Essay on Communication Behaviors, Likely to Decrease Immediacy in Organizations

Immediacy behaviors denote to those conducts that correspond to psychological closeness, positive effect, warmth, communication availability, and warmth. These behaviors represent both nonverbal and verbal communication techniques and can either enhance or decrease the willingness to relate and maintain a positive connection with people. Within an organization, communication plays a vital role in fostering closeness among employees and helping improve on organizational culture. Communication behaviors thus form a very vital component of keeping in touch with others within an organization. For example, while communicating with others in an organization, using inclusive nouns such as "us" has the effect of bringing people together. However, the personification of pronouns such as the emphasis on using "I" separates people and raises the concept of individualism instead of corporations.

Nonverbal behaviors such as a boss hovering over employees are likely to create distance between the low-level staff and the management. Far away distance while greeting, a handshake has the likelihood to decrease immediacy with the low-level staff picking the cues to maintain distance and avoid physical closeness. Poor eye contact, less time taken to keep direct eye contact has the adverse effect of keeping others away by communication lack of interest and involvement. For instance, employees who make less eye contact tend to avoid others further decreasing immediacy within the organizations. At the same time, managers, and supervisors who use exaggerated gestures, poor body postures, and less body touch reduce immediacy by communicating indifference and lack of interest in others.

Sounds play a very vital role in increasing or decreasing immediacy among employees within an organization. For instance, the use of high pitched tone, high vocal tone, fast rate of speaking, and low-quality intonation has the negative effect of decreasing immediacy with other staff members keeping off such conversations and maintaining distance. Among employees, others may avoid any such situation that may call for close interactions, close physical and social distance, and intimacy for fear of initiating and maintaining a close contact with the individual or such individual. Additionally, the use of artifact that defines ones physical territory and space may have an impact on immediacy. For example, while religious artifacts are personal items, they may keep others off from keeping a close physical distance thus hindering physical intimacy. At the same time, olfactory cues such as the use of perfumes or strong body oils may keep others off and decrease immediacy within an organization and among employees. Such behavior may put others away from each other thus hindering physical closeness and intimacy. Additionally, employees may lose interest in liking one another, attracting each other, and decrease motivation and concern that form key aspects of immediacy and communication strategy.

Simple behaviors such as frowning, lack of smiles, negative views of others, nondisclosure, and unresponsiveness have the effect of decreasing immediacy among employees in an organization. Poor listening techniques, negative talk, good listening skills, frowning, and tensed body posture have the effect of reducing immediacy among employees. Lack of gestures may also reduce others interest and concern during communication and interactions. At the same time, controversial cultural practices eating by hand directly in situations where employees eat in the office have the direct effect of decreasing immediacy. Many employees may find the act of using hands as old tradition and unofficial, further increasing physical closeness.