ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION FOR SURVIVAL: AN ANALYSIS (part 11)

Vocal Behavior

by

Charles Lamson

The study of the vocal aspects of the voice is known as vocalics. The work in this area includes the characteristics of the voice, uses of voice, tone, pitch, resonance, accent, dialect and silence. A person's voice can convey to others as much information as the body, face, or eyes. For example, the voice of James Earl Jones, the voice of CNN and Verizon, is often equated with power, status, strength and credibility. Research on vocalics and vocal expressiveness has provided us with some useful ideas:

• Negative vocal expressions are more accurately identified than positive vocal expressions. Therefore, an employee must reduce the negativity in his or her voice when speaking with or about a supervisor.
• Persons who monitor and control their own vocal emotions are better able to identify the vocal emotions of other persons.
• Subtle vocal expressions are difficult to detect. Sarcasm and satire are difficult for some people to understand. Therefore, employees may want to avoid subtle, sarcastic and satirical expressions, but learn to hear their supervisor's subtle expressions.
• Monotone, harshness and nasality are the most offensive vocal characteristics.
• Subordinates need to modify accents that are stereotyped negatively to avoid discrimination on the job.
• Good vocal delivery consists of reasonable volume, moderate rate of speech, moderate pitch, clear articulation, and fluency (absence of vocalized pauses and expressions like "you know").
• Those persons who speak with good vocal delivery are perceived as more attractive and credible in the organizational setting than others.

Space.    Proxemics is the study of the communicative aspects of space. The study of space usually includes two primary areas - personal space and territoriality. Personal space is the expandable bubble people carry with them. This bubble can expand, or not, based on closeness of other persons in the environment. Territoriality refers to how people manage the space to which they are assigned. For example, how a manager arranges her or his office furniture communicates much about the manager. The following spacial ideas refer to the differences between managers and employees:

• Managers usually have the better furniture, accommodations (for example, often with a window), and territory.
• Managers can invade or violate the territory or personal space of her or his employees (however in today's world, excesses in this area could lead to a harassment charge).
• Managers determine the distance at which employees interact with the manager (such as close versus far).
• As persons move up the organizational structure, the more privacy they are afforded.
• Lastly, higher status persons not only acquire the better surroundings, but are given greater freedom of movement.

Touch.    Haptics is the study of the communicative aspects of touch. touch has been shown to be one of the more powerful messages transmitted in human interaction. In this culture, many people tend to be touch avoidant, either because of an aversion to touch, or fear the touch will be misinterpreted by another person. For example, many managers are hesitant to touch subordinates in a friendly manner, because other people in the environment might misperceive the touch. Here are a few rules for touch in the organizational setting:

• Generally, managers can touch employees more than employees can touch managers. However, most managers are aware of the possible consequences of touching employees. Therefore, many managers simply do not touch employees, not even in a positive manner.
• Appropriate supervisor touch can be very reinforcing and rewarding for a subordinate (such as a brief pat on the shoulder).
• For both supervisors and subordinates, when in doubt, don't touch.

Time.    Chronemics is the study of the communicative aspects of time. The United States is one of the more time conscious cultures in the world. This time orientation determines how a person perceives another person. For example, this culture is unforgiving of the person who is regularly late for events. In fact, people who are constantly late in this culture are stereotyped as lazy, uncaring and selfish. This culture is a culture which truly believes "the early bird catches the worm." Supervisors can be late returning work to subordinates, but subordinates are not afforded the same indulgence. Lastly, upward mobile subordinates should plan to be in the office a little before the supervisor arrives, and remain for awhile after the supervisor has left.

*SOURCE: ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION FOR SURVIVAL THIRD EDITION BY VIRGINA P. RICHMOND, JAMES C. MCCROSKEY AND LINDA L. MCCROSKEY; PGS. 41-43*

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