Proxemics and Proxemics in the Work Place

Jenn Styers

Proxemics
The relative positioning of your body in relation to when you are communicating with others.

Edward T. Hall
Anthropologist Created the Theory of Proxemics in 1959 Discovered Humans are distinctly aware of their perception of space and territory. Conducted many studies and experiments, he discovered that Humans have four distinct comfort distances. His studies were universal for Americans, but world wide findings are very different.

Four Zones of Personal Space

Personal Space- is the space in which you let people get in distance to you. The closer a person is the more you trust them and are comfortable with your relationship. 4 Subgroups of personal space. 1. Intimate- Is reserved for people who you are romantically involved with or have a connection they are normally between 10 inches to touching you. 2. Casual Personal- People are normally within 18 inches to 4 ft. this generally used for informal conversations with friends. 3. Social- Consultative- Is between 4 ft to 12 ft, this is for formal transactions with people that you do not know well. 4. Public- Is when you are addressing a group of people, this transaction can be at any space because of the unknown factor.

 To have a close and engaged conversation you need to keep within close proximity to the person you are communicating with to be engaged. If you keep a far distance you may come off as standoffish.

Territory
Territory also determines Proxemics because your setting can determine how close you are and how you communicate. Primary Territory- Communicating with someone in their personal space, this could be their house, bedroom, living room, place where they feel the most comfortable. Secondary Territory- Also a place where you are able to feel comfortable, may be a friends house or a familiar bar. Public Territory- is a neutral territory that is not owned by ourselves or by our partner in communication. This could be a street park. Interaction Territory- is a temporary private space where you could have an intimate conversation.

Body Angling
Is an important factor for proximity in your conversations, when not sitting down. Side-to- Side Can hinder conversation, normally happens when walking. Face- to-Face- Can be intimate or confrontational, Normally happens in a business setting.

Seating Arrangement
Corner- to Corner- allows for eye contact and nonverbal signals. Good for cooperative work. Side-to-Side- Body language is difficult to read and physical proximity is very close. Good for people who need to focus on a task not on one another. Across-the- Table- is common in competitive situations. Nonverbal signals can be monitored and the table provides a safe barrier. Unintentional conflict can arise between two people who sit across from each other. Diagonally- Used for people who need space to work by themselves in a sense. Do not have to sit directly opposite from one another. Provides a barrier that allows both parties to concentrate on their work. Group Setting- There is normally a head of the table and this is usually the leader of the group, the seat brings power, status and influence.

Proxemics in Different Cultures

Very different from the United States Most contact in the U.S is normally in the CasualPersonal space which is also known as the Social Space. This allows people in this culture to have their space while remaining friendly. Asia and Northern Europe also favor this proximity. Mediterranean, Latin and Arab cultures perfer to be more intimate during conversations. Misunderstanding can happen when two people form different cultures interact with one another, if not knowing they could invade ones space or be standoffish which could be interpreted as rude.

PROXEMICS IS AN OFTEN OVER LOOKED FORM OF COMMUNICATION, BUT AN IMPORTANT CONCEPT TO MASTER IN THE BUSINESS WORLD

Fixtures
Edward T. Hall also studied fixtures in the workplace Fixed Fixtures are fixtures that can not move Semi- Fixed Fixtures are fixtures that can move such as furniture. Fixtures will create barriers in the workplace or open up communication

Office Space
Office Arrangement is very important for communication in a workplace. A manager shows open communication with employees when there are chairs and couches within his space. Dr. Lyle Sussman professor at the University of Louisville gives management tips that says a democratic leader will want to talk to an employee side by side rather than behind a desk.

Separating the Strong from the Weak

Use of Social Space can tell about the Status, Confidence and power of people in the workplace. People who possess the most power and authority command a greater amount of space. - They will often distance themselves - Why management has corner offices or offices apart from the rest of the workers. While the workers are scrunched in small cubicles

Separating the Strong from the Weak Cont.

Confident people and people of higher status will go to the center of attention while lower status or non-confident people will hover near exits or stay at the back of the room.

Negotiation
Main goal in negotiation is that you want to gain cooperation. Knowing how personal space is internally regulated can create better communication from your counterpart. Knowing personal space will stop you from violating your counterparts personal space and not causing unnecessary tension

Site in Negotiation
One of the most important factors. Barginers perception of the environment will effect negotiations. Being on Home Ground can ease negotiations for one of the communicators. Cold settings will make negotiation competitive, normally for no nonsense people Are more relaxed environment with warm colors, artwork and comfy chairs, will make negotiations more relaxed.

The Details
In negotiations you have to make sure that everything is equal to the number of ashtrays that are on the table (fixtures). To making sure that all chairs are even, if they arent at the same height this will take away from eye contact and make one counterpart seem less important. * If this is the desired situation.

Refrences
Bremer, J. (2004) Proxemics. Retrieved from http://bremercommunications.com Chu, Y., Greene, W.E., Ma, J., & Strong, W. F. (2005). Silent Messages in Negotiations: The Role of Non-Verbal Communication in Cross Cultural Business Negotiations. Journal of Organizational Culture, Communication and Conflicts. July, 2005. 2-4. Hall, E.T. (1996) Proxemic Communication. Retrieved from http://changingminds.org Loo, T. How to Communicate Using Space. Retrieved from http://hodu.com Susman, L. Proxemcis Retrieved from http://cobweb2.louisville.edu