Eastern people live in time, which means that they follow the natural order of time to do what they ought to do and work step by step. Eastern vs Western Philosophy. Edward T.Hal said in the book that Westerners areof typical lineal time concept, while the Easterners are of cyclic one. Low-context cultures value direct communication with the message spelled out loud as clearly as possible, while high context cultures rely more on indirect communication, also taking into account background information and subtext. Similarly, tenacity would be valued more in leaders in Eastern Europe than in Confucian Asia. Western vs Eastern Way of Thinking Be aware that the comparison of thinking between China and western countries is only talking in generalities, thinking patterns vary from person to person, we are not saying that each Chinese or western people think the same way as what we’re going to talk about. In these cultures people also avoid saying ‘no’ to preserve the relationship, instead of saying that something is impossible they will soften their message by using the word ‘difficult’. Eastern cultures tend to have a very hierarchical structure, where western cultures are more egalitarian. Generally, Chinese motives are society-driven, and Western motives are individual-driven. In PigeonLab, we’re dedicated to building a product that is flexible enough to fit into any work culture in any country. Major Differences between Chinese and Western Culture are not just about ways of thinking and communication. However, in China people buy cars to fit in, whereas in the West people buy cars to stand out! East vs. West Cultural Comparison …a compilation & adaptation from leadership management institute,Paul Tokunaga’s talk, & personal/ ministry experiences. , with the people around you. I began to understand that ‘my way’ is not ‘everybody’s way’ and especially not the ‘better’ way. In multinational companies this is very visible, especially when the employer and the manager are not from the same culture. East versus West. Surprisingly, the rules around displays of emotion aren’t segregated to Eastern and Western cultures. Not recognising the difference in styles could be cumbersome in building relationships, agreements, and even providing feedback. Cross-cultural communication: East vs. West - Author: Yaolung James Hsieh. East vs West: How workplace communication is affected by culture. Being explicit and unambiguous is usually the priority. Many ways of nonverbal communication are the same across the world like sadness, surprise, fear or anger, but that is not the problem in communication. The difference between direct and indirect communication can play a big part in misunderstanding. For example, leaders from South Asia are rated higher in their ability to develop and articulate their vision of the future, while those in the Anglo-cluster would be ranked lower. As a result of the Schism, differences increased between the two. Eastern world refers to countries in the Asia and Middle East whereas Western world refers to North and South America, Europe, Australia and New Zeeland. But as the development, there are boundaries that restrict western and eastern cultures. Upload; Login; Signup; Submit Search. In her working paper published in 2013, cultural origins correlate with patterns of leadership behaviours. The key difference between West… Here we are going to begin a series of discussion from specific aspects. As a result of the Schism, differences increased between the two. There are two areas in which the world is divided when speaking about religions, Eastern and Western. Main Difference – Eastern vs Western Culture. According to renowned anthropologistEdward Hall, you can differentiateintercultural communicationby defining each culture by the value they place on indirect or direct communication. These differences can be noted mainly in people’s behavior and attitudes. Culture pervades every aspect of life. In short, it is not an issue which one is truth or not between Eastern and Western worldviews. ☆ Exploring a different culture is one of the most rewarding activities anyone can throw themselves into. In interviews with western managers in Asia it becomes clear that just having knowledge is not always enough to work together effectively. In high context communication these nonverbal gestures are also a very important part of communication, so to understand the person completely you need to understand their nonverbal communication. Confucius said, "Education breeds confidence. We should respect both and follow our own culture. Larger than Life status of leaders: When it comes to business communication and decision making, both East and West have different points of view and stances. Meanwhile, Eastern culture is emphasized on religion and social norm. The characteristics of each culture are Confidence breeds hope. Eastern world refers to countries in the Asia and Middle East whereas Western world refers to North and South America, Europe, Australia and New Zeeland. Historically, Asia (excluding Siberia) was regarded as the East, and Europe was regarded as the West. Eastern vs Western Philosophy. Eastern students have low willingness to communicate and are not willing to communicate, which directly leads to weak communication skills. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. It is called “lineal view of time”. People from Western cultures on the other hand are more individualistic and use low context communication, meaning they use concrete language and direct communication to get their point across. Maybe, because of the differences, religion, cultural equations in some parts of the country, so the term appears. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. However, in China people buy cars to fit in, whereas in the West people buy cars to stand out! When it comes to east vs west, thinking patterns differ greatly. Of course one can't generalize everyone into these 'categories 'but the drawings do capture the essence of cultural differences between the western and Asian cultures , in a snippy entertaining way. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. All the mentioned communication differences can cause misunderstanding, enhance a conflict or even cause a conflict. The point of conflict is which expressions are acceptable to show and by whom. Therefore it is crucial in intercultural communication to have knowledge about different ways of communication so that it will be easier to understand and interpret what other people mean when they communicate. The selection is a valuable reference for researchers interested in the Eastern and Western perspectives of communication theory. East and west have a different perception of power and power distance. Most westerners will speak openly with honesty and are always to the point. Firstly, Western systems of education focus on creative thoughts. Individuals from the west tend to think in linear patterns and look for cause and effect, as they want to know the relationship between the two. International business culture tends to privilege Western approaches to negotiation, centered in problem-solving and linear communication, as do many settings. In 2015, artist and visual designer Yang Liu published a book entitled East Meets West. Western and Eastern Educational Philosophies Slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. The nature of business communication style is the result of the combination of different factors, such as cultural, political, socio-economical and historical characteristics of a country. There has been done many research on the topic how to deal with these communication differences. Nisbett points out that Western philosophers emphasised freedom and independence, whereas Eastern traditions like Taoism tended to focus on … Cross-cultural communication: East vs. West. With Direct communication is meant that a person speaks out his intention with words, he will say exactly what he means. Because it will expand your territory of leadership”. Eastern people often feel confident that they know quite a bit about western culture. The interpretation of nonverbal communication can also cause conflicts, especially because of differences in displaying emotions. Not understanding whether your workplace communication style is high-context or low-context could cause a lot of problems. There are also differences in the way of maintaining face. Lawrence gave as concluding advice: “Asians, learn how to lead western employees. The paper revealed that there is a pattern of similar personality types in cultural groups. SlideShare Explore Search You. Eastern people don’t like their schedules to be messed up and usually hate to change things once they decide the sequence. The West values sports, outdoor experiences, and group cooperation. The most widely used model for personality - the Big Five - is explored in an extensive 2005 study by Robert McCrae and 79 collaborators around the world. Bibliography Alkhazraji, K. M., Gardner III, W. L.(1997) The acculturation of immigrants to U.S. organizations. Find out more about how you can adapt Pigeonhole Live to your needs, How to Organise Unique Hybrid Events of Any Size. Culture pervades every aspect of life. In high context cultures people use a lot of indirect and nonverbal communication and are mostly collectivistic. As a result, we have successfully enabled meaningful conversations in over 80 countries. Books and journals Case studies Expert Briefings Open Access. The difference in Power distance and protecting your image is clearly visible between eastern and western cultures. Change ). In Japanese companies for example, younger employees are expected to support the people in higher positions and never give their opinion directly to the manager. Simple visual language is the oldest communication tool for different cultures. Power distance and face saving. There is also a lack of self-care ability and a lack of life skills. Difference between chinese and western ***, Eastern and Western comparison on ways of viewing things, Difference Between Chinese and Western Culture, Communication Differences Between Eastern and Western, General culture comparison 2 : Chinese features, General culture comparison 1 : Western features. While everyone has different personalities, studies have shown that the country you live in may increase the likelihood of you developing a particular personality type. Have you ever wondered about the differences between Eastern and Western philosophies? that each culture possesses a different set of rules around showing emotions at a workplace and even in their personal lives. An American and a Chinese, for example, would take-away a different message from the same conversation. Disclaimers: general & stereotypical—not all items do not apply to all Asians/ Asian Americans or … In more individual (western) cultures maintaining face means preserving your image for other people and yourself. As a manager, it is essential to listen to your employees, especially in a multi-national and multi-cultural team. by defining each culture by the value they place on indirect or direct communication. Top 8 Differences in Nonverbal Communication Across Cultures. Have you ever wondered about the differences between Eastern and Western philosophies? Eastern individuals, however, tend to use spiral thinking patterns, and this difference must be remembered at all times. East and west have a different perception of power and power distance. Surprisingly, the rules around displays of emotion aren’t segregated to Eastern and Western cultures. The West values sports, outdoor experiences, and group cooperation. As a graduate student, psychologist Jim Stigler went to East Asia to research teaching methods and learn more about the differences between Eastern and Western learning styles. International Marketing. ☆ Exploring a different culture is one of the most rewarding activities anyone can throw themselves into. The most widely used model for personality - the Big Five - is explored in an extensive. Western society - felt to have a more flattened socio-economic structure with fewer hierarchical levels. Imagine you are asking a colleague for feedback on your project One western director experienced this firsthand: “I made proposals in the first couple of managerial meetings. "everyone must have a car to feel good". Managing intercultural communication differences. ( Log Out /  You may come off as careless or impolite if you are not on time to Skype meetings or project deadlines. Nisbett points out that Western philosophers emphasised freedom and independence, whereas Eastern traditions like Taoism tended to focus on … In PigeonLab, we’re dedicated to building a product that is flexible enough to fit into any work culture in any country. In other cultures, including African and some Asian countries, indirect communication is more prevalent. In western, low context cultures they do not use nonverbal communication as often as they do in high context cultures. The book also ponders on the practice of Antyodaya in agricultural extension communication in India and communication within Japanese business organizations. Eastern vs. Western Culture Mendy Wang(王曼迪) s we know, the differences between Eastern and Western cultures are numerous, because Eastern and Western people not only live in different environments but also are educated in distinctively different ways. Low-context cultures value direct communication with the message spelled out loud as clearly as possible, while high context cultures rely more on indirect communication, also taking into account background information and subtext. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(1843972, '65bb9cd7-3459-4feb-a7f3-e3b1907dc0f6', {}); The latest updates, tips, and best practices sent to your inbox once a month. . J.T. Different motives: Consumerism means that e.g. ISBN: 978-0 … Understanding specific Asian markets as well as the main differences in business etiquette between the Eastern and Western world is essential in order to expand your business and strive in Asia. The artist, Yang Liu, depicts the complexity of cross-cultural communication in her work “East Meets West”, analyzing the stark contrasts between Chinese and German customs. Someone selling a new idea to the average Hong Kong Chinese would have to find a different approach than if they were speaking to the average German. Graphic artist Yang Liu has a sharp eye for cultural comparison, honed by personal experience. Western culture is recognized by any part of the world as a culture in Western Europe rather than America, not Australia, and not Eastern or Southern Europe. Article shared by. An American manager would feel comfortable answering a question asked at face value, but a Chinese manager would prefer to take into consideration information left unsaid, such as the team that this person works in, their proximity with the issue, and any underlying problems associated with their question. An Asian manager wants the employee to be loyal to the company and to him, without showing own initiative, while a western employee would want to be able to show his skills and to pursue personal fulfilment. Western religions are the religions that originate in the Western areas like Americas and throughout Europe. Cultural and religious rather than geographical in division, the boundaries of East and West are not fixed, but vary according to the criteria adopted by individuals using the term.. These styles are used mostly in individualist cultures, and are more commonly valued in “Western” cultures and countries. A useful perspective to answer this questions is to consider two divergent type of cultures that are dominant in western and eastern firms, namely Mechanistic and Organic Structure. In the U.S. and most western cultures, direct communication is usually the preferred style. A manager moving from Australia to India will be expected to communicate their plans for the company more than they did before. Lacking this strategic orientation will imperil business ventures and risk losing time and money. Find out more about how you can adapt Pigeonhole Live to your needs here. On the other hand, an indirect communicator will use words to hide their true intention and show their real intention mostly only through nonverbal communication. East and West may have numerous differences based on culture. When there are different ways of communication, miscommunication and conflict is not uncommon. Eastern companies may be a little more relaxed when it comes to starting times and deadlines. As T. Novinger says “In China and Japan, for example, facial expression that would be recognized around the world as conveying happiness may actually express anger or mask sadness, both of which are unacceptable to show overtly”.  The Eastern Church vs. the Western Church In the year 1054, due to political, cultural and religious reasons, the Great Schism divided Christianity into the Eastern Church (the Orthodox Church) and the Western Church (the Catholic Church). 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