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Introduction
Francis Bacon once said, "Knowledge and human power are synonymous." Knowledge is a result of the patterning of perceived information, and communication of information is perhaps the most distinctive and the single most important human activity. Through communication, culture shapes the structures of human thought and behaviour. The way we experience the world can be said to be in many ways moulded by communication.
Any analysis of interpersonal communication is incomplete without considering beyond the mere use of language alone, for communication is not conducted entirely in words. Meaning is encoded in and transmitted by virtually every human behaviour. The meaning of any verbal communication is not to be found either in the words or the accompanying actions, but rather in the relationship of each to the other, and both in the context of the situation in which they occur.
One of the vital functions of nonverbal communication is to provide information or what Bateson (1980), in his book on Mind and Nature: A Necessity Unity, refers to as 'news of difference'. Nonverbal communication increases the potential for conducting this 'news of difference' by directly offering information for comparing the spoken words with the speaker's state of mind and experience. Nonverbal communication thus becomes the yardstick against which words and intentions are measured.
Considering that communication is important in human life, that nonverbal communication can continuously transmit information; and that knowledge and human power are synonymous, a thorough knowledge of the processes and uses of nonverbal communication can help managers to enhance their power, as measured by monetary success in the business world. This article therefore attempts to explore that vital link between nonverbal communication and business success which is becoming more profound in today's world.
Most successful executives favour verbal rather than written modes of communication because it enables them to read body language and tone of voice, that is, to utilise nonverbal channels simultaneously. Many studies have pointed to the need for successful managers to be skilled in interpersonal relations because the ability to motivate others, to resolve conflict, and to promote cooperation is an integral part of successful performance at that level of responsibility and function.
The role of intuition, hunches, or judgement in executive success has often been a positive...