Human-Computer Etiquette

20 Human– Computer etiquette

Power distance refers to the relative evenness of the distribution of

power (Hofstede 1980). People high in power distance see and accept

a world of steep hierarchies and leaders who make decisions with lit-

tle input from subordinates. People in low power distance cultures,

including most Western nations, see a atter distribution of power,

and subordinates are more likely to express ideas and provide input

for decision making.

Context of communication. Cultural groups dier in the degree to

which messages are communicated explicitly (Hall and Hall 1990). In

low-context cultures, such as the United States and Germany, com-

munication is direct and messages are expressed primarily in words.

By contrast, in high-con ...