There is evidence that Caterpillar employees in Brazil are comfortable with e-mail
communication, although face-to-face, warm and personal interaction is strongly valued in
Brazilian culture. E-mail is often preferred because it creates a documented chain of
evidence. There is also an indication that Brazilian dealers may have a stronger preference
for face-to-face communication and could be reluctant to post questions online. When asked
why Brazilian dealership employees may be reluctant to post online questions, the
participants indicated that they might stay away from posting questions because they prefer
face-to-face communication. The above findings seem to further support Hall’s (1976)
distinction between high- and low-context cultures. In high-context cultures, such as China
or Brazil, individuals tend to prefer communication channels with high media richness.