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Nonverbal Communication in Organizations
SPCH 3309—Chapter 3
Kinds of Nonverbal Behavior:
 Generally such behavior works in tandem with verbal and other non- language messages.
 Watch for a series of actions to provide meaning; don ‘t read too much into single, isolated
behaviors.
 Meaning is best derived from a cluster of nonverbal cues that are consistent and repetitive.
Behavioral (active) Codes: (watch for clusters of these at work)
 These are “performed” by the communicator; such as gesturing, leaning, walking. Some are
adaptors (indicators of emotional state)….some are emblems (used in place of words). These all
fall within the category known as Kinesics. Generally speaking, we are more comfortable around
and influenced by those who use some degree of movement and gestures.
 Proxemics—how we use space/territory. Our status within an organization will affect our use of
space and amount of territory available to us. In general, the greater the status, the more control
we have over space and territory. Territory must be respected no matter what the employee
status. Personal space is also key. Hall’s space ranges need to be understood and practiced.
 Facial Expressions/Eye Behavior—often hard to interpret due to fleeting nature and sheer
numbers of them. Control of communication is influenced by these; also an indicator of a person’s
status within the organization. Also contributes to an overall sense of satisfaction when done in
the proper amount at the proper time.
 Haptics—how we use touch to communicate. Very powerful cultural influence. Use of touch is
often very personal; an indicator of status; and must be managed carefully or harassment claims
can result. The greater the status and power, the more likely people can use touch in more
lenient ways. Nonetheless, it doesn’t make it any more correct or proper. Professor Jourard’s
study on touch and culture found that it varied considerably from one culture to the next. Knowing
who you do business with and what is the accepted norm for their country is essential. The same
is true within our country as our need for touch varied considerably from person to person.
 Vocalics—our paralanguage or how we use non-linguistic cues to communicate. Things like
rate, pitch, volume, etc. to include our use of silence and its value to a message. When used
correctly this can enhance our image in the eyes of our co-workers, managers, and customers.
When we make errors such as with vocal fillers like “um” and “and ah” we can undermine our
credibility and influence in the eyes of others.
Non-behavioral Codes:
 Dress and Appearance—How we look; our overall appearance can carry an enormous impact
on how we are perceived in the organization. Managers, other employees, and customers will
draw conclusions about us based on our clothes/appearance. Neither of these is a substitute for
ability but when all things are equal, dress and appearance can make the difference.
 Chronemics—how we use time on the job and in the context of our cultural as well. Status
affects this category; the higher we are the more control we have over it. The study in our text
that cites a disproportionate amount of time in interviews between white candidates and
minorities was conducted 28 years ago. Less likely to be as true today.
 Environment—Physical layouts of offices can affect the communication patterns and the amount
as well. How we structure our offices; the way we position our furniture can impact
communication in either good or bad ways. Additionally, environmental factors like colors and
light also can produce psychological impacts on how much or how little communication as well as
what kind. The latest changes in business offices are as follows:
1.
Larger companies are putting the manager’s office in the middle of the office, with various
workstations around it and getting the window views. This creates a more equal and open feel for
workers.
2.
More suspended lighting along with higher ceilings helps eliminate glare on the computer
screens. In addition, more buildings are using sensors for energy management, making them
more environmentally friendly.
3.
“Softer issues” are gaining in importance. That means things like day care, cafeterias,
exercise and seating areas where employees can go to relax and or work wirelessly on their
laptops.
4.
Storage is evolving, but filing cabinets will not yet fade away as paper will be around a
long time. Storage towers that combine filing space and bookshelves save space and serve many
purposes.
5.
Cubicles will not go away but are being redesigned to enhance communication and
collaboration (being arranged to people don’t bother those who sit near them).
The Nature of Nonverbal Behavior
Even though nonverbal behaviors commonly occur in combination with other verbal and nonverbal
actions, it is good to examine them in an isolated context to better understand them. Sometimes
nonverbal behaviors don’t operate like we expect; there are many exceptions to the general rules for this
type of communication.
(a)
The Ambiguity of Nonverbal Behaviors—Words usually reflect what people want us to hear while
nonverbal messages relay a person’s actual character and state of mind. This may be true in
many instances but not always. Sometimes nonverbal behavior reflects sarcasm, relief,
embarrassment, etc. In other words, they may reflect the opposite what we think they do. And
sometimes we interpret them incorrectly due to cultural-specific rules that normally apply. In other
words, what is true in one culture (even in our business cultures) may mean something different
in another culture. In some instances the meaning of these messages comes not from some
inherent or natural link, but the rules imposed by a certain group or cultural faction. In other
words, we may feel like we need to act in a certain way because we are “expected to act that
way,” rather than how we truly feel. Many times specific gestures “come to mean” something
specific. For example, a “high five” or “chest butts” done by athletes. The more we see
something and its context, the easier it is for us to understanding it. Bottom line: watch for
clusters or consistent behavior in nonverbal gesture; and unless you know the person very well,
be very careful assignment meanings to isolated nonverbal behaviors---for ambiguity is one of the
truism for this method of communication.
(b)
Degrees of Intentionality and Controllability—Certain behaviors are more controllable and
therefore easier to use with a greater degree of intentionality. The DePaulo and Rosenthal
showed which behaviors are more controllable than others. And which tend to reveal the truth
more than others. Some behaviors are sent without us even realizing it. The Pygmalion Effect
suggests that others will respond to us like we treat them in a certain way (positive or negative),
The sense is that they react to this so-called expectancy –base behavior and thus respond to us
like we treat them. Certainly that is not true in most instances, but it is worthy of some value. In
short, some behaviors can be controlled completely while others tend to be more inherent acts
that derive from our emotions rather than our conscious states.
(c)
Levels of Meaning—Concern here is on whether or not the message was meant to be sent or
sent by accident. We may send a nonverbal message and not be aware of it; it may come out not
as we intended, or it may be just as we meant and with our full knowledge. There is great
potential for breakdown here. I might not interpret your nonverbal act like you had intended. And
vice versa. Attributing meaning and intention can be tricky, in the best of situations. A concept
called the self-serving bias says “we are likely to view the cause of our negative behaviors in a
way that makes us less responsible, but we tend to place the blame on others for the same
actions.” In short, their short-comings are due to internal causes. Our short-coming are due to
external causes. Not always the case, but human nature to do this. In addition, the type (positive
or negative) of attribution influences us in how we respond to the behavior. Attributions help us
make sense of things, albeit not always correctly. And they are not limited to just nonverbal
behaviors. And whether the behavior is intentional or by necessity will affect our interpretation.
Standing very close to a stranger in the elevator when it’s full is acceptable. But not if the elevator
is virtually empty. The better we know someone the more likely we will interpret their behavior
positively (though not always the case). Key point: “attributions, or receivers’ interpretations of
others’ behaviors, are important sources of meaning within any communication exchange. They
co-exist with the encoders’ view of what they believe has been communicated and are strongly
influenced by the perceptions or biases of the decoder.” A negotiated meaning results from a
give-and-take between two people to arrive at a meaning of a behavior that both agree with.
Often this is a middle ground between a boss and employee’s view. A good example is noted on
page 72. Finally, one’s culture will play a role in the level of meaning. Each culture assigns
meaning to nonverbal behaviors. And within each culture co-cultures will do the same again.
Sometimes changing the meaning accepted by the parent culture. In sum, nonverbal behavior
meanings exist in the mind of the person who initiates them, but also in the minds of those on the
receiving end. Sometimes we need to discuss those meanings with others to arrive at an
accepted or agreed upon interpretation. The more we have in common with our audience, the
more likely they will draw the conclusions we had intended from our nonverbal behaviors.
(d) Culture and Context—to fully understand a nonverbal behavior we have to know
the culture it comes from and the context in which it occurred. After all, the majority of meaning of
nonverbal communication comes from the society we live in. What is true for doing business in one
culture might be drastically different elsewhere. The guidelines we follow in such cases are referred to as
“display rules.” There are expectations that we will behave in specific ways in certain situations. To
breach these rules will usually result in something negative or corrective responses soon to follow.
Burgoon says that all cultures have “world views” of how we make sense out of the world around us. The
greater the variance in the “world view” of one culture to the next, the greater the struggle to communicate
effectively. We must be conscience of falling prey to high levels of ethnocentrism—the belief that our own
culture is superior to all others. This has nothing to do with being proud of your culture and practicing its
values and customs. But when we start to tell others why they are wrong and how we are better, we can
be sure of only two things: (1) they will defend their own culture, and (2) the communication we have with
that other person will become strained. You can think and feel whatever you wish, but when words flow
from our mouths we become responsible for them. Even organizations within a single culture will (or can)
have distinctive cultures specific to that organization. This is usually not a big problem within one culture
but potentially it can be. Not only culture, but the situation or context in which a nonverbal behavior occurs
will have major influence on how we interpret it. Sometimes a touch is very innocent or positive, but other
times that same touch in a physical sense can be very suggestive and negative. To ignore the context of
a behavior is just as foolish as to ignore the cultural rules that govern the behavior.
Functions of Nonverbal Behaviors—
What nonverbal behaviors do; the jobs they perform. Certainly they can be used to express intimacy, and
controlling the type and amount of communication. Additionally nonverbal behaviors can be used to
create impression formation through a variety of ways. One significant way is via interviews. There are
other ways we create impressions with our nonverbal communication. For example, nonverbal
communication can impact power, intimacy, and immediacy and how each is used.
(A)
Perception and Impression Formation—We form impressions of others based on their nonverbal
acts and we use those same behaviors to create an image of ourselves. How we behave nonverbally will depend largely on who we are with and the context in which it occurs.

Job interviews are great examples of how impression formation works in this setting. Key points:
nonverbal becomes more important when applicants can’t be judged on ability alone. Also limited
impact in most cases since most applicants do the same thing (sitting up right, smiling, proper dress,
etc). And finally, and to a lesser degree of importance, interviewers may judge interviewees on
different cue than those used by the applicants. Possible, but not that likely to be a regular
occurrence.

Other Contexts--(power, intimacy and immediacy)—positive attitudes in sales can be helpful, if not
necessary, for any success. We tend to buy from and do business with positive, energetic people.
And certainly appropriate eye contact is essential. No one will buy a product from a sales person who
lacks effective eye contact. There are many factors that affect successful selling but the bottom line is
often that we do business with people we like. Other relational factors are power and immediacy.
Power—the ability to influence others. Page 79 offers some real elements of power and how it is used
in business. Time, location, seating, etc. Power is often a clear-cut element of corporate hierarchy.
Status is less clear. One may no little power but great status. Immediacy or a sense of psychological
closeness between the source and the receiver. A strong sense of interest and enthusiasm can be
created by using the wide-array of nonverbal behaviors effectively. When we behave with high
immediacy, it tends to create similar behavior in others (the norm of reciprocity). Dull, lethargic people
lack immediacy. While they may be very intelligent, their ineffective use of nonverbal behavior makes
it hard for them to develop business relationships that help themselves and their companies. The text
notes intimacy (a close union with others) but note this does “not” suggest nor should it be interpreted
as “sexual closeness.”
(B)
Coordinating interaction between people—nonverbal behaviors in organizations provide
structure and patterns (for example, leaders sit at the end or front of a table and subordinates
line up in order of power/status away from them). Locations of offices/rooms tend to facilitate or
reduce communication with others. Main offices where high traffic passes are centers for
communication (by design). The locations of offices are often indicators of status or power.
How people use objects in their offices is another indicator of power. Staying behind a heavy
desk rather than coming out on an “equal position” or sitting up higher than those you meet is
another indicator. And finally, we watch for so-called turn-taking rules (nonverbal) that give us
clues when we should or continue to listen (p. 82).