<P> High - context culture and low - context culture are terms used to describe cultures based on how explicit the messages exchanged are, and how important the context is in communication . These concepts were first introduced by the anthropologist Edward T. Hall in his 1976 book Beyond Culture . According to Hall, in a low - context culture, the message will be interpreted through just the words (whether written or spoken) and their explicit meaning . The responsibility to be understood is with the sender of the message, who must work to be clear and comprehensive . In a high - context culture, messages are also interpreted using tone of voice, gesture, silence or implied meaning, as well as context or situation . There, the receiver is expected to use the situation, messages and cultural norms to understand the message . </P> <P> "High" and "low" context cultures are typically defined by language group, nationality, or regional community . However, they have also been applied to corporations, professions and other cultural groups, as well as settings such as online vs. offline communication . </P>

Who developed the theory of high context and low context cultures