ENGR802:

Lesson 4: Globalization and the Impact on Communication & Knowledge Sharing

Nonverbal Communication and Intercultural Competencies

Nonverbal communication can include symbols, facial expressions, eye contact, gestures, body language, and behaviors that we use to create meaning. Some nonverbal behaviors are universal and are generally understood such as expressions of liking/disliking, pleasure/displeasure, tension/relaxation, and high or low status (Buck, 1984). Whereas others have distinct cultural meanings.

Nonverbal communication can have several functions (Jandt, 2010):

• Repeating: hand gesture repeats information conveyed verbally
• Substituting: when a gesture (head nod or wave) replaces words
• Complementing: when gesture or facial expression adds emphasis to spoken words
• Accenting: when a hand gesture or vocal use is used to stress certain words
• Regulating: when gesture or behavior controls the rate of verbal communication (standing up at end of meeting)
• Contradicting: when verbal and nonverbal communication does not match
• Deceiving: the use of nonverbal communication to hide deception (looking away)

The types of nonverbal communication that are most important to consider regarding intercultural exchanges are discussed below (adapted from Jandt, 2010):

• Proxemics (Personal space). The amount of space we prefer between ourselves and others depends on culture, family upbringing, the specific situation, and our relationship with the person (Hall, 1959). For example, in India there are cultural norms regarding how close members of one caste may approach members of other castes. Compared to North Americans, same sex Arabs may stand much closer to each other and when entering an elevator might stand right next to you even though there is plenty of room to spread out.
• Kinesics. Kinesics refer to various types of movements such as body movements, facial expressions, gestures, and eye contact. Sometimes gestures can convey class distinctions, for example in ancient Rome the use of four fingers and the thumb to pick up food indicated lower classes while the use of two fingers and the thumb indicated upper class. While many cultures indicate “yes” by nodding their head in an up and down motion and “no” by moving their head side to side, the yes/no gestures are reversed in Albania, Bulgaria, and parts of Greece, Turkey, Iran, and the former Yugoslavia (Morris, 1995).
• Chronemics. This is the study of how we use time. How we use time varies across cultures and can be a barrier to communication. There are differences in when you are expected to arrive for a meeting that is set for a specific time, how long you should be kept waiting, and how long you engage in informal conversation before the business discussion begins. For example, Arabs might spend up to 30 minutes on informal conversation before getting down to business (Jandt, 2010).
• Paralanguage. This refers to elements of the voice such as sobs, laughter, whistles, etc., qualifiers such as the intensity of the voice (loud or soft), the pitch of the voice (high or low), and extent of the pronunciation (drawl and clipping), and vocal segregates which include sounds such as “uh-huh,” “uh,” and “um.” The use of these elements also varies with culture. For example, using “psst” is accepted as a way to call a waiter in Spain but might be considered rude in the United States. Thais believe that an educated character as well as good manners are demonstrated by speaking in a soft and find speakers in the U.S. to be rude or angry (Jandt, 2010).
• Silence. How we view silence also varies by culture. In the West, silence is often considered socially disagreeable while in Asia is more commonly accepted (Oliver, 1971). For example, in the U.S. silence can mean a that someone is not interested or that they do not have initiative. In China, silence can represent agreement and in India silence can indicate mutual respect, sensitivity, affirmation, wisdom, and personal dignity.
• Haptics. Haptics is the study of touch to communicate. The amount of and type of touching varies considerably across cultures. The U.S. has one of the lowest rates of touching, with Great Britain even lower. Comparisons of the number of touches that might occur in a coffee shop between friends show that in the U.S. there might only be one or two an hour, in London none, but in Paris a hundred touches in an hour. In some cultures certain types of touch are considered rude. For example, in Thailand and Laos strangers or acquaintances should avoid touching the top of a child's head. Their culture believes that the spirit or soul's home is in the head and that a child’s spirit may not be strong enough to be touched and the child might become ill if patted (Smutkupt & Barna, 1976). Many cultures attach specific meaning to touch, for example in New Zealand, the “hongi” is a traditional Maori greeting. It's deep spiritual meaning is the belief that the breath of life is exchanged and is interpreted as the sharing of souls (Figure 4.2).

Culture and Nonverbal Communication

Test your knowledge of nonverbal hand gestures with this simple quiz. Then watch this video entitled “A World of Gestures” (26 minutes, 35 seconds).

As you watch the video and learn about gestures that have different meanings in other cultures, think about whether you have used these gestures in front of people from different cultures and how they might have influenced your interactions.