Verbal Communication

• Communication that takes place with the help of

words or language is verbal communication. Thus
both oral and written forms of communication has
reached an advanced level through technological
aids.
• Characteristics of Oral Communication.
1. Free of too much of planning.
2. Informal in nature.
3. Supported by tone, facial expressions, gestures
and a personal touch.
4. Confidential if needed.
5. Possible to repeat for effect and clarity.
Advantages of Oral Communication.
1. It’s a quick process.
2. Mass dissemination.
3. Useful for all the audience.
4. More colloquial language.
5. Immediate/spontaneous feedback.
6. Shorter sentences, shorter words.
7. Conversational.
8. Focus on interpersonal relations.
9. Prompt action.
10. Less detailed technical information.
11. More personal pronouns.
12. Simpler constructions.
13. More imperative, interrogative, and exclamatory sentences.
Disadvantages of Oral Communication.
1. Difficult to organize.
2. No legal value.
3. No reference value.
4. Higher possibility of miscommunication.
5. Dislike for the speaker.
6. Problems in conventions of meaning.
7. Receiver’s attitudes, values, and opinions can be
challenged.
8. Poor retention capacity.
9. Information filter/abstracting.
10. Risk of inferences.
Written Communication.
• Communication based on the use of alphabets,
signs or codes of any kind, which is rendered
by writing or typing is called written
communication.
• Characteristics of Written Communication.
1. An orderly presentation.
2. A neat layout and organization.
3. Logical construction.
4. Concise, precise and polite in style.
5. Formal in nature.
Advantages of Written Communication.
1. Organized and planned.
2. Exactness of the message.
3. Supplements oral presentation.
4. Focus on content.
5. Useful for permanent record; detailed
presentation.
6. Possibility of review.
7. Mass dissemination.
8. Legal value.
Disadvantages of written Communication.

1. It’s a lengthy process.

2. Delayed feedback.
3. Longer sentences, longer words.
4. More detailed technical information.
5. Fewer personal pronouns.
6. More complex constructions.
7. Problem of storage.
8. Unsuitable for illiterate people.
 Non-verbal Communication.
• Communication that occurs without words is known as non-
verbal communication.
• Characteristics of Non-verbal Communication.
1. Very often, non-verbal messages express feelings more
accurately than spoken or written language.
2. Numerous studies suggest that from 60 to 90 percent of a
message’s effect comes from non-verbal cues.
3. It is most pervasive.
4. It supplements verbal communication.
5. Used in a variety of contexts.
6. Quite changeable and not easy to pinpoint, like the tone
and quality of one’s voice.
7. Lends life to verbal communication.
8. Regulates communication.
 Non-verbal Communication

• Quite vague and imprecise

• Culture highly influences non-verbal
communication.
• Awareness and observation extremely crucial
to decode non-verbal behavior.
 Mehrabian circle
Elements of Personal communication

38
55

Body language Paralinguistics Spoken Words

 Mehrabian’s Communication Theory
• 7% of message pertaining to feelings and
attitudes is in the words that are spoken.
• 38% of message pertaining to feelings and
attitudes is paralinguistic (the way that the
words are said).
• 55% of message pertaining to feelings and
attitudes is in facial expression.
 Mehrabian’s Communication Theory
• The 'Mehrabian formula (7%/38%/55%) was
established in situations where there was
incongruence between words and expression.
• the formula applies to communications of
feelings and attitudes
• the importance of understanding meaning in
communications as distinct from words alone.
 Edward Hall
Proxemics: Study of Space
Public space

Social Space
(4ft to 12 ft)

Personal
Space (18
inches to 4ft)

Intimate
space
(18inches)
 Haptics
Study of touch as nonverbal communication

At office, it could mean

• Handshake
• A pat on shoulder
• Pat on the back
• Holding hand or arm

• Touch, when used properly, may create feelings of warmth and trust. When used improperly,
touch may cause annoyance and betray trust
• Location of touch is important. E.g. U.S touch is limited to handshake, no hugs. In Thailand, it
is not okay to touch the head
• There are cultural differences in how much touch is okay. E.g. U.S and Japan are low touch
but Italy is high touch
• 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.
 Haptics: Case study

• 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 sub-textual 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.
Chronemics

• The study of the use of time in nonverbal communication.

• The way we perceive time, structure our time and react to time is a powerful
communication tool, and helps set the stage for the communication process.

• ‘Chronemics’ is the study of the use of time in non-verbal communication. Time

perception greatly affects our lifestyle, movements, speed of speech, and the amount
of time set for listening.

• It is also closely linked to a person’s social status. The higher the status, the more
control the person has over his time. E.g. a boss can talk to an employee whenever he
chooses to do so, while the employee has to make an appointment to see the boss.
Chronemics: Cultural differences

• 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)

• North Americans 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 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
Chromatics: Study of colors

• Is the communication through colors

• Explores the physical properties of colour and the effect of color on humans

• Colors have may be positive or negative connotations depending on the culture

• In US, it is common to wear black when mourning, in India people prefer white

• In Hong Kong red is used for happiness or luck and traditional bridal dress; in Poland
brides wear white

• In Asia people like colored shampoo, in US shampoo tends to be light colored

• 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
Chromatics: Case study

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.
Olfactics

• The study of sense of smell

• Someone’s smell can have a positive or negative effect on the oral message
• North Americans respond negatively to body odors, Arabs are comfortable with natural
body odors
• Smell plays an important role in Japanese and Samoans cultures too
• Related to proxemics – closer the people stand more relevant the smell
• In some high-contact cultures such as Samoan or Arab, it is customary to get close
enough in conversation to smell the other person
• We tend to react to people based on their smell
• During interaction body odour or too much perfume can make even the most attractive
person seem repulsive

Olfactics: Tips
Apply perfume only at ‘pulse points’ – on the wrist, behind earlobes. Don’t ‘spray’
perfume all over your clothes – it will make you smell over-whelming and some people
maybe allergic to smell. Also, you may end up with perfume patches over your clothes!
Silence

• Even we are silent, we are communicating

• What we communicate depends on what kind of silence it is

• Mostly subject of conversation plays major role in this

• The more emotionally loaded subject is, the more silence we need

• 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
 Sign language: Case study

• 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 a----le.”
Appearance

• Clothing, accessories, color of skin, hair, body shape – all communicate messages
• Appearance has an impact on the person’s confidence which shows up
immediately in the posture, expressions and voice

Do you feel better the day you are dressed better?

Oculesics

• Eye movement can signal what mind is focusing on

• Recalling what they saw or picture- eyes move upward
• Recalling a sound-eyes move to side and head tilts
• Recalling a feeling-eyes move down and right
• Mentally talking- eyes move down and left
 Paralanguage

1. Pitch
2. Tone
3. Stress
4. Accent
5. Voice
Kinesics

The study of posture, movement, gestures & facial expression

Expressions: do’s & don’ts

#1 Smile is the most effective, non-expensive and under-utilized resource to

appear approachable
#2 Many unknowingly have a frown on their face, especially due to constant ‘self-
talk’ - be cautious

Kinesics: gestures & postures

• Eyes, hands, head and various combinations of it communicates something
• Groups of gestures & postures
• Head
• Face
• Hands
• Feet
• Sitting
• Standing
Kinesics
The study of posture, movement, gestures & facial expression
We classify kinesics into 5 different categories:

Kinesics: Affect displays

Movements of the face to convey or show emotions, e.g. happy, sad, fear, anger, etc

Kinesics: Emblems
Use as substitution of works like ‘ok’, ‘peace’, ‘be quiet’, etc

Kinesics: Illustrators
Accompany and literally illustrate the verbal message. E.g. saying, ‘let’s go’ while
motioning with your hands for them to go, it was ‘this big’ while showing how big, taking a
circular motion while talking about a circle
 Kinesics: Regulators
Monitor, maintain, or control the speaking of another individual, e.g. nodding you head,
signaling ‘stop’, ‘keep going’

Kinesics: Adaptors
 Satisfy a need & are usually unconscious. Are of 3 types:
 Self-adaptors: Satisfy a physical need, e.g. scratch head because of dandruff
 Alter-adaptors: Movements in response to current interaction, e.g. crossing arms when
someone unpleasant approaches
 Object-adaptors: Manipulation of objects, e.g. chewing pencil, bringing a chair in front if
someone comes too close