Gestures and Movements 'kinesics' in International Business Communication

Studienarbeit aus dem Jahr 2006 im Fachbereich Medien / Kommunikation - Interkulturelle Kommunikation, Note: keine, Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften Hamburg, Veranstaltung: KUSO an der FH Hamburg Internationales Management 2. Semester, Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: Successful business men and women who come in contact with a variety of people and cultures quickly learn the meanings behind common gestures and body movements in different cultures. Only the unsuccessful businessperson fails to learn the importance of those when talking with potential clients. When we talk with our gestures and movements, a variety of meanings can be generated. Especially during introductory situations a person must know the appropriate greeting in order to convey the intended content. To nod, bow, kiss, shake hands, smile, wave, touch cheeks, or rub noses are common greetings used in various parts of the world. Use an inappropriate gesture and the door may never open to you. Intercultural interactions are never without some problems. Linguistic barriers are compounded by differences in nonverbal communication. Actually, nonverbal communication comprises a big block within communication as a whole. The nonverbal communication takes up around 65-70 percent of the meaning conveyed by a spoken message. It is widely accepted and known that nonverbal communication-especially gestures and body movements-bring the potential to get along better with different cultures and, of course, with business partners. Although it is very time-consuming, learning these signals, brings so many positive aspects that it is worth the trouble of learning the nuances and differences. Nonverbal communication as indicated above is a big topic. Breaking it down shows that it consists of many more subparts. Gestures and body movements are one of the most important aspects of nonverbal communication. By analyzing all gestures and body movements I want to show the different interplay of intent, comprehension and impact people can cause to international business processes and their outcomes by interacting with one another in different cultures.