London school of business and law

Master foundation programme

Managerial communication

Nonverbal communication in the context of managerial communication

Student name:

Tamara Sargsyan

Tutor name:

Tatiana Pavlovsky

June 2010

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. Communication: Verbal and Non-verbal

2. Why non-verbal communication can be considered relevant

3. Why non-verbal communication can be considered irrelevant

Conclusion

References and Bibliography

Introduction

The purpose of this essay is to analyse why non-verbal communication can be considered relevant or irrelevant in the context of managerial communication.

In the first part of the main body we the definitions of communication will be given as well as the types of communications will be presented. And also we will see what role plays communication in an organization.

In the second part the relevance of non-verbal communication will be examined and examples will be given for every statement and argument. Here the statements will be supported by academic arguments.

In the third part the irrelevance of non-verbal communication will be analysed, and similar to the previous part all the opinions will be supported by academic arguments.

In the final part a conclusion will be made whether non-verbal communication is relevant or irrelevant in the context of managerial communication through bringing together the statements both from second and third parts.

1.  Communication: Verbal and Non-verbal

A little about communication: Communication can be considered as one of most important and basic needs of human beings. It can be defined as exchange of information between entities. (Khan, 2001)

Usually when we say "communication" we imagine things connected with verbal communication, like talking on phones, listening to radio, etc. Verbal communication needs language; however it is not the only type of communication. Also non-verbal communication exists which does not need language and ideas can be expressed independent of a language. Non-verbal communication is always connected with the senses of humans, because through that senses one gets information. (Khan, 2001)

Through the sense of sight we can see motion, colours, shapes, which are all means of non-verbal communication. The sense of hearing is usually thought to be more verbal than non-verbal, but it is proved that many feelings like calmness or cheerfulness can be communicated through using some rhythmic sounds. Some people think that sense of smell can recall our memory best of the others. Sense of taste is connected with the sense of smell, and tasting food and drink can communicate friendship, agreement and approval. Sense of touch is also used as a mean of communication. Examples are a kiss, a handshake, a hug, etc. (Khan, 2001; Hibbitts, 1992)

Communication in an organization: Communication plays central role in every organization especially it is important for management as it is necessary for effective management. It has been shown that communication, especially oral skills have significant impact on success in business environment. (Hargie, Dickson & Tourish, 1999)

Study of Stanford University MBA graduates was carried out and it showed that good communication is the most important skill for success in business. (Hamilton, 2008)

Communication is considered to be the organization’s oxygen, blood, brain, central nervous system, arteries, highways for transacting a business, fuel or glue. These comparisons all show how important is the communication in management. (Hargie, Dickson & Tourish 1999)

2. Why non-verbal communication can be considered relevant

Almost every management textbook mentions that non-verbal communication plays a significant role in an organization. Communication itself is very important in an organization as it takes 80% of the managers’ day. (Riggio, Feldman, 2005)

There is an opinion that non-verbal communication is the most powerful form of communication and it makes you understand people better than words. Good communicators are always sensitive to the emotions. (Heathfield, n.d.)

Let us see why non-verbal communication can be relevant in everyday life and especially for managers.

First of all it helps to interpret the verbal means of communication right. In our everyday life we usually use body language to give a full meaning to our words. And saying the same word with different facial expressions and different movements can mean totally different things. For example when we call someone an "idiot" with smile doesn’t mean the same when we do the same with anger. (Khan, 2001)

Secondly it helps to develop good interpersonal relationships not only at work place but also at home. It’s worth mentioning the famous cliché that says "actions talk louder than words". For establishing good relationships it is crucial to be able to understand and use non-verbal communication in a proper way. For example, if someone always talks with angry manner or with intonation of blaming everyone, he/she can never have good relationships with people, no matter how kind his/her words are. (Non-verbal communication in building relationships, n.d.)

Non-verbal communication is very important during hiring and evaluating the personnel. Usually people think that during the jog interviews the verbal communication is the only important thing. However, researches show that the applicants, who show more expressive non-verbal behaviour, such as eye-contact, smiling, interview-focused, usually receive more favourable evaluation. ............