What follows is a
“condensed” version of a presentation by students of a Management
331 (Organizational Behavior) class. I say condensed because most of the
graphics have been left out. The text is complete.
General
Body Language – Kevin Gardner
Cultural
Interpretation – Teri Hoffman
Spatial
Relation – Sue Graham
Temporal
Relations – Richard Stewart
Body Language (Kinesics)
All
movement has meaning
Approximately
58% of communications occurs through kinesics
Three
main components of communicating:
–
facial expressions
–
body movements
– eye
contact
Facial Expressions
Refers
to the art of communicating feelings by contracting the facial muscles
Facial
Expressions provide information about:
–
Affective State
–
Cognitive activity
– Temperament
–
Truthfulness
Most
facial expressions are universal
Brow
raise = intensity
Eyes
widened = surprise
Nostril
flare = arousal
How do women and men
use eye contact?
Interest
Power
Gazing at another’s eyes arouses strong emotions. Thus, eye
contact rarely lasts longer than three seconds before one or both viewers experience
a powerful urge to glance away.
Body Language & Cultural Interpretation
“Gestures, The Silent
Language”
Gestures
There
are more than 700,000 different gestures that can be both powerful and
contradictory
A
gesture is the verbal or nonverbal body movement used to express or emphasize
an idea, an emotion or state of mind
Gestures Fall Into Three
Broad Categories
Instinctive
gestures
Coded
or technical gestures
Acquired
gestures
What is perceived as normal by
Western standards might be rude in other cultures
Eye
contact
Nodding
Yes or No
Showing
the sole of your shoe
Gestures & Cultural
Interpretation
Gestures seen as positive in
one culture may be obscene in another
Gestures and Body Language
Survival Skills
Separate right from rude
Separate rude from crude
Be observant and sensitive to
surroundings
Don�t be afraid to ask
Spatial Relations (Proxemics)
It�s
a small world after all…
Spatial Relations
The Four Distinct Proxemic
Distances
Intimate
Personal
Social
Public distances
Desk
arrangement
Pictorials on walls
Warm atmosphere
Open atmosphere
Interpersonal skills to
determine someone�s sensitivity audit
Touch
Also a form of proxemics
The handshake
Eye contact
Use of one hand or two hands
Firm
Gentle
Do you violate a co-workers
space?
Are they comfortable with
working together behind the desk?
Use your interpersonal skills
and communicate
Temporal Relations
(Chronemics)
How people see and use time
Power tool
Professionally
Culturally
Focus on the future vs. the
present
Linear vs. Circular time
Time is always with us vs.
clockwatching
Nonverbal Communication
Conclusions
Nonverbal communications is automatic, preconscious, and predictable
It�s a powerful force that is with us at all times
Nonverbal messages carry
more impact than a verbal message
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