Download Chapter 4: Oral and Nonverbal Communication Patterns

Chapter 6
Oral and Nonverbal
Communication Patterns
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
Topics
 Evaluate
thought patterns
 Understand paralanguage
 Appreciate attitudes toward time and use
of space
 Understand the role that eye contact,
smell, color, touch, and body language
have on communication
 Learn how silence is used
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
What is meant by nonverbal
communication?
Nonword messages, such as
gestures, facial expressions,
interpersonal distance, touch,
eye contact, smell, and silence.
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
Cultural Differences in Patterns of
Thought or Processes of
Reasoning and Problem Solving
 Deductive
reasoning - going from broad
categories or observations to specific
examples; U.S. persons use deductive
reasoning.
 Inductive reasoning - start with
observations or facts and go to
generalizations; Asians use inductive
reasoning.
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
Thought Patterns Include
Speed of Making Decisions
U.
S. managers make quick
decisions.
The Japanese use a slower method
of problem solving.
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
What is meant by paralanguage?
Refers to rate, volume, and quality that
affects the meaning of the message.
 What
does an increased rate of speech
signify? impatience or anger
 What does an increased volume
indicate? perhaps anger or a desire to
be heard
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
Differences in loudness of speech is
culture specific and gender specific:
 Arabs
speak loudly; this is an indication of strength
and sincerity.
 People of the Philippines and Thailand speak
softly; it indicates breeding and education.
 Males usually speak louder than females and at a
lower pitch than females.
 Rate of speech varies with the region of the U.S.;
Northerners speak faster than Southerners.
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
Areas of Nonverbal Communication
 Chronemics
(time)
 Proxemics (space)
 Oculesics (gaze/eye contact)
 Olfactics (smell)
 Haptics (touch)
 Kinesics (body language)
 Chromatics (color)
 Silence
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
Time (Chronemics)
 Attitudes
toward time vary from culture to
culture.
 Countries that follow monochronic time
perform only one major activity at a time
(U.S., England, Switzerland, Germany).
 Countries that follow polychronic time
work on several activities simultaneously
(Latin America, the Mediterranean, the
Arabs).
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
Monochronic/Polychronic Cultures
Monochronic People






do one thing at a time
concentrate on the job
take time commitments
seriously
are committed to the job
show respect for private
property; rarely borrow or
lend
are accustomed to short-term
relationships
Polychronic People






do many things at once
are highly distractible
consider time commitments
casually
are committed to people
borrow and lend things often
tend to build lifetime
relationships
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
Cultural Differences in
Attitudes Toward Time
 U.S.
persons are very time conscious and value
punctuality. Being late for meetings is viewed as
rude and insensitive behavior; tardiness also conveys
that the person is not well organized.
 Germans and Swiss people are even more time
conscious; people of Singapore and Hong Kong also
value punctuality.
 In Algeria, on the other hand, punctuality is not
widely regarded. Latin American countries have a
manana attitude; people in Arab cultures have a
casual attitude toward time.
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
Space (Proxemics)
People in the U.S. tend to need
more space than do persons of other
cultures. U.S. persons back away
when people stand too close.
Standing too close is interpreted as
being pushy or overbearing;
standing too close may also be
interpreted as unwelcomed sexual
advances.
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
Space Zones in the U.S.
 The
intimate zone (less than 18 inches) is
reserved for very close friends.
 The personal zone (18 inches to 4 feet) is for
giving instructions to others or working
closely with another person.
 The social zone (4 to 12 feet) is used in
business situations in which people interact in
a more formal, impersonal way.
 The public distance is over 12 feet.
Hall & Hall, Understanding Cultural Differences
U.S. people need more space than do
Greeks, Latin Americans, or Arabs.
The Japanese stand even farther away
than do U.S. persons.
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
Elevator Proxemics
A psychology professor at a southern university
gave his students an assignment to test elevator
proxemics. Students reported the usual U.S.
behaviors of facing the front and watching the
illuminated floor indicator, assuming the Fig Leaf
Position (hands/purses/ briefcases hanging down in
front of the body), and positioning themselves in
the corners or against the elevator walls. Then the
professor added another assignment: students
were to break the rules and get on the elevator,
stand at the front facing the other occupants and
jump backward off the elevator just before the door
closed. One of the elevator occupants was heard to
whisper, “Call 911; we’ve got a real weirdo here.”
Axtell, Gestures
The Office Environment and
Nonverbal Messages
 U.S.
persons prefer desks and chairs in a
face-to-face arrangement or at right angles,
while the Chinese prefer the side-by-side
arrangement.
 In the U.S. outside offices with windows have
more status than inside offices; large offices
have more status than small ones; the top
floor has more status than the first floor.
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
 French
top-level executives occupy the
middle of an office area with
subordinates around them.
 The Japanese do not consider private
offices appropriate; only the highest
ranking officers have private offices
and may have desks in large work
areas as well.
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
Gaze/Eye Contact (Oculesics)
Although people in the U.S. favor direct eye
contact, in other cultures, such as the Japanese,
the reverse is true; they direct their gaze below
the chin. In the Middle East, on the other hand,
the eye contact is more intense than U.S. people
are comfortable with.
A prolonged gaze or stare in the U.S. is
considered rude. In most cultures, men do not
stare at women as this may be interpreted as
sexually suggestive.
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
Smell (Olfactics)
 Although
people of the U.S. respond
negatively to body odors, Arabs are
comfortable with natural body odors.
 Other cultures in which smell plays an
important role include the Japanese and
Samoans.
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
Touch (Haptics)
 Touch,
when used properly, may create
feelings of warmth and trust; when used
improperly, touch may cause annoyance
and betray trust.
 Hierarchy is a consideration when using
touch in the U.S.: people who are older
or higher rank may touch those who are
younger or of lower rank; equals may
touch each other.
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
“Don't Touch” Cultures
Japan
U.S.
and Canada
England
Scandinavia
Other N. European
countries
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
Middle Ground Countries
Australia
France
China
Ireland
India
Middle
East
countries
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
“Touch” Cultures
Latin American
countries
Italy
Greece
Spain and Portugal
Some Asian countries
Russian Federation
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
Location of the Touch Is Important
 Appropriate
touch in the U.S. is limited
to shaking hands in business situations no hugs or expressions of affection.
 In Thailand do not touch the head.
 Do not touch Asians on the shoulders or
even the back of the worker's chair.
 Avoid touching a person with the left
hand in the Middle East.
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
Several years ago, when President
Carter was mediating peace talks
between Egypt and Israel, Anwar Sadat
frequently placed his hand on President
Carter’s knee. While this subtextual
message was intended as a gesture of
warm friendship, the subtler message
Sadat was conveying to the world was
that he was President Carter’s equal.
Fast, Body Language in the Workplace
Body Language (Kinesics)
 Body
language includes facial expressions,
gestures, and posture and stance.
 To interpret facial expressions correctly, it is
important to take the communication context
and culture into account.
 People in some cultures rarely show emotion
(China); Asians will smile or laugh softly
when they are embarrassed.
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
Facial Expressions
 The
face and eyes convey the most
expressive types of body language,
including happiness, surprise, fear,
anger, interest, and determination.
 Facial expressions must be controlled
when inappropriate to the setting
(yawning during a presentation).
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
Gestures
 Emblems
or symbols ("V" for victory)
 Illustrators (police officer's hand held up
to stop traffic)
 Regulators (glancing at watch when in a
hurry)
 Affect displays (a person's face turns red
with embarrassment)
Axtell, Gestures
General Guidelines
U.S. Gestures
 Interest
is expressed by maintaining eye
contact with the speaker, smiling, and
nodding the head.
 Open-mindedness is expressed by open
hands and palms turned upward.
 Nervousness is sometimes shown by
fidgeting, failing to give the speaker eye
contact, or jingling keys or money in your
pocket.
Axtell, Gestures
 Suspiciousness
is indicated by glancing away
or touching your nose, eyes, or ears.
 Defensiveness is indicated by crossing your
arms over your chest, making fisted gestures,
or crossing your legs.
 Lack of interest or boredom is indicated by
glancing repeatedly at your watch or staring
at the ceiling or floor or out the window when
the person is speaking.
Axtell, Gestures
Additional Guidelines for
Gesturing in Various Cultures
 The
“V” for victory gesture, holding two
fingers upright, with palm and fingers faced
outward, is widely used in the U.S. and
many other countries. In England, however,
it is a crude connotation when used with the
palm in.
Axtell, Gestures
The vertical horns gesture
(raised fist, index finger and
little finger extended)
 Has
a positive connotation associated with the
University of Texas Longhorn football team.
 This gesture has an insulting connotation in Italy
 In Brazil and Venezuela it is a sign for good luck
 In other cultures, such as Italy and Malta, the horns are a
symbol to ward off evil spirits
 This symbol has various meanings in U.S. subcultures
and should be used only when you are sure the other
person understands its intended meaning
Axtell, Gestures
The
thumbs-up gesture has been widely
recognized as a positive signal meaning
“everything is O.K.” or “good going.”
Although well known in North America
and most of Europe, in Australia and
West Africa it is seen as a rude gesture.
The head nod in most countries means
“yes,” but in Bulgaria it means “no.”
Axtell, Gestures
 The
“O.K.” sign, with the thumb and
forefinger joined to form a circle, is a positive
gesture in the U.S., while in Brazil it is
considered obscene. The gesture has still
another meaning in Japan: money.
 The beckoning gesture (fingers upturned, palm
facing the body) used by people in the U.S. for
summoning a waiter, for example, is offensive
to Filipinos, as it is used to beckon animals and
prostitutes. Vietnamese and Mexicans also find
it offensive.
Axtell, Gestures
An American engineer, sent to Germany by his U.S.
company who had purchased a German firm, was
working side by side with a German engineer on a piece
of equipment. When the American engineer made a
suggestion for improving the new machine, the German
engineer followed the suggestion and asked his
American counterpart whether or not he had done it
correctly. The American replied by giving the U.S.
American “OK” gesture, making a circle with the thumb
and forefinger. The German engineer put down his tools
and walked away, refusing further communication with
the American engineer. The U.S. American later learned
from one of the supervisors the significance of this
gesture to a German: “You asshole.”
Axtell, Gestures
Posture and Stance
 Posture
can convey self-confidence,
status, and interest.
 Confident people have a relaxed posture,
yet stand erect and walk with assurance.
 Walking with stooped shoulders and a
slow, hesitating gait projects negative
messages of lack of confidence.
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
 Interest
is demonstrated by leaning forward
toward the person with whom you are
conversing.
 The posture of U.S. persons is casual,
including sitting in a relaxed manner and
slouching when standing (considered rude in
Germany).
 Posture when seated varies with the culture;
U.S. persons often cross their legs while seated
(women at the ankle and men with the ankle
on the knee).
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
 Most
Middle Easterners would consider
crossing the leg with the ankle on the
knee inappropriate.
 Avoid showing the sole of your shoe or
pointing your foot at someone in the Arab
world.
 Follow the lead of the person of the other
culture; assume the posture they assume.
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
Color (Chromatics)
 Colors
have cultural variations in connotations.
– Black is the color of mourning in the U.S., but white
is worn to funerals by the Japanese.
– In the U.S. white is typically worn by brides, while
in India red or yellow is worn.
– Purple is sometimes associated with royalty, but it is
the color of death in Mexico and Brazil.
– Red (especially red roses) is associated with romance
in some cultures including the U.S.
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
United Airlines unknowingly got off on
the wrong foot during its initial flights
from Hong Kong. To commemorate
the occasion, they handed out white
carnations to the passengers. When
they learned that to many Asians
white flowers represent bad luck and
even death, they changed to red
carnations.
Ricks, Blunders in International Business
Silence
 Although
U.S. persons are uncomfortable with
silence, people from the Middle East are quite
comfortable with silence.
 The Japanese also like periods of silence and do
not like to be hurried. Such Japanese proverbs
as, “Those who know do not speak - those who
speak do not know,” emphasize the value of
silence over words in that culture.
 In Italy, Greece, and Arabian countries, on the
other hand, there is very little silence.
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin