A Cross-Cultural Look at Communication Style

• In Event: Context Matters: Comparing Communication and Media Practices in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, France, Thailand, and the US

Abstract

Thirty years ago, Robert Norton developed the notion of communicator style, suggesting that individuals orient themselves to the delivery of message—it includes the portion of messages not focused specifically on the content of the words themselves, but on how we understand and interpret the literal meaning in the words of others. He delineated eight styles: dominant, dramatic, contentious, animated, impression leaving, relaxed, attentive, open, friendly, and precise. Intercultural scholars have outlined communication styles across cultures that vary in their approach to information-giving in styles of exaggerated/elaborated, succinct/understated, or exacting/precise, often suggesting that Mediterranean and Latin cultures are more open and friendly, possibly dramatic, that Northern European cultures are more precise and dominant, and so on. Although Norton’s measure is intended to apply to individual differences, little work has used this measure to determine cultural style differences. This study will compare communicator style between several cultures, including Brazil, France, the United States, and Thailand, to see if each of these cultures has “preferred” styles of communication, drawing implications of the findings for intercultural teaching, business, and relationships.

Author

• John Baldwin, Illinois State