NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION IN ORGANIZATIONS

Zareen KhanIfra Qureshi

The Dissemination Of Messages To One Or Mass

Audience Through A Medium. – Sender (encoder)

– Message (content)

– Medium (channel)

– Barrier (noise)

– Receiver (decoder)

TYPES:

– Verbal: communication with words, sounds, language and speaking.

– Non-Verbal: communication with actions or body language.

COMMUNICATION

• Apropos organizational development, communication

is a precondition.

• Purpose: To influence the action towards the

organizational benefits.

– Example: linking the employees together for the fulfillment

of common goals.

ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION = EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT

ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION

• Dissemination of wordless messages.

• Difference between the spoken words and our

understanding of what they say.

• Non-Verbal Signals:

– Matched: increase trust, clarity, and rapport;

– Mismatched: generates tension, complexity and mistrust

• Example: gestures, expressions, postures or even the tone of

the voice.

NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

• Managers: Effectively lead other employees and team members.

• Team members: To communicate information to individuals

inside/outside the business, (clients, competitors or colleagues).

• Importance:

– Powerful: express inner feelings (meeting attention)

– Creates first impression (business interviews)

– Cultural differences (cracking deals)

– Genuine: cant be controlled easily

– Interpretation of messages (eye contact or facial expressions)

NON-VERBAL COMMUNIATION: ORGANIZATIONS

• Distance: The distance one stands from another.

– Sign of attraction/reflect status etc.

• Orientation: Face-to-face, side-to-side, or even back-to-back.

– Cooperating people sit side-by-side/competitors face to face.

• Posture: Lying down, seated, or standing.

– Degree of formality/degree of relaxation.

• Physical contact: Shaking hands, 5 senses, hold, push/pull,

head nod or pat on the back.

– Element of intimacy or a feeling of (or lack of) attraction.

FEATURES: STATIC

• Facial Expressions: A smile, frown, raised eyebrow, yawn,

and sneer all convey information.

– Change during interaction and are monitored.

• Gestures: Hand movement, clenched fist etc.

– When talking: confident/idiosyncratic .

• Looking: Eye contact.

– Conveys emotion, signal when to talk or finish, or aversion

and suggests interest or boredom.

FEATURES: DYNAMIC

“. . . the exchange of messages primari ly through non-l inguist ic means,

including: kinesics (body language), facial expressions and eye contact , tact i le communication, space and

terri tory, environment, paralanguage (vocal but non-l inguist ic cues) , and

the use of s i lence and t ime”.- Tortoriello, Blott, and DeWine

• First used by Ray 

Birdwhistell 1952

(anthropologist)

– how people communicate

through posture, gesture,

stance, and movement?

• Voluntary or Involuntary

• Example: feelings or

attitude, (a happy girl).

Types: KINESICS(Body Language & Posture)

• Communicates emotions and

communicator’s attitude without words

uttered.

– Eye contact: Understanding

• Example: Culture differences: lowering eyes

– East: conveys respect

– West: conveys diffidence.

– Sign language: eyebrow up/tilt, cheek

movement etc.

– Face overall: Feelings or condition

• Smile, Joy, sadness, happiness etc.

• Example: Angry or shocked situation.

Types: FACIAL EXPRESSIONS

• Deliberate or on purpose

body movement or signals:

– Conveys specific message.

– different across cultures and

regions.

• Example: wink, waving, and

using fingers to indicate

numeric amounts etc.

Types: GESTURES

• Paralinguistic refers to vocal

communication.

• Expressed consciously  or

unconsciously.

• 70% we communicate through 

paralanguage.

• Example: Pitch, volume, tone

of speech in sarcasm and anger

etc.

Types: PARALANGUAGE & VOICE

• How people use and perceive the physical

space around them.

• The space between sender and the receiver of

a message influences message is interpreted.

• The perception and use of space varies

significantly across cultures.

• Space maybe divided into four main

categories: intimate, social, personal

& public space.

• Example: Class or Conference rooms.

Types: PROXEMICS AND SPACE

• Touch communication facilitates the

sending of the message,.

• Gives emotional impact of the message

as well.

• It used to communicate affection,

familiarity, sympathy and other

emotions.

• Example: a firm handshake, a timid tap

on the shoulder, a warm bear hug, a

tap, or a controlling grip on your arm.

Types: HAPTICS OR TACTILE

• The way we perceive time,

structure our time and react

to time.

• Timing and frequency of an

action and tempo or rhythm

of communications.

• Example: punctuality,

willingness to wait,

interactions, tensions on

result day etc.

Types: CHRONEMICS & TIME LANGAUGE

• It can create tension

and uneasiness or

create a peaceful

situation.

• Positive or negative.

• Example: Boss looking

at the employees

resting.

Types: SILENCE

• Interprets cultural differences.

• Choice of color, clothing, hairstyles

and other factors as different

colors can evoke different moods.

• Alters physiological reactions,

judgments and interpretations.

• Example: a well-groomed

employee gets a job most of the

time.

Types: APPEARANCE

• Complimenting :

-A teacher asks if you understand an assignment. You nod your head up and down while

saying “Yes, I think so.”

• Contradicting:

-“Your mouth is saying no, but your body is saying yes.”

• Substituting:

-Emblems are nonverbal gestures that are the equivalent of words.

• Repeating:

- First, you shake your head no. Then you say, “No.”

• Regulating:

-An argument about politics starts to erupt at a party. A friend puts his hand on his friend’s

forearm to signal that he needs to calm down.

NON-VERBAL COMMUNIATION: FUNCTIONS

• The Mehrabian Formula 1967: Mehrabian’s Studies asked participants to judge the feelings

of a speaker by listening to a recording of a single word spoken in different tones of voice. He

believed messages are delivered by:

– Your words 7%

– Your tone of voice 38%

– Your body language 55%

• Criticism:

– Based on the judgment of the meaning of single tape-recorded words, i.e. A very artificial context.

– The figures are obtained by combining results from two different studies which potentially cannot be

combined.

– It relates only to the communication of positive versus negative emotions.

– It relates only to women, as men did not participate in the study.

CRITICISM: MEHRABIAN MYTH

http://www.speakingaboutpresenting.com/presentation-myths/mehrabian-nonverbal-communication-research/

“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn't

said”.

- Peter F. Drucker.

“A leader’s ability to decode follower’s feelings and attitudes and

communicate support and motivation are key to their success.

Charismatic leaders are typically good at decoding the nonverbal

cues of others and are able to read and respond to the needs of their

followers”.

- Riggio.

CONCLUSION

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/eq6_nonverbal_communication.htm

http://www.zeromillion.com/business/management/non-verbal-communication.html%20--%3E

http://www2.andrews.edu/~tidwell/bsad560/NonVerbal.html

http://psychology.about.com/od/nonverbalcommunication/a/nonverbaltypes.htm

http://humanresources.about.com/od/interpersonalcommunicatio1/a/quotes_nonverb.htm

REFERENCES