The Power of
Verbal and Nonverbal
Communication
in the Global Workplace
 Identity
• Response we get from others to what we say and do
• We can only partially control our identity
 Monitoring
• Checking the accuracy of your perceptions
regarding how the messages you believe you sent
were actually interpreted
• Questioning the cultural and contextual factors that
may lead to different perceptions about your
communication.
The principle that we should be treated fairly by others and, in
turn, should treat them fairly. Based on four key assumptions:
People work for rewards.
1.
• Rewards are what people derive from their work in relation to what it
costs them
People seek empowerment.
2.
•
Empowerment is the process of enabling and motivating employees
3.
People become stressed when they feel they are treated
unfairly.
4.
People who experience stress will try to restore equity by:
•
•
•
Seeking mental equity
seeking actual restitution
seeking narrative equity
 Clarity
and ambiguity
 Upward and downward communication
 Inclusive and exclusive messages
 Confirming and disconfirming messages
 Supportive and nonsupportive messages
 Gendered talk
 Clarity
• providing messages in the clearest, least
ambiguous way
 Ambiguity
• expressing oneself in terms that are unclear or
open to multiple interpretations.
 Upward
communication
• Speech used with organizational superiors
 Downward
communication
• Speech used with organizational subordinates
Enhance Power Upward
Enhance Power Downward
balancing politeness with a clear task
orientation
listening openly to employees’
communication
balancing friendliness with respect
and deference to authority
responding honestly to inquiries and
requests
balancing self-interest with company
needs
asking for information prior to
evaluating a situation or problem
asking for feedback on the
accomplishment of tasks
providing feedback on tasks
avoiding sexist, racist, or classist
remarks
balancing personal and professional
respect with a task orientation and
accountability
 Inclusive
message strategies
• democratic communication style
• reveal your interest in fitting in with the group or
business culture
 Exclusive
message strategies
• autocratic communication style
• revealed in a “me first” pattern of behavior.
 Confirming
messages
• support and enhance the identities we seek
 Disconfirming
messages
• deny or harm our identities
 Supportive
messages
• communicate concern and respect for others
and indicate cooperation
 Nonsupportive
messages
• associated with an inflated ego and self-
centeredness
• communicate disrespect of others and lack of
cooperation

The authority and trust listeners or audiences give to
speakers.
• Enhanced by:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
becoming informed and knowledgeable about the work
assigned to you
behaving in a trustworthy manner by keeping secrets and
confidences
being open, honest, and authentic in your dealings with
everyone
demonstrating that you are capable of being a friend and
coworker
doing what you say you will do
graciously accepting criticism and corrective feedback
from others
accepting personal responsibility for your actions
 Refers
to the differences in the ways men
and women tend to communicate.
Women
Men
build rapport
make reports
expressive
instrumental
more tentative
reflect more certainty
use talk to create and maintain
relationships
use talk to gain control over
situations and others.
 Refers
to all of the resources beyond what
you say that contribute to the meaning of a
message
• Your Workspace
• Clothing and Personal Appearance
• Voice
• Body Movement, Facial Expressions, and Eye Contact
• Space
• Touching
 Workspace
• an extension of your professional self
• displays of personal life kept to a minimum
• diplomas, awards, certificates, and other
professional accomplishments prominently
displayed
 Appearance
• never dress noticeably better than your boss
• business casual can be subjective
• jewelry should be kept to a minimum
 Paralanguage
• Not what you say, but how you say it
pitch
Highness or lowness of the voice
tempo
speed at which the message is delivered
intensity
when words are vocally accented, or spoken softly, or with
particular emphasis
range
the ability of the speaker to vary the pitch, tempo, and
intensity of what is expressed verbally
resonance
richness or weakness of tone
volume
the loudness or softness of the voice
articulation
the precision with which words are spoken
rhythm
the relative flow and punctuation of the voice
pauses
the frequency and duration of silences between words,
phrases, or sentences
dysfluency
punctuation of a message with expressions such as “er,”
“um,” “you know,” and “like”

Kinesics
• The study of body movement, including facial
expressions, eye contact, and gestures

Oculesics
• The specific study of the eyes as a source of
communication

Display rules
•
•
•
•
•
simulation
intensification
neutralization or inhibition
deintensification
masking
 Proxemics
• the study of interpersonal space and distance
 Territoriality
 Crowding
and Density
 Personal space
• Intimate zone
• Casual or personal zone
• Social-consulting zone
• Public zone
 Haptics
• The study of touching as a form of nonverbal
communication .
 Five basic types of touching
• Functional-professional.
• Social-polite.
• Friendship-warmth.
• Love-intimacy.
• Sexually arousing.
behavior
 sexual harassment
• any form of sexually explicit verbal or nonverbal
communication that interferes with someone’s work
 Types of sexual harassment.
• quid pro quo (“this for that”)
 based on the threat of retaliation or the promise of
workplace favoritism or promotion in exchange for dating
or sexual favors.
• hostile work environment
 created through sexually explicit verbal or nonverbal
communication that interferes with someone’s work or that
is perceived as intimidating or offensive.
Confront the harasser and ask him or her to stop
the offensive behavior.
Keep a diary in which you record the dates, times,
and places of offensive or harassing actions.
Complain about the harasser within the channels
prescribed for such action by the policies of
your employer.
File a legal complaint with the federal EEOC or
with your state agency for workplace
discrimination.