Nonverbal Immediacy In The Workplace

To me interpersonal communication describes the exchange of verbal and nonverbal messages between two different people. Joseph DeVito states that “interpersonal communication is inevitable, irreversible, and unrepeatable” due to these things effective communication is a necessary skill for us to function in our day to day lives (p. 20). Therefore, I have created a theory for interpersonal communication that goes as follows; To experience effective communication you must understand: your culture, the other person’s culture, and how to listen effectively. By knowing these three things you can consistently avoid misunderstandings and promote understanding in your interpersonal and intercultural relationships.

Non-verbal communication consists mainly of the things people do with their body language. There are times where words are expressed and non-verbal communication could help emphasize the message. A few examples of nonverbal communication are hand gestures eye contact, facial expressions as well as tone and volume. I was given this assignment to observe a situation and take note of the nonverbal communication that occurred. I also had to observe whether the non-verbals were able to execute the message and if the behavior was acceptable.

I decided to go to Panda Express at 5:30 pm for my observations, while there I was able to observe just how much people rely on nonverbal communications to get their point across. Although I witnessed several encounters of unique body language, there were also a few actions that reoccurred several times in several different people. For example, when a customer would approach the counter where employee served the food, the employee would raise her eyebrows and smile at the customer. The employee’s smile, however, did not reach her eyes suggesting that while it is her job to smile and be welcoming to the customer, she most likely did not want to be at work. Additionally, I noticed that when customers approached the counter about 90 percent of them had their arms crossed. The act of crossing ones arms usually means that a person is trying to put a barrier between them and a situation that they either don’t like, or are uncomfortable with. This may mean that the customers were displeased with having to wait in line to get their food, on the other hand it may be that they were simply comfortable folding their arms. Once they reached the front of the line, every customer pointed to the food they wanted along with verbally telling the employee. This made their communication more effective as it helped to overcome the barrier of sound because the restaurant was noisy.

Negative organizational climate is something that has become quite of an issue at my workplace. It tends to go in somewhat of a downward spiral – one person will become disgruntled about something and start complaining, this grumbling creates a negative environment, more people become disgruntled and join in, and the cycle continues. Virtuous leadership can help break this cycle of negativity and boost positivity within the organization climate. Even as coworkers, we can display the components of virtuous leadership by focusing on the greater good and portraying trust, integrity, and forgiveness (Kinicki & Fugate, 2012). Essentially, we can be a light to those in our workplace and combat the spreading, negative darkness (Matthew 5:14-16, New International Version).

Technology can be positive through providing face to face live video and audio chats, but can also be detrimental when it comes to simple texting without nonverbal messages. Facetime has been able to provide expressions and voice cues that help bring meaning to verbal messages. Nonverbal communication is hard to fake and is more trustable. While, texting can be detrimental to relationships because the meanings of words are skewed since they don’t have nonverbal cues to give context and meaning to them. The relationships that is most influenced by technology is my friends at Uconn because we spend so much time together and the amount of closeness I feel with these people is no comparable to those affected only by technology because I feel a sort of closeness through maintaining a close distance to them and I have the ability to exchange vocal and facial cues.

Body language (the process of communicating nonverbally through conscious or unconscious gestures and movements). People all of the world use body language or gestures to communicate nonverbally. I personally think that nonverbal communication and body language are one of the biggest barriers in communication especially between one culture to other. Body gestures can be misinterpreted as rude or disrespectful depending on the country, region, or even the city you’re from.

Q1) Do you think Mindy dresses appropriately for the medical facility? Why or Why not?

In her article “Type me How You Feel: Quasi-Nonverbal Cues in Computer-Mediated Communication,” Carter explores the implications associated with nonverbal perceptions in type written communication. In today’s age, interaction comes in many forms; as societies progress technologically, so does the exchange of language through text based messages also referred to as Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC). Non-verbal communication is interpersonal communication through visual, body gestures, and facial expressions. Carter highlights that CMC is limited in regards to nonverbal cues. Typewritten messages, compared to face-to-face interaction (FtF), create a lack of trust, remove spontaneity in interaction, generate ambiguity, and cause a time barrier between the individuals communicating. Although Carter pinpointed some key implications to the proliferation of CMC, she failed to identify the key advantages found in typewritten communication. Social Information Processing Theory (SIP), founded by Joseph Walther in 1992, offers an understanding of how people communicating through text develop their interpersonal relationships, given that the parties constantly communicate. By applying SIP to Carter’s points of analysis, Carter’s concerns with CMC are answered and a more clear understanding of the potential to create interpersonal relationships via CMC emerges, regardless of the limitations associated with the lack of non-verbal cues.

Successful leaders also require both technical skills in the field they are in, and positive interpersonal skills when dealing with employees. “Most effective FRLD pay attention to both task and relationship issues with followers” (Sosik & Jung, 2010, p.21). More positive interactions will lead to more satisfied customers, paving the way for relationship-building communication, which in turn paves the path in note-worthy customer satisfaction. USAA believes by capturing complaints, we are empowered to better meet customers’

Communication is a procedure in which individuals verbally or non-verbally share data and thoughts. Nonverbal communication can be best characterised as a quiet type of speaking with a man without utilising any type of discourse to get a crowd of people. Nonverbal communication is regularly used to make a statement of a however and make your message additionally engaging and intriguing to whom you are identifying with. There are numerous sorts of nonverbal communication utilised as a part of expert and individual environment so this segment offers a succinct outline of the significance of nonverbal communication in professional and personal environment.

Nonverbal communication can be found within many objects on campus. Even though these objects do not send out direct messages, they still have significant meanings that can be captured by the public.

Communicating through social media and technology can sometimes be challenging, what are these challenges and how does this affect the nonverbal communication; and do you think this form of communication causes inabilities to interact positively and work effectively with others. While communicating through new technologies and social media can be challenging at times for some, one must also remember that “nonverbal behaviors can be important in establishing trust in working relationships, but modern technologies may challenge our ability to maintain that trust” (Nelson & Quick, 2017, pg. 131). This is because too much of a good thing can cause harmful reactions when trying to communication with another through that of modern

Following proxemics, arises kinesics. “Kinesics are gestures, body movements, facial expressions, and eye contact behaviors” (Jandt, 2016). This type of nonverbal communication is very important to acknowledge when traveling as people perceive and interpret what is seen much quicker. Kinesics are globally understood differently. For example, a “thumbs up” or “OK” gesture in the United States could be a symbol of agreeance or good job and a symbol for money in Japan (Levine & Adelman, 1993), meanwhile, in Argentina it is considered a sign of crudity. Another example of kinesics is when one physically hits the left palm with the right fist, which in the United States it is an action of “rock, paper, scissors,” in Argentina is it interpreted as “I don’t believe what you are saying” or “that’s stupid” (“How to Use Effectively”, 2017). When greeting, it is common for people of the same gender to have frequent physical contact, that is a hug and kiss on both cheeks. A handshake or a nod is a sign of respect for others. Also, when speaking about an object or others, instead of pointing, “use your open hand rather than a finger,” as it is considered unpolite (Katz, 2007). When going out to have dinner or lunch at someone’s home or at a restaurant, always keep the hands visible when eating, and do not rest your elbows on the table, which is considered a sign of no interest (Argentina Guide, n.d.). When one is finished eating, it is expected to place the “knife and fork across the

Bonaccio, S., O’Reilly, J., O’Sullivan, S. L., & Chiocchio, F. (2016). Nonverbal behavior and communication in the workplace: A review and an agenda for research. Journal of Management, 42(5), 1044-1074. doi:10.1177/0149206315621146. Retrieved on November 27, 2017 from: http://journals.sagepub.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/doi/full/10.1177/0149206315621146

“Systematic research on the role of nonverbal behavior in social interaction has been common only in the past 20 to 25 years.”(Edinger and Patterson, 1983, p. 30).because that statement was published in 1983, it is apparent that the study of nonverbal behavior has been around for roughly 50 to 55 years. However, that is still a relatively recent amount of time compared to research in other science fields such as chemistry or biology. Despite the fact that this field is relatively recent there are many theories about our interaction with others. This paper will discuss the nonverbal expectancy theory along with two other theories, and describe how these theories can work together.