Business Communications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Communications - Essay Example Nonverbally, smiles, head nods, focused eye contact, and facial expressiveness work well (Knapp and Vangelisti 2004). It is possible to say that nonverbal communication is more important to American audience because of cultural and social diversity. All cultures and nations have different behavior patterns and communication patterns which influence their perception of the information and interpretation of the environment. Non-verbal communication can be interpreted differently by different cultural and religious groups (Gesteland, 1999). First, the vast majority of nonverbal behaviors is intuitive and is based on normative rules. Except for behaviors such as good manners or etiquette, little formal training is provided for nonverbal communication. For instance, eye contact may indicate a liking for the other person. It also serves as simultaneous communication because eye contact allows people to send and receive messages at the same time (Knapp and Vangelisti 2004). According to cultural traditions, Muslim women avoid direct eye contact while Europeans interpret this behavior as impolite and suspi cious. In Japan and China, status and power are shown by eye contact. In meetings, organizational members with the most power will be looked at more often.