, and all Anglo-Saxon cultures fall on the left-hand side of the scale, with the United Kingdom as the highest-context culture of the Anglo-Saxon cluster. All the countries that speak Romance languages, including European countries like Italy, Spain, and France, and Latin American countries like Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina, fall to the middle right of the scale. Brazil is the lowest-context culture in this cluster. Many African and Asian countries fall even further right. Japan has the distinction of being the highest-context culture in the world.

In Hindi the word “kal” means both tomorrow and yesterday.

not show business counterparts who they really are. In either case, it makes it hard for us to trust them

In Spanish culture, we put a strong value on the importance of being authentico, and we perceive Americans as not authentic.

In Spanish culture, we put a strong value on the importance of being authentico, and we perceive Americans as not authentic.

the past I have often had the experience with Indian employees such that, if you don’t develop a good personal relationship with them, they will tell you everything is okay even if the entire project has gone up in flames.

If you are working with someone from a relationship-based culture and opportunities for a personal connection don’t jump out at you, it is worth the investment to look a little harder

These models are frequently referred to as the peach and coconut models of personal interaction.

For example, Americans are more likely than those from many cultures to smile at strangers and to engage in personal discussions with people they hardly know. Others may interpret this “friendliness” as an offer of friendship