IPL IV TERM PSYCHOLOGY

(IIM) ROHTAK
PRE MID-TERM TEACHING
PRESENTED BY
DR. (MRS). URMILA RANI SRIVASTAVA
PROFESSOR
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY
FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
BANARAS HINDU UNIVERSITY
VARANASI- 221005.
Email: urssrivastava@gmail.com
 MODULE-2
LECTURE- 7
PART-1
COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR
BUSINESS
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
 Different Forms of Communication
•

Verbal Communication

• Verbal communication includes sounds, words,

language and speaking. Language is said to
have originated from sounds and gestures.
There are many languages spoken in the world.
The basis of language formation are: gender,
class, profession, geographical area, age group
and other social elements. Speaking is an
effective way of communicating and is again
classified into two types viz. interpersonal
communication and public speaking.
• Good verbal communication is an inseparable
part of communication especially in business. In
a business, you come across people from various
ages, cultures and races. Fluent verbal
communication is essential, to deal with people
in business meetings. Also, in business
communication self-confidence plays a vital role
which when clubbed with fluent communication
skills can lead to success.
Written communication Oral communications
• Oral communications is…
• Written communication is…
1. •Formal • •more spontaneous
• •more direct
2. •Planned
3. •Detailed
• •less formal

4. •Official • •elicits a prompt response of

some kind.
5. •elicits a response after
lapse of some time
6. •carries more authority and
is proof of a transaction
• Oral communication used within
an organization includes personal discussions,
staff meetings, telephone discourse, formal and
informal conversations and presentations. ...
Similarly, employees having
excellent communication skills are highly
valued and demanded in any organization.
• Oral communication implies communication
through mouth. It includes individuals
conversing with each other, be it direct
conversation or telephonic conversation.
Speeches, presentations, discussions are all
forms of oral communication.
• Oral communications are the messages that
come through the words, phrases and idioms
from the mouth of the speaker which can be
supported by visual aid.
• Receiver could be an individual, a group, or even
audience.
• It is a very convenient form of expression and
presentation. It is almost instantaneous, quick and
least expensive.
Most frequent Means of Oral
Communication in Organizations

Inside the Organization

• Oral communication at organization level include:
Staff meeting, Personal discussion, Presentations,
Telephone discourse, informal conversation
Outside the organization
• it takes the form of face-to-face, meetings,
telephone calls, speeches, telephone conference, and
audio/video-conferences.
• The salient features of written communication are:
• _ It serves as evidence of what has occurred or what
was stated
• _ It provides a permanent record for future use
• _ It reduces the chances for misinterpretation and
distortion of information
• _ It is reliable when transmitting lengthy information
on financial, production or other important data.
• _ It provides an opportunity to the subordinates to put
up their grievances in writing and get them supported
by facts
• Business writing includes-
• memorandums, reports, proposals, emails, and
other forms of writing used in organizations to
communicate with internal or external audiences.
• It should be-
• Purposeful
• Economical
• Reader oriented
 The Body The Voice Environment
(Appearance and
Actions
Posture Volume Space and Territory

Height Pitch Time

Dress Rate Building and Room

Design

Gestures Tones Interior Decoration

Facial expressions ---- Lighting, Noise

Seating
Arrangement
• Communication is generally defined as has having both
a verbal and nonverbal component. Whereas verbal
communication often refers to the words we use in
communication, nonverbal communication refers to
communication that is produced by some means
other than spoken and words (eye contact, body
language, or vocal cues, for example) (Knapp & Hall,
2002).
• One of the most important keys to understanding
communication is to realize that much of it never
expressed verbally.
• A nonverbal message can be transformed by a
nod of the head a frown, an enthusiastic tone of
voice, leaving one’s office door open or closed,
wearing a dirty shirt or arriving late for an
appointment.
• Actions often speak louder than words.
• Non-Verbal Communication affects
decisions, shapes careers, and in many other
ways molds the quality of working life in an
organization.
• Nonverbal communication is usually
understood as the process of communication
through sending and receiving wordless
(mostly visual) messages between people.
• Non-verbal communication involves physical
ways of communication, through gestures and
touch, by body language or posture, by facial
expression and eye contact, tone of the voice,
touch, smell and body motion.
• Nonverbal messages could also be
communicated through material exponential;
meaning, objects or artifacts (such as clothing,
hairstyles or architecture).
▪ Body posture matters a lot when you are
communicating verbally to someone. Folded arms
and crossed legs are some of the signals conveyed
by a body posture.
▪ Physical contact, like, shaking hands, pushing,
patting and touching expresses the feeling of
intimacy.
▪ Facial expressions, gestures and eye contact are
all different ways of communication. Reading facial
expressions can help you know a person better.
• Speech contains nonverbal elements
known as paralanguage, including
voice quality, rate, pitch, volume, and
speaking style, as well prosodic
features such as rhythm, intonation, and
stress.
• Likewise, written texts have nonverbal
elements such as handwriting style,
spatial arrangement of words, or the
physical layout of a page.
▪ Creative and aesthetic non-verbal
communication includes singing,
music, dancing and sculpturing.
▪ Symbols and sign language are also
included in non-verbal communication.
▪ Body language is a non-verbal way of
communication. Body posture and
physical contact convey a lot of
information.
 Basic Types of Nonverbal Cues

TYPE OF CUE EXPLANATION AND EXAMPLES

Body motion Gestures, facial expressions, eye behavior, etc.

Personal physical Body shape, posture, body or breath odors,

characteristics hair color, skin color, etc.

Paralanguage Voice qualities, speech habits, laughing, etc.

Use of space Ways people use and perceive space

Physical Building and room design, furnishings, etc.

environment

Time Use of time, relationship of time and status, etc.

Relationship between Verbal and
Non-verbal Communication
• In verbal communication, an active
dialogue is engaged with the use of words.
• At the same time, however, non-verbal
communication takes place, relying on
nonverbal cues, such as gestures, eye
contact, facial expressions, even clothing
and personal space.
• Thus, we should consider non-verbal
communication in relation to verbal
communication not in isolation from it.
• Nonverbal cues are very powerful, making it
crucial that you pay attention to your
actions, as well as the nonverbal cues of
those around you.
• If, during your meeting, participants
begin to doodle or chat amongst
themselves, they are no longer paying
attention to you: Your message has
become boring or your delivery is no
longer engaging.
• Nonverbal cues are very
powerful, making it crucial
that you pay attention to your
actions, as well as the
nonverbal cues of those
around you.
• If, during your meeting,
participants begin to doodle
or chat amongst themselves,
they are no longer paying
attention to you: Your
message has become boring
or your delivery is no longer
engaging.
• When a tone of voice conveys an attitude,
words might explain what the attitude is all
about.
• When information is expressed in words,
accompanying muscle tensions show how
the speaker feels about it.
• It expresses meaning or feeling without
words.
• It is the silent language of the culture.
Similarities Between Verbal Communication And
Nonverbal Communication
• 1. There are several similarities between verbal and
nonverbal communication.
a. Like verbal communication, nonverbal
communication is symbolic.
b. Like verbal communication, nonverbal behavior
and our interpretations of others’ nonverbal
behaviors are guided by constitutive and regulative
rules.
c. Like verbal communication, nonverbal
communication is culture bound.
d. Like verbal communication, nonverbal
communication may be intentional or unintentional.
 Differences Between Verbal Communication And
Nonverbal Communication
• There are several differences between verbal and
nonverbal communication.
• a. Nonverbal communication is perceived to be
more honest than verbal communication.When
verbal and nonverbal messages are inconsistent, most
people trust the nonverbal messages.
• b. Unlike verbal communication, nonverbal
communication is multi-channeled.
• c. Unlike verbal communication, which is discrete,
nonverbal communication is more continuous.
• i. Verbal messages start and stop.
• ii. Nonverbal messages flow continuously.
• Nonverbal communication supplements or replaces
verbal communication;
• Communication researchers have identified five ways
in which nonverbal behaviors interact with verbal
communication.
• 1. Nonverbal behaviors may repeat verbal messages.
• 2. Nonverbal behaviors may highlight verbal
communication.
• 3. Nonverbal behaviors may complement or add to
words.
• 4. Nonverbal behaviors may contradict verbal
messages.
• 5. Nonverbal behaviors may substitute for verbal
communication.
 Albert Mehrabian
Albert Mehrabian
PROF. ALBERT MEHRABIAN
Life and career
Born in Iran, Mehrabian began his academic studies in the discipline of
engineering. Receiving first a Bachelor’s and then a Master’s degree in
engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT),
Mehrabian completed his academic achievements with a PhD awarded by
Clark University. Following his educational achievements, in 1964 he took
up a teaching and research post at the University of California, Los Angeles
(UCLA) where he is currently Professor Emeritus of Psychology.
 Albert Mehrabian’s Communication
Model: 7 – 38 – 55
• We communicate globally with one another by
means of language, gestures, signs and pictograms. It
is almost impossible not to communicate.
• To get a better understanding of communication,
Professor of psychology Albert Mehrabian studied
the importance of non-verbal communication in
the 1970s.
• The influence of non-verbal communication is
stronger than was first assumed. Albert Mehrabian
studied the effects of conflicting messages.
• For example- someone who is stamping their feet
while yelling ‘I’m not angry’--- Now the question is
whether the person is credible or not?
• That is why Albert Mehrabian developed a
communication model, in which he demonstrated that
only 7% of what we communicate consists of the
literal content of the message.
• The use of one’s voice, such as tone, intonation
and volume, take up 38% and as much as 55% of
communication consists of body language (facial
expressions). This 7 – 38 – 55 -model is still much
used today.
 Three basic elements
• According to Albert Mehrabian, interpersonal communication
regarding the communication model consists of three elements:
• Words spoken (Verbal)
• That which is literally being said. The spoken word is part of the
verbal communication in this and the intonation and body language
are both part of the non-verbal communication.

• Intonation (Vocal)
• How something is said (use of voice). Intonation is the vocal factor.
• Body language (Visual)

• Which posture, facial expressions and gestures someone uses.

• The 'Mehrabian formula' (7%-38%-55%)
was established in situations where there was
incongruence between words and expression.
• That is, where the words did not match
the facial expression: specifically in
Mehrabian's research people tended to believe
the expression they saw, not the words
spoken.
• Mehrabian’s early theoretical works and experiments
aid our understanding of the role nonverbal
communication plays in the expression of feelings
towards others.
• The value of Mehrabian's theory relates to
communications where emotional content is
significant, and the need to understand it properly is
great. This is often applicable in management and
business, where motivation and attitude have a crucial
effect on outcomes
• The non-verbal elements are particularly
important for communicating feelings and
attitude, especially when they are
incongruent: if words and body language
disagree, one tends to believe the body
language.”
• –Albert Mehrabian, Professor of
Psychology at the University of California,
Los Angeles
• Style, expression, tone, facial
expression and body language in
Mehrabian's experiments did indeed
account for 93% of the meaning
inferred by the people in the study,
but this is not a general rule that you
can transfer to any given
communications situation.
 FUNCTIONS OF NON-VERBAL
COMMUNICATION
1 . SUPPORTING SPEECH

2. CONVEYING EMOTIONS

3. CREATING POSITIVE FEELINGS

4.COMMUNICATION OF INTERPERSONAL
ATTITUDES

5. SELF-PRESENTATION

6. RITUALS
Supporting Speech
• Repeating- As when verbal directions to some
location are accompanied by pointing.
• Contradicting- As in the case of a person who
says, “What, me nervous?” while fidgeting and
perspiring anxiously before giving a speech.
(This example suggests that a nonverbal
message can be more believable than a verbal
one when the two disagree)
• Substituting- for verbal messages, as when
employee starts silently for home with a beaten
expression that says “ I had a terrible day”.
2. Conveying emotions
The total feeling comes from 7% verbal,
38% vocal, 55% facial and body messages.

3. Creating positive feelings

approach messages, availability messages,
sensory stimulation, personal closeness and
warmth.
• 4.Communication of Interpersonal Attitudes
— the establishment and maintenance of
relationships if often done through nonverbal
signals (tone of voice, gaze, touch, etc.).

• 5.Self-Presentation — presenting oneself to

another through nonverbal attributes like
appearance.

• 6. Rituals — the use of greetings, handshakes

or other rituals.
 IMPORTANCE OF NONVERBAL
COMMUNICATION
• The importance of nonverbal cues in the business
world has not been studied extensively, but it only
makes sense that it can have a strong impact on any
communication within or outside the business realm.
• For instance, selling is an area where the nonverbal
actions can make or break a deal.
• People are unlikely to want to buy from a sales
person who refuses to make eye contact, who has
poor posture, who lacks energy, and who seems
unconvinced about the products and services
represented.
• The importance of nonverbal communication in
conjunction with appropriate verbal skills can
make a difference to the success of a business
transaction.
• Additionally, in business settings, the way one is
viewed affects his transactions. Martin
Remland (1981) writes that as much as 90
percent of a manager’s time is spent
communicating with others face-to-face (p.2).
• Therefore, business people especially
managers have to present themselves as a
complete package that includes knowledge
of their products, appropriate dress, and
adequate use of nonverbal behaviors that
depicts sincerity and trustworthiness.
© 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth
• The ability to perceive and use nonverbal cues to
one’s advantage gives the business person the
power to be successful. Nonverbal communication
includes any part of the body used by a person to
send a message to another person.
• A person’s dress, attitude and movements are
all contributions to personal business
transactions. These cues can help a business
owner get the message across or be able to
correctly interpret a message received from a
customer.
• Graham, Unruh, and Jennings (1991), they gathered
information on the importance of nonverbal
feedback to accurate assessments in business
transactions.
• Their findings indicated that nonverbal
communication was important to all surveyed and
showed that most relied on facial expressions for
accurate information.
• Their recommendations for businesses included,
“…paying more attention to nonverbal cues,
engaging in more eye contact, and probing for
more information when verbal and nonverbal
cues are discrepant” (p.60).
• We make important judgments and
decisions concerning the internal
states of others by their nonverbal
behavior.
• Non-verbal communication is
usually responsible for first
impressions.
• Many of our non-verbal actions are
not easily controlled consciously, so
they are relatively free of distortions
and deception.
• In an experiment by Forbes and Jackson
(1980) real job interviews were observed and
the nonverbal behaviors in accepted candidates
were compared to those in rejected candidates
and candidates put on a reserve list.
• The accepted candidates engaged in more
direct eye contact, more head movements,
and more smiling than did the rejected or
reserve candidates.
Type of Body Language (Remember that
you are dealing with “PEOPLE”)

P OSTURE
E XPRESSIONS
O RIENTATION
P RESENTATION
L OOKS
E YE CONTACT
DIMENSIONS OF NON-VERBAL
COMMUNICATION
 The Body The Voice Environment
(Appearance and
Actions
Posture Volume Space and Territory

Height Pitch Time

Dress Rate Building and Room

Design

Gestures Tones Interior Decoration

Facial expressions ---- Lighting, Noise

Seating Arrangement
 Body Shape and Appearance
• The body conveys meaning even when it is not
in motion. For example, although no proven
connections exist between physique and behaviour,
people tend to expect such connections and base
decisions on them, whether they realize it or not.
• Tall people are likely to be considered more
credible than shorter people. Accordingly, one
study found that taller employees tend to receive
higher salaries; even when their qualifications
are equivalent to those of shorter employees.
• Skin colour and gender also affect
communication. For example, members of
upper-class, predominantly white communities
perceive whites as more credible than African
Americans.
• Men also tend to be seen as more credible
than women, even by women. Although such
findings vary according to cultural norms, they
show that physical attributes can have a
significant impact on people’s attempts at
communication.
 Dress and Clothing
• Dress and Clothing is also the most
common form of nonverbal
communication.
• It would be impossible to list all the things
that we can communicate through our
clothing; the list would vary greatly with
time, place, and situation.
• Suffice it to say that skilful
communicators attend to their apparel.
• The types of clothing that an individual wears
convey nonverbal clues about his or her
personality, background and financial status, and
how others will respond to them.
• An individual’s clothing style can demonstrate
their culture, mood, level of confidence, interests,
age, authority, value/beliefs, and their sexual
identity.
• Some examples of a person’s clothing type in
which a negative message is being conveyed could
include the following: A person with a sloppy
appearance, messy hair, and wrinkled clothes
sends the message, "I don't care".
• Also, a woman who wears a tight dress with a
low-cut neckline may convey the message "I'm
attractive”.
• By showing the positive aspects of his or her self
through dress attire and grooming, one can inspire
confidence in his or her abilities.
 Posture (the way someone sits or
stands)
• Posture or a person's bodily stance
communicates a variety of messages.

• Posture can be used to determine a

participant’s degree of attention or
involvement, the difference in status between
communicators, and the level of fondness a
person has for the other communicator,
depending on body “openness”.
• An example of good posture includes
standing erect, and leaning forward
communicates to a person that you are
approachable, receptive, and friendly.
• A person talking to someone that is
constantly looking at the floor or ceiling
makes it seem as though disinterest with
the conversation.
• Always try to avoid negative posture.
“Lean forward when listening, stand
straight when speaking.”
• A person who frequently stands around with
weight back on the heels and hands in pockets
any come to be seen as lazy. The male executive
with his feet up on his desk may appear self-
important or sloppy to others.
• Groups as well as individuals send messages
through their posture. Posture often indicates
the kind of interpersonal relationship that exists
between people. For example, when people in a
group face one another in a circle, it may
indicate to others (rightly or wrongly) that
they do not wish to include other people.
• Similarly, when two people are positioned
face-to-face, a high rate of interchange in
conversation between them is virtually
required, while a side-by-side positioning
usually indicates a less intense relationship that
is more open to outsiders.

• Also, the extent to which people in

conversation copy or mirror one another’s
postures indicates their interest in and
agreement with one another. No congruent
postures often signal differences and
disagreement.
• Through their posture, interacting parties may also
reveal the status differences that exist between
them. We tend to relax most with a person of
lower status, and least with someone whose
status is higher than our own.

• For example, Erving Goffman observed at

hospital staff meetings that doctors sat in
relaxed, “undignified” postures, while lower-
status people sat more rigid and straight in
their chairs.
• Similarly, doctors “had the right” to saunter
casually into the nurses’ station and lounge on the
counter while joking with the nurses.
• A superior who wishes to reduce a
subordinate’s anxiety about the status
difference between them may succeed by
assuming an open, relaxed posture
Gestures (movements of the hands
and the arms and sometimes the
body)
Gestures may be made with the hands, arms or body,
and also include movements of the head, face and
eyes, such as winking, nodding, or rolling one's eyes.
• Many gestures have widely understood meaning.
To many people, foot shaking and finger
tapping signify nervousness, impatience, or
boredom.
• A clenched fist typically indicates hostility or
anger.
• Opening one’s hands to another typically suggests
openness, sincerity, and acceptance.
• Putting fingertips together to form a “steeple”
can indicate confidence or superiority.
• Scratching, digging, or picking at one’s own
hands or body often conveys nervousness,
hostility, or conflict.
• Because it acts to keep conversation going,
head nodding is a gesture of special
importance, it serves two functions: to
reinforce the speaker and to control the
flow of speech.

• Occasional nods signal the other person to

keep talking, while rapid nodding
indicates that the one nodding wishes to
speak. Of course, nodding can serve other
functions as well.
• For example, certain gestures convey
greatly different meanings in different
cultural contexts. Americans, for instance,
make a circle with the thumb and
forefinger to signify “Okay”; to a
Brazilian, this is an obscene gesture of
contempt.

• “Okay”
 Touching
• As infants, we all used touch to communicate.
Though American culture, unlike many others,
disapproves of touching among adults in public, it
is still a meaningful mode of communication.

• Consider the handshake. To Americans, a firm

handshake typifies decisiveness, while a limp
one usually conveys a lack of interest or
vitality. A damp hand may be a sign of anxiety.

• A prolonged handshake usually suggests an

unacceptable degree of intimacy. Again, these
meanings depend on context.
• Higher- status people usually feel freer to touch
lower-status people. Thus, touching may indicate
either the extent to which people perceive
hierarchical distance between one another or the
extent to which one person is, or is trying to be,
dominant over another.

• Research has shown a person is more likely to

touch when giving information, advice, or
orders; when asking a favour; or when trying to
persuade-all situations that imply at least a brief
period of dominance.
• Like other forms of nonverbal
communication, touching carries the
danger of misinterpretation.

• A manager attempting to reassure a

subordinate about his or her chances
for advancement may add a touch to
strengthen the message, but if the
touching is stiff and nervous, it may
act to contradict the message instead.
 The Face
• Because it is the most expressive part of the body,
the fact is probably the single most important
source of nonverbal communication. The many
muscles within the face allow it to convey
several emotions simultaneously.
• Faces are sometimes hard to read, as in the case
of the Mona Lisa, but our fascination with her
ambiguous smile shows we are accustomed to
getting clearer readings from facial expressions.
• Attention to facial expressions can help people
in organizations to communicate more
effectively.
Smiling and Angry Face
 Eye Contact and Gaze
• Eye contact takes place when two people look at
each other’s eyes.
• It tends to occur when we are seeking feedback
about another’s reactions, when we wish to signal
that the communication channel is open, and when
we want to signal our desire for inclusion.

• We may also use especially prolonged or intense

eye contact to put another under stress.
• Eye contact diminishes when we have
something to hide or are in competitive
settings’ where there is dislike, tension, or fear
of deception’ when we are physically close to
those with whom we are communicating’
during ling utterances’ or when we wish to
break social contact.
• People tend to establish eye contact more often
and for longer periods of time the more they
like each other. Of course, the long, icy stare
can also convey aggression.
• The gaze is a nonverbal cue that both signals and
works to maintain status differences.
• Ralph Exline and his colleagues have identified a
pattern they call visual dominance behaviour,
which they find to be characteristic of people in
high power positions.
• Their studies show that people of high status look
more at another person when they speak than
when they listen.
• Thus, high- status people who wish to bridge the
status gap might try to look more at others when
those others are speaking.
• It is also typical of high-status people
to look less at other communicators
than lower- status people do.
• To measure how high their status
truly is, managers, supervisors, or
staff experts in organizations might
find it revealing to observe the
amount of eye contact they receive.
 The Voice: Paralanguage
• Paralanguage, or voice quality, like other forms
of nonverbal behaviour, often transmits more
meaning than the words we utter. Comments such
as “I wasn’t upset by what he said, but the way
he said it,” “Say it as if you mean it,” or “You
don’t sound like a professor” affirm the
importance of paralanguage.

• Albert Mehrabian emphasizes the point by

explaining such vocal information as “what is
lost when speech is written down.”
 Maya Angelou was a civil rights activist, poet and award-winning author known for her
acclaimed 1969 memoir, 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,' and her numerous poetry and
essay collections.
• Anthropologist George Trager coined the term
“paralinguistic” to refer to something in speech beyond
language itself.
• He divides the topic into four parts: voice qualities, vocal
characterizers, vocal qualifiers, and vocal segregates.
•
• I. Voice qualities refer to factors such as pitch, range,
resonance, rhythm, and speaking rate. They give each
individual a unique “voice print”

• II. Vocal characterizers are emotions expressed while

speaking such as- include laughing, crying, whispering,
groaning, yawning, whining, coughing, and clearing the
throat.
• III. Vocal qualifiers are momentary variations in
volume (ranging from overloud to over soft) or
pitch (ranging from very high to very low).
• IV. Vocal segregates are non-fluencies such as
“ah,” “un,” and “um”; silent pauses; and
intruding sounds.
• Any one of these ingredients can convey a lot. A
high –pitched voice can indicate excitement,
while a low-pitched voice can show seriousness,
sadness, or affection.
• Loudness provides emphasis; it also signals
anger.
• Rate of speech can significantly affect
meaning—rapid speech, for example,
tends to indicate both a speaker’s
excitement and the importance he or she
places on a message.
• Non- fluencies, such as “ah” and “er” are
thought to spoil a speaker’s presentation,
but evidence also indicates that listeners
may perceive too-fluent speech as “slick”
(i.e. polished or superficial) and,
therefore, untrustworthy.
• Much research on paralanguage has
focused on whether the voice can
accurately convey a speaker’s personal
characteristics and feelings.
• Concerning personal characteristics, studies
indicate that listeners can identify a
speaker’s age, gender, and social class
rather accurately through voice quality.
• However, people are generally less able to
pinpoint a speaker’s occupation, body type,
or personality traits by this means.
• Concerning feelings, the research results
are mixed, but there are clearly occasions
when the voice conveys a speaker’s
emotions more accurately than his or her
words do.

• While social or organizational norms often

constrain our verbal expression, we
frequently express our feelings perhaps
unconsciously, by nonverbal means.
• As with other categories of nonverbal
behavior, we need to interpret paralinguistic
cues in context. “Who is the speaker?”,
“What is the situation?”, How does the
speaker see the situation?, Has the
speaker’s voice changed from its normal
quality? The last item is the key question.
• Assigning in- context meaning to differences
in pitch, changes in rate, or additional non-
fluencies, for example, can often
significantly increase our understanding of a
speaker’s meaning.
 Environment
• Up to this point, our examination of nonverbal
communication has been limited to the signals that
come directly from persons themselves, first from
their bodily appearance or movements, and then
from their voices.
• We will now turn our focus to a third major category
of unspoken messages, those transmitted through
environment.
• For people in organizations, environment includes
territory and space’ buildings, rooms, and seating
arrangements’ artifacts and objects’ and time.
• Proxemics is the study of how people use and
perceive the physical space around them. The
space between the sender and the receiver of a
message influences the way the message is
interpreted. In addition, the perception and use
of space varies significantly across cultures
and different settings within cultures.
 Territory and Space
• Every organization has its own norms relating to the use of
space. There are places where a factory manager cannot go
without making workers think that they are being spied upon.
• Military officers keep away from enlisted persons’
quarters except during scheduled inspections. School and
college administrators stay out of classrooms unless an
emergency exists or the visit has been arranged in
advance.
• These phenomena are examples of territoriality, which may
be defined as the tendency of organisms to lay claim to and
defend space. The term territoriality is used in the study of
proxemics to explain human behavior regarding personal
space.
• Like animals, people mark off boundaries that others
recognize without having to be told.
• Territory can have very specific effects on a
message. For example, if an employee approaches
a manager in a neutral territory, such as the
coffee lounge, to ask about a pay raise, the
manager’s response will probably be, “ Come to
my office and we can discuss it.”
• At least part of the reason for the manager’s
preference is that he or she will feel more in
command of the situation when on home
territory.
• Higher- status members of an organization typically have more
control over space than do those of lower status. Gerald
Goldhaber offers the following three principles relating the
concept of territory to organizational status:
• Persons of higher status will have more and better territory.

• The territory of higher-status people is better protected than

that of lower status people

• The higher a person’s status, the easier it is for him or her to

invade the territory of lower-status people
• Persons of higher status will have more
and better territory
• You may notice around your university
that full professors occupy larger offices
than assistant professors.
• In corporations, executive personnel tend
to occupy spacious, well-furnished
offices located on the top floors of the
building.
• The most senior executives will hold
offices at the building’s corners, so that
they will have windows on two sides.
Persons of Higher Status Have More And
Better Territory
 Persons of Lower Status Have
Limited And Ordinary Territory
• The territory of higher-status people is better
protected than that of lower status people
• Consider how much more difficult it, would be for
you to arrange to visit the governor of your state than
for the governor to arrange to visit you. Chief
executives have been described as “controlling the
area which is least accessible, sealed away from
intruders by several doors and a handful of
minions”.
• Having an office with a door and a secretary who
answers the phone protect even junior-level managers
and staff personnel.
• The higher a person’s status, the
easier it is for him or her to invade
the territory of lower-status people
A superior typically feels free to
walk in on subordinates, while they
in turn are more careful to ask
permission or make an appointment
before visiting the superior.
• Being aware of territoriality can help a person
to maintain the kinds of interpersonal
relationships that are normally accepted in an
organization.
• In general, people who recognize and respect
the territorial rights of other individuals and
groups sustain good working relationships.
• However, someone who wants to change a normal
status-based communications pattern might try
forgoing (abstaining from) usual territorial
patterns.
• Thus, a manager who wants to have a free
exchange of ideas with a subordinate may
decide the best place to do so would be in
a neutral territory, such as the
cafeteria.
• Similarly, a department with grievances
against higher management or another
department may arrange to meet
jointly and discuss the problems at an
off-site location.
• An important kind of space in interpersonal
relations is that which Edward Hall has
termed informal space.

• This is the space that people place between

each other when they interact.

• Space in nonverbal communication may be

divided into four main categories: intimate,
social, personal, and public space (Hall)
Four Circles of Intimacy
 Intimate distance-
• From direct contact to eighteen inches,
is the space for lovers, parents, or
close friends discussing a secret.
• When this distance occurs otherwise,
such as in crowded elevators, people
tend to react with defensive devices
(such as looking at the floor).
• Personal distance, from18 inches
to four feet, is the range for
most conversation, the exact
distance depending on factors
such as the topic of conversation
and the relationship between the
parties.
• Social distance, from four to twelve feet, is
the distance for most work-related
interactions, with the closer distances within
this range used for informal discussions and
by those who work closely together.

• At more formal business and social events,

the greater distances maximize
communication and social interaction
while minimizing emotional involvement.
• Public distance is from twelve to twenty-five
feet. It is typically used for one-way
communication between speaker and an
audience.
• Informal space differs significantly between
cultures.
• Being aware of another person’s concept of
informal space is essential for effective
communication.
 Buildings, Rooms, and Seating Arrangements

• Certain buildings and rooms seem to welcome people

to come in and talk, while others seem to say, “Go
away.”
Other important environmental silent messages include:
❖Room color,

❖Temperature,
❖Lighting,
• Obviously, human interaction is central to
many organizational tasks: selling
merchandise (products/commodities), checking
information, trading ideas, and meeting to
identify issues or make decisions, to name just
a few.
• Therefore, physical facilities that discourage
needed personal contact can hurt an
organization’s performance. Fred Steele, a
consultant on physical settings, quotes on
manager’s description of the route to his
boss’s office.
• Confirming the obvious, this manager commented
dryly, “We don’t see each other nearly as often as we
should.” Some managers, aware of the benefits of
frequent contact, try to have their office located as
close to their superior’s and their subordinates’
offices as possible.
• A large office may look coldly impersonal or warm
and casual, depending on how its furniture is
arranged.
• Banks often have multiple partitions that separate
customers from officers and employees and a
“regimented arrangement of furniture (side-by-side
seating alongside a wall or rows of desks for employees
who face each other’s backs).
• One writer, Humphrey Osmond, has referred to the
socio-petal and socio-fugal aspect of settings.
• These terms refer, respectively, to the tendency of
arrangements to bring people close together or to
push them apart.
• Socio-petal seating orients chairs to enable
conversation, whereas socio-fugal seating orients
seats away from one another, which discourages
conversation
• For example, many banks, with their partitions
and “regimented” furniture, represent socio-
fugal settings.
 Socio-petal Spaces — Designed To Bring People
Together (B)
Socio-fugal Spaces — Designed To Minimize
Contact Between People (A)
Socio-petal spaces Socio-fugal spaces
• An office occupant can arrange his or her
furniture to reflect the degree of power and
formality that he or she wants to communicate.
• Seating arrangements affect both the
amount and the kinds of interaction
that take place between people.

• You may have noticed when students

are seated row-by-row in a classroom
that those in the forward rows and the
centre sections of each row tend to
participate more.
• Though we might shrug this off with a simple
explanation- the most interested students usually
choose to sit front and center- the phenomenon
also occurs in classes where seating is alphabetical.
• Where group members are seated around a table,
people seated across (diagonally) from each other
tend to converse with one another more
frequently than those seated side by side, given a
minimum of direction by a designated leader.
• In group under strong, directive leadership, the
opposite occurs; more conversation is directed to
neighbours than to those sitting opposite.
• Seating patterns also appear to affect
interaction quality.
• Research by Robe Sommer shows that
people prefer side-by-side seating for
cooperative transactions and face-to-face
arrangements for competitive discussions.
 Artifacts (work of art) and Objects
• Furnishings can play an important role in shaping
interaction. An office containing paintings,
items of sculpture, family photos, or small
mementos that occupant picked up on his or
her travels can be useful as conversation
pieces.
• The other hand, on executive reportedly removed all art
objects from his office after finding that visitors
became so involved in discussing them that they never
got down to business.
• The objects in an office often convey clear signals
about the occupant’s status. One consultant says a
wooden desk and area rugs/carpet are essential for
those seeking to enhance their power and authority.
• In a facetious yet revealing article
Boston Globe columnist Susan
Trausch listed the objects that can
help one “become powerful” in an
organization. First, she wrote, a chair
with arms important. It allows you to
“rest elbows on chair arms, clasp
hands together, put chin on hands, and
say, ‘hmm’.”
• Next, a spare chair or couch is a
must, since suggests that you are
important enough to have visitors.
• This is so necessary that if you have
room for nothing else, a folding chair,
folded, will do.
• A work table next to your desk is only
slightly less essential.
• It connotes that you have so many
important papers one desk will not hold
them all. Some sort of shelving helps to
give your space” intellectual depth.
 Time
• Chronemics is the study of the use of time in
nonverbal communication.
• The way we perceive time, structure our time
and react to time is a powerful communication
tool and helps set the stage for communication.
• As highlighted in the latest issue of Mudita’s
newsletter, both chronemics - the study of the use
of time in non-verbal communication - and
proxemics - the study of human use of space has
on behaviour, communication, and social
interaction - are heavily influenced by power
dynamics, and concerned with dominance and
status.
• "One who is in the position to cause another to wait has power over
him. To be kept waiting is to imply that one's time is less valuable
than that of the one who imposes the wait." (Guerrero, DeVito &
Hecht);According to research, when it comes to chronemics
someone’s social status can be determined by three different factors:
• - waiting time;
• - talk time;
• - work time.
• Waiting time: researchers Insel and Lindgren claimed that “the act
of making an individual of a lower stature wait is a sign of
dominance”, and theorized that while “Employees of equal stature
will not worry about whether they are running a few minutes behind
schedule to meet with one another”, “for a mid-level manager who
has a meeting with the company president, a late arrival might be a
non-verbal cue that you do not respect the authority of your
superior”.
• Talk time: social psychologist Nancy Henley noted that
“Subordinates are expected to yield to superiors and
there is a cultural expectation that a subordinate will not
interrupt a superior”, while Professor Albert Mehrabian
pointed out that “deviation from this pattern led to
negative perceptions of the subordinate by the superior”
•
• Work time: with regard to working hours, it has been
observed that “as power and status in an organization
increases, the flexibility of the work schedule also
increases”, and that “individuals who spend more time,
especially spare time, to meetings, to committees, and to
developing contacts, are more likely to be influential
decision makers”.
• “Time talks,” as anthropologist Edward
Hall notes in his book, the Silent
Language.
• The time of day, for example, can speak
clearly about the importance of a
message.
• If you place a phone call at midnight, the
receiver of the call will perceive it as
much more important than if you had
placed the same call at three in the
afternoon.
• Small increments of time can be highly meaningful. In a
revealing study, subjects viewed a series of silent films
in which two actors played the roles of executive and
visitor switching roles for different scenes.

• In each scene, the visitor knocks on the door and then

enters the executive’s office. The subjects who
observed the films were consistent in rating the
relative status of the two men, and time figured
strongly in their ratings.
• The more quickly the visitor entered the room,
the more status he was perceived as having.
• On the other hand, the longer the executive
took to answer the knock, the higher his status
was considered to be.
• Subjects saw the visitor as having the least
amount of status when he stepped just inside
the door after entering, more status when he
walked halfway up to the desk, and the most
status when he walked directly up to the seated
executive.
CULTURAL ISSUES IN NON-
VERBAL COMMUNICATION
CULTURAL ISSUES IN NON-
VERBAL COMMUNICATION
• Each culture hold its own values, meaning and norms
different from another. This difference is caused
because of truth, belief and judgment through which
they acquired knowledge about society and culture.
• For example, in eastern countries like India,
Pakistan, Sri Lanka the meaning of physical
proximity is different from that in western
countries.
• In western culture, people share physical
proximity or closeness only with the persons
whom they know.
• This is the reason we can find a calm and quiet
environment in public transportation in western
countries. On contradictory, we can find a huge,
crowded environment in Indian suburban and metro
rail transports.
• The Chinese are more retiring, reticent, and shy
than North Americans. Thus , Western
businesspeople should avoid loud, boisterous, or
aggressive behavior when dealing with the Chinese.
 • Body language and gestures are another elements
of the cultural barrier.
• It is impossible to communicate without body
language and gestures. It provides meaning and
justification for communication.
• In conservative societies like Arab and African
countries, greeting opposite gender by shaking
hands or hugging is considered as ill-manner or
even moral crime.
• The right hand is for public matters and the left
hand, considered the “toilet hand,” is to be kept
private.
• They gently tap the other person or rest a hand on the
other’s knee during conversation. Kissing on the cheeks is
the common way for men to greet each other, and male
friends often hold hands when walking together. The right
hand is for public matters and the left hand, considered
the “toilet hand,” is to be kept private.
• Thus, nothing should be accepted from or given to anybody
with the left hand, and, as the American businessman failed
to recognize, one should not eat with the left hand.
• Reflecting their preference for closeness, Arabs usually
do not make business decisions through correspondence
or by telephone. A personal meeting is a prerequisite for
reaching agreements.
• Greetings and leave-takings are highly ritualized.
Refreshments are served and gifts and business
cards are exchanged.
• Foreigners should be careful to present their
business cards, printed in both Arabic and
English, with the Arabic side face up.
• Westerners should accept offers of hospitality to
visit an Arab’s home, and the invitation must be
returned. No alcohol should be offered to Arab
grests, or consumed in their presence.
• Being on time for appointments is unusual in the Arab
world. When Arabs schedule time, they will typically
say, “insha Allah,” “if Allah wills,” indicating that time
is in Allah’s hands, not their own.

• In addition, they continually and freely move time

compartments forward and backward-a practice that may
appall North Americans, who cannot change the planned
time for an activity more than once or twice without
violating a cultural norm.
 GENDER DIFFERENCES IN
NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
 Gender Differences
Verbal Qualities Non-Verbal Qualities
Men Women Men Women

• Talk loudly • Talk softly • Use more • Yield physical

physical space space
• Deep pitch • High pitch • Stare • Use moderate
• Slow rate • Fast rate • Use eye contact
commanding • Use submissive
• Relaxed • Strident tone gestures gestures
tone • Powerless • Hold their head • Tilt their heads
straight
• Powerful style • Use less facial • Use more facial
style expressions expressions
 Communication Styles

Men are goal-oriented, they define their sense of self through

their ability to achieve results (Gray, 1992).

Women, on the other hand, are relationship oriented as they

define their sense of self by their feelings and by the quality of
their relationships (Gray, 1992).

Men and women also cope with stress differently; men cope by
withdrawing themselves from the conversation or situation
while women cope by reaching out and talking about the cause
of their stress (Gray, 1992).
• Acc. to Deborah Tannen's - Men refers to masculine
people, and women to feminine people
Men tend to talk more than women in public situations,
but women tend to talk more than men at home.
Women are more inclined to face each other and
make eye contact when talking, while men are more
likely to look away from each other.
Men tend to jump from topic to topic, but women
tend to talk at length about one topic.
When listening, women make more noises such as
"mm-hmm" and "uh-huh", while men are more
likely to listen silently.
Women are inclined to express agreement and
support, while men are more inclined to debate.
• In conclusion, -
• Nonverbal communication as an important and
integral component for business organizations
and nonverbal cues are beneficial for successful
business interactions.
• The ability to perceive and use nonverbal
cues to one’s advantage gives the business
person the power to be successful.
ACTIVITY TIME
 1.Which of the following is NOT an element of communication within the communication
process cycle?
A) Channel
B) Receiver
C) Sender
D) Time
2. You need to apply for leave at work? Which method of communication will you use?
A) e-mail
B) Poster
C) Newsletter
D) Blog
3. Which of these is NOT an appropriate non-verbal communication at work?
A) Keeping hands in pockets while talking
B) Talking at moderate speed
C) Sitting straight
D) Tilting head a bit to listen
4. Which of the following is an example of oral communication?
A) Newspapers
B) Letters
C) Phone call
D) e-mail
5. Which of these is a positive (good) facial expression?
A) Frowning while concentrating
B) Maintaining eye contact
C) Smiling continuously
D) Rolling up your eyes
6. What does an upright (straight) body posture convey or show?
A) Pride
B) Professionalism
C) Confidence
D) Humility
7. Which of the following statement is true about communication?
A) 50% of our communication is non-verbal
B) 20% communication is done using body movements, face, arms, etc
C) 5% communication is done using voice, tone, pauses, etc.
D) 7% communication is done using words
8. Which of these are examples of positive feedback?
A) Excellent, your work has improved
B) I noticed your dedication towards the project.
C) You are always doing it the wrong way.
D) All of the above
9. Which of these are examples of negative feedback?
A) I hate to tell you this but your drawing skill is poor.
B) You can surely improve your drawing
C) These are good drawings but you can do better.
D) None of the above
• 10. Types of words used for verbal communication?
A) Acronyms
B) Simple
C) Technical
D) Jargons

• 11. By what method we can know what the receiver understood or got
the message
A) transmitting
B) feedback
C) message
D) listening
• 12. __________ can be presented by face
A) Gestures
B) Body Language
C) Para Language
D) Expressions
• 13. Using abbreviations in communication leads to which type of
communication barrier
A) Language/ Linguistic
B) Physical
C) Cultural
D) Organisational

• 14. Which of the following is NOT a communication barrier?

A) Linguistic barrier
B) Interpersonal barrier
C) Financial barrier
D) Organisational barrier

• 15. ......................... is the exchange of messages in the communication

cycle.
A) Transmitting
B) Listening
C) Message
D) Feedback
 ANSWER-KEY
Q.NO. ANSWER
1. D
2. A
3. A
4. C
5. B
6. C
7. D
8. A
9. A
10. B
11. B
12. D
13. A
14. C