BBA Business Communication Study Material Non Verbal Communication Kinesics of Body : BBA Business Communication Notes Study Material for Students in English PDF Download.

After Studying This Chapter You Are Able to Understand:- Introduction, Reflection of Thought,Feelings and Position,, Importance of Body language, Facial Expression, Eye Contact, Gestures, Head,Body Shape and Posture, Appearance, Effective Use of Body Language, Advantages of Body Language, Limitations of Body Language.
BBA
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
STUDY MATERIAL
KEY POINTS
NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION:
KINESICS OR BODY LANGUAGE
- Body language accounts for more than half of all communication.
- All body language is a reflection of our thoughts, feelings and our position in the organization.
- Body language is very important in the sense that we can carefully watch it and deal with issues before they become problems.
- Body language works through facial expression, eye contact, gestures, head position, body shape, posture and appearance.
- Effective use of body language is very important for managing an organization and dealing with people in any situation.
- Like all aspects/media of communication, body language has its own advantages and limitations. Its greatest advantages are that it complements verbal oral communication. Its greatest disadvantage is that it can be misinterpreted.
BBA
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
STUDY MATERIAL
INTRODUCTION
NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION:
KINESICS OR BODY LANGUAGE
Man does not communicate through words alone, or only through written, speaking and listening. There is another aspect of communication- the nonverbal (nonword) aspect. Depending on the situation we have to make a more or less conscious effort in the use/choice of words. The nonverbal part of communication, on the other hand, is less deliberate and conscious. But, compared to verbal communication it is very much more subtle and instructive. It also forms the larger part of the overall communication activity. On scientific analysis it has been found that the different aspects of communication account for percentages stated below?
Verbal communication – 7%
Bodily movements, gestures – 55%
Voice tone, inflection etc. – 38%
Non verbal communication, therefore, requires serious consideration. It can be defined as communication that involves neither written nor spoken words but takes places without the use of words. In it we are concerned with such things as body movements, space, time, voice tone/pitch, general characteristics of the environment colour and layout/design, and any other kind of visual and/or audio signals that the communicator may devise.
Since bodily movements, gestures etc. are so important for communication, they are being systematically studied as subarea of nonverbal communication. It has been termed as ‘Kinesics’ that literally means ‘body movements’. It stands for the way the body communicates without words, and through various movements of its parts.
BBA
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
STUDY MATERIAL
REFLECTION OF THOUGHT, FEELINGS AND POSITION
NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION:
KINESICS OR BODY LANGUAGE
In this connection it is important to point out that all bodily movements, postures, gestures etc. are guided by our thought processes, emotions etc. By nodding our head, blinking our eyes, waving our hands, shrugging our shoulders and various other ways we send out signals and messages that often speak louder than words. That is why this area of inquiry has been called ‘body language’ just as language uses sets of symbols to convey meaning, our body, consciously as well as unconsciously or instinctively, carries messages, attitudes, status relationships, moods, warmth/ indifference, positive/negative feelings and so on. We have, however, to infer these meanings from body symbols. We look for these symbols in the face and eyes, gestures, posture, and physical appearance each of which has its own functions.
BBA
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
STUDY MATERIAL
IMPORTANCE OF BODY LANGUAGE
NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION:
KINESICS OR BODY LANGUAGE
Regarding the importance of body language, management consultant Nancy Austin says. “When people don’t know whether to believe what they are hearing or what they are seeing, they go with the body language – it tells the truth. You can play fast and loose with words, but it’s much more difficult to do that with gestures”. Psychologist Paul Ekman says, “We talk with our vocal cords, but we communicate with our facial expressions, our tone of voice, our whole body”.
Understanding body language has immense practical use. In this regard educational psychologist Marilyn Maple says, “When you can consciously ‘read’ what others are saying unconsciously, you can deal with issues – at work and at home – before they become problems”. It has been observed that most of the nonverbal communication at work place centers on a single theme: power and power gives one status consciousness. On careful observation, in a meeting, we can look around and see who has the highest status. In every species and society, those who are in control try to appear large, strong and fearless. Those who feel left out, or find themselves powerless, give out different kinds of body signals.
Professor Albert Mehrabian has very aptly illustrated this point by giving the example of officer soldier relationship in army. He says, “Status manifests itself in a relaxed posture and way of interacting. The classic example is the soldier standing at attention in the presence of superior officer. His body is extremely tense and in perfect symmetry – signs of subservience”. Almost the same situation prevails in any other organization when a junior worker has to appear in the presence of a senior executive/officer. It is their status and role –relationship that is reflected in this way.