Context Examples
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Examples of context are the situational factors that shape how content and delivery are interpreted, without changing the underlying conversational rights.
Structural context
- Power relationship (peer–peer, manager–report).
- Formal authority or decision rights.
- Employment status (contractor, intern, permanent).
Situational context
- Setting (private conversation, team meeting, public channel).
- Timing (during a crisis, after a decision, end of day).
- Stakes (irreversible decision vs exploratory discussion).
Historical context
- Prior interactions between the same people.
- Previous cautions, objections, or unresolved issues.
- Established patterns of behaviour.
Organisational context
- Team charter and agreed norms.
- Company culture and tolerance thresholds.
- Industry or regulatory constraints.
Social context
- Group size and audience.
- Presence of third parties.
- Psychological safety level in the room.
Cultural context
- Language proficiency.
- National or regional communication norms.
- Shared or differing assumptions about directness.
Emotional context
- Heightened stress, fatigue, or urgency.
- Recent conflict spillover.
- Collective morale.
Temporal context
- Whether the interaction is synchronous or asynchronous.
- Real-time pressure versus reflective review.
In the Spatz model, context influences judgment (appropriateness, proportionality, escalation), not permission (the right to disagree with content or object to delivery)..