Contextual Communication

Past research suggests that individuals oriented toward high-context communication are less likely than are others to voice (i.e., speak up) at work. In the current article, we rely on high-/low-context theory to explore potential boundary conditions of this relationship. We conducted 2 studies exploring the relationship between contextual communication orientation and 2 distinct types of voice (prohibitive and promotive). As hypothesized, both studies showed that the negative relationship between contextual communication orientation and voice was weaker for prohibitive (compared with promotive) voice. Results of Study 1 showed that, as hypothesized, leader-member exchange (LMX) moderated the relationship between contextual communication orientation and promotive voice, such that the relationship was negative when LMX was low but not significant when high. The interaction was not significant in predicting prohibitive voice in Study 1 or in predicting either voice type in Study 2. (PsycINFO Database Record

Contextual Communication

In this Communications in Context video segment, Head of Voice Products Roland Selmer defines contextual communication and explains how businesses and developers can leverage the concept to deliver exceptional customer experiences and a significant competitive edge. (To read the full transcript, scroll below the video.)

So, how do we make sure that our messages are heard and interpreted correctly? We put that communication in context. Context is critical, because it tells you, the receiver, what importance to place on something, what assumptions to draw (or not) about what is being communicated, and most importantly, it puts meaning into the message. The best thing about context is that it deepens your understanding of the message so that true dialogue can take place.

Even simple context can make communication more personal, more relevant, and more actionable. But unfortunately, too much of workplace communication exists without context. A message ping arrives out of the blue, and it takes time to work out what the person needs and what next steps to take. Hence, endless threads and back-and-forth.

Communication channels can aid in reducing uncertainty, adding clarity, and providing further context to a message. Selecting the most efficient communication method ensures better time management, making it easier to have short, quippy conversations that lead to action.

You can also mix and match communication channels. If email is too slow for notifications, you can integrate Redbooth and Slack so that people will be notified instantly of changes, and can click through to see the details.

Like every aspect of a business, communication skills can be optimized. Click To TweetLike every aspect of a business, communication skills can be optimized. Occasionally, the effectiveness of communication should be evaluated on a qualitative and quantitative basis. Qualitative evaluations can take place in the form of an employee survey where you ask for feedback on communication and channels. For quantitative factors, you can assess the impact of a change in communication on overall team productivity and job performance. For instance, did the number of missed deadlines go down when you started using a project management tool?

Xura, Inc., a leading provider of digital communications services and innovator in Web Real-Time Communications (WebRTC) technology, is today pleased to announce its partnership with Wikot, a leading digital marketing agency. Specializing in creating innovative communication and digital experiences for businesses and consumers based on IP technology, Wikot's app development expertise, combined with Xura's real-time web and mobile engagement technology, will deliver tomorrow's click-to-communicate interactive solutions to industries such as the financial sector. By incorporating this technology into digital apps, banks can offer an authenticated and contextual messaging experience to customers, resulting in a reduced hold time and an improved customer experience.

The collaboration provides joint expertise in building rich and compelling communication apps, which enterprises can rapidly prototype and deploy to meet the needs of today's digitally educated end user. By integrating Xura's forge SDK with Wikot's digital contact center, HiOi, the two companies can deliver highly secure, commercial-grade, omni-channel engagement, with contextual communications at the core. Working together, Wikot and Xura created the 'digital' branch; showcasing how a customer can connect directly to an available customer service representative at their bank from a mobile, tablet or kiosk application using IM/chat, voice, video or data transfer. In addition, the partnership is currently exploring opportunities to provide a dedicated 'digital' branch to one of the leading banks in Latin America.

"Today, consumers want a communication experience from their banks that feel as familiar as popular over-the-top messaging services. With Xura and Wikot, retail banks and financial services companies can easily launch richer communication apps and websites with the added element of the human touch, providing immediate, authenticated interaction with appropriate bank personnel, without customers having to visit a branch," commented Eric Bilange, EVP Enterprise, Xura.

The Xura / Wikot platform highlights a scenario, where a customer needs support while browsing a banking website or application. By clicking the "Live Support" button, the customer can connect with a banking representative either in branch or in a call center and start a live chat session. With user context at the core of the offering, the customer is already authenticated from the app or website log in process, and the customer's transaction history can be accessed easily by the agent, who can then resolve issues by pulling relevant contextual information from customer's mobile app or web screen. All this translates to a faster call resolution and a more personalized service.

Camilo Iturra, CTO, at Wikot, said: "By working with Xura and utilizing its forge platform, together we can build innovative solutions that enable enterprises, such as those in the banking sector, to establish more effective two-way communication with their customers. Xura has a clearly defined strategy around digital real-time communications and the scale and experience to serve retail banks with a comprehensive platform that encompasses secure video, voice, data and messaging. With these enriched communications, customers can see and talk with advisers over their device without the customer needing to visit a branch. Together we can demonstrate the true value of "click-to-communicate" solutions, which enables an unparalleled direct interaction experience, where a user can get answers to queries immediately, reducing waiting time to speak to a call center agent or visit a branch."

As has been established, language is not culture free. If your intercultural communication is to be effective, you cannot ignore the broader cultural context that gives words meaning. Cultural rules about when and how certain speech acts can be performed may differ greatly. Routine formulas such as greetings, leave-taking, thanking, apologizing and so on do not follow the same, or even similar rules, across cultures causing misunderstandings and confusion. How language is used in a particular culture is strongly related to the values a culture emphasizes, and how it believes that the relations between humans ought to be.

In some cultures an offer of coffee after a meal is generally recognized as a polite way to indicate to the guests that they ought to leave soon if they do not wish to outstay their welcome. In other cultures, an offer of coffee on a similar occasion is just an act of the host's kindness (or even an invitation to the guests to stay a little bit longer than they had intended). If interactants from different cultural backgrounds are unaware of the differences in their respective mental sets, misunderstandings are likely to occur. Misunderstandings of this sort involve the carryover of culture-specific knowledge from a situation of intra-cultural communication to a situation of intercultural communication.

Social scientists and linguists have been studying for some time how individuals and groups interact through language, both within the same language and between languages. They have sought to discover how and why language uses vary. An understanding of communication style differences helps listeners understand how to interpret verbal messages.

While some cultures are low or high context, in general terms, there can also be individual or contextual differences within cultures. People who spend a lot of time together in the same group inevitably develop high context ways of communicating. In the example above between the two sisters, they are using high context communication, however, The United States is considered a low context culture. Countries such as Germany and Sweden are also low context while Japan and China are high context. Communication between people from high-context and low-context cultures can be confusing. In business interactions, people from low-context cultures tend to listen primarily to the words spoken; they tend not to be as cognizant of nonverbal aspects. As a result, people often miss important clues that could tell them more about the specific issue.

The conflicts in the elaborate / understated communication styles can occur from interactions among members of different ethnic groups. In one study of an immigrant Korean shopkeeper and an African-American customer in Los Angeles, the clash of styles is evident (Bailey, 1997). In a conversation Bailey analyzes, the African-American customer uses an elaborate style, featuring informal and emotional language, in an effort to establish a personal connection to the Korean shopkeeper. He uses swear words and volunteers personal information about himself. The shopkeeper, however, remains detached and impersonal, resulting in an unsatisfying conversation. This is not unusual in such encounters, as Bailey comments: 041b061a72