Effective Business Communication

Professor N. Bringi Dev

Meta Communication

Meta Communication
The term Meta communication was coined by Gregory Bateson, an England-born researcher and
teacher in the fields of linguistics, semiotics, the social sciences and anthropology, among others. The
term ‘Meta’ means ‘beyond’, and often has a usage that is self-referring – it could therefore could also
mean ‘about’. The word is generally used as a prefix to another word. For example, the term
‘metaphysics’ refers to science beyond what is physical.
Similarly, the term Meta communication refers to ‘communication about communication’, and is
descriptive of the underlying components of communication that are also transmitted with the verbal
components. Such secondary components could include tone of voice, volume, intonation, pitch, and
so forth, which are sometimes referred to under the umbrella term of paralanguage. Factors such
as gestures, facial expression, eye contact, and other non-verbal components also effect the receiver’s
perception of the totality on the meaning being conveyed. In some cases, cultural differences could
further make the decoding process more complex.
Effective communicators are able to discern the nuance of communication by identifying the
underlying ‘coding’ that provides the receiver more indication of the actual meaning or emotion that
is being expressed by the sender.
For example, when a person says ‘Yes’ in response to a question, the actual meaning or intent of the
communication, as received, decoded and understood by the recipient, will be more or greater than
(or ‘Meta (sic)) than the mere sound and verbal connotation of the word. It is possible to utter the
word ‘Yes’ with a range of paralingual variations. The ‘Yes could therefore be a loud and cheerful
sounding utterance, or it could be a lower-pitched, short, curt ‘Yes’ that has negative overtones.
Alternately, it could be a long-drawn out ‘Yeeess’, conveying a somewhat positive, but not completely
positive. In many cases where the receiver did not decode the Meta communication correctly, she or
he could actually conclude that the ‘Yes’ meant a positive response, when it actually was a ‘No’.
In some cultures, it is considered impolite to disagree with the other party, in such situations, the
receiver will respond with a ‘Yes’, even if she or he does not agree with the statement made by the
first party. This could happen if the first party is in a position of superior status, or is a guest or has
some other special position with respect to the receiver. Instead of saying ‘No’ the receiver could well
say ‘Yes, but…’ and then proceed to provide a polite reason or other argument to indicate that the
statement of the first party is not acceptable or feasible or correct.
This indicates that the exchange of total meaning is dependent on a number of factors, spoke as well
as unspoken, and also that ultimately the manner in which the receiver interprets all the signals
determines how much of the meaning is transferred and the fidelity thereof.

This document has been prepared by Professor N Bringi Dev, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore and is made available for use only with the
course ‘Effective Business Communication’ delivered in the online course format by IIM Bangalore. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means— electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise— 1
without the permission of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (mooc.support@iimb.ac.in)
 Effective Business Communication
Professor N. Bringi Dev
Meta Communication

Paralanguage or Vocalics
There is much more in a message than the words that make it. Paralanguage is the collective term
given to the secondary non-verbal information that is embedded in what is being said, which in turn
provide the receiver with a wealth of emotion and meaning. As we also know, there is much scope for
misinterpreting the subtle messages that we get along with the verbiage if we are familiar with the
codes intrinsic to the sender.
Components of paralanguage include accent, emphasis, speed, volume, intonation and cadence. The
way the sentence is constructed could also create confusion, especially when spoken by people who
are using a non-native language. This is account of differences in syntax between the native language
and the one being used now.
As an example, the meaning of a sentence could be communicated differently based on which word
or syllable is pronounced more emphatically. Consider the sentence
He said we have to learn business communication in Term One-
• If the emphasis is on ‘he’, it implies that it was not my comment, but someone else’s, and
therefore I have nothing to do with this comment.
• If the emphasis is on the word ‘we’, it signals incredulity that such a task is required of us, and that
we are above such things.
• The term ‘have to’ when emphasised, suggests that the learning of business communication is not
optional. It could also indicate that this is not a desirable rule.
• Emphasis on the word ‘learn’ implies that it is not possible to merely attend class and get away
with it, something we might have been looking forward to.
• ‘Business Communication’ when emphasised could mean ‘and not Economics’, implying that
economics is in some way superior to business communication
• Emphasis on ‘in term one’ highlights the time aspect and could indicate urgency or possibly the
fact that one has better things to do in term one.
‘I was simple enough to think that the British people were all the same, all speaking the same
sort of language, the language which I learnt at English school in India. I was surprised I
couldn’t understand the English nurse and was even more surprised because she did not
understand English – my English!’
This comment, attributed to an Indian man (Ahmed and Watt, 19861), is a good example of the effect
of accent and delivery on our ability to understand what the other persons is saying.
Volume and speed are indicators of excitement – when we are excited, we tend to speak faster. When
we wish to emphasise something, we slow down. A similar same tendency is seen when it comes to
volume.

This document has been prepared by Professor N Bringi Dev, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore and is made available for use only with the
course ‘Effective Business Communication’ delivered in the online course format by IIM Bangalore. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means— electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise— 2
without the permission of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (mooc.support@iimb.ac.in)
 Effective Business Communication
Professor N. Bringi Dev
Meta Communication

Silence is also a component of paralanguage. Saying nothing conveys a number of messages – for
example, that I might not know what to say or that I know what to say but that I do not wish to say it.
Silence, when used well can be an effective way to indicate a negative response, and without saying
it in as many words. Silence, when congruent with the appropriate body posture or facial expression
could indicate a neutral approach to the topic. Another often seen effect of keeping quiet is to cause
the other person or persons to talk.

Non-verbal communication
Imagine a situation where someone has just walked into your office. Even before your visitor says
anything, you have already formed a first impression of that person. One that could have been either
positive, negative or neutral. And sometimes, this first impression is very hard to get rid of. On what
basis did you make a judgement of the characteristics of your visitor? Purely on the basis of what you
saw.
This behaviour illustrates the influence that non-verbal communication has on us. Charles Darwin2 was
a pioneer in studying and writing about non-verbal communication. According to him, the use of facial
expression is an external manifestation of a person’s internal state. As such, facial expression, as also
other forms of non-verbal communication contribute much value to the process of communication.
Body Language or Kinesics
Kinesis, meaning 'movement’, is the descriptor associated with a variety of non-verbal communication
that relates to our bodies and the way we use them as part of our messaging.
There are three classifications of body language:
a. Intentional: where we deliberately use our bodies to pass on a message. Hand signals used by
cyclists, or the act of raining our hands in greeting are examples of intentional bodily
communication.
b. Intentional but hidden body language: where the communicator deliberately carries out an
action or gesture but tries to hide it or make it as unobtrusive as possible. Trying to convey a
deliberate hand gesture (for instance, to stop speaking) to a specific person in a public place or a
meeting could be an example of this behaviour.
c. Unintentional: non-verbal communication yields the most coded information, as it is a true
reflection of the intent and emotions of the sender.

This document has been prepared by Professor N Bringi Dev, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore and is made available for use only with the
course ‘Effective Business Communication’ delivered in the online course format by IIM Bangalore. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means— electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise— 3
without the permission of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (mooc.support@iimb.ac.in)
 Effective Business Communication
Professor N. Bringi Dev
Meta Communication

Some of the components of non-verbal communication are discussed here :

1. Gestures:
Gestures refer to what we do with our hands and heads. Receivers who watch the sender’s hands
carefully, as the hands are very good indicators of the emotional state of the speaker. In
Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, the antagonist, Lady Macbeth expresses her guilt over the murder of
Macduff, the king of Scotland by continuously wringing her hands in a washing motion.
Many speakers also wring their hands unconsciously when they speak, indicating their internal stress
and anxiety.
The use of gestures varies across cultures – one very common example of this is the way and Indian
shakes his head to indicate ‘Yes’ or positive acknowledgement. While most westerners indicate a
‘Yes’ by a clear up-and-down movement of their heads, and a ‘No. by a clear horizontal oscillation,
many Indians indicate a ‘Yes by means of a figure-of-eight movement of his or her head. As a result,
people who are not familiar with this gesture are confused as to what the person means.
Similarly, people from different cultures interpret the use of hands differently. Take for instance the
use of the fingers to make what is generally known as the ‘OK’ sign. In the United States, as in many
other parts of the world, the gesture actually means ‘okay’, ‘good’ or ‘fine’. However, in Russia,
Brazil and Germany, and some other countries, the OK sign is considered to be a very offensive
gesture. It means ‘money’ in Japan, and is commonly used to signify the quantity ‘zero’ in France.
Sign language, sometimes also referred to as ‘signing’ is a form of manual communication that
involves the use of hand, arm and other bodily gestures to communicate with people who are
hearing impaired.

2. Posture & Stance

The posture assumed by a person is indicate of his or her reaction to the communication situation.
For example, in a meeting, if the participant is sitting up erect and close to his table, it is indicative of
his or her interest in what the speaker is saying. If the listener is leaning back and has his or her chair
tilted back, it could well be that there is lower interest in what is being said.
In a presentation or speech, the position of the speaker vis-à-vis the audience plays a big role in the
projection of her personality. Posture in this case also determines the level of eye contact and
audience coverage that the speaker can achieve. Some speakers tend to move a lot, and this could be
distracting to the audience in addition to conveying a sense of restlessness and maybe anxiety.
A rigid stance with very little movement or gesture is also indicative of nervousness. Shuffling of the
feet, shifting on one’s weight from one foot to the other and similar ‘dancing’ movements are also
external manifestation of internal stress.

This document has been prepared by Professor N Bringi Dev, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore and is made available for use only with the
course ‘Effective Business Communication’ delivered in the online course format by IIM Bangalore. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means— electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise— 4
without the permission of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (mooc.support@iimb.ac.in)
 Effective Business Communication
Professor N. Bringi Dev
Meta Communication

3. Facial Expression and Eye Contact

“The face is a picture of the mind with the eyes as its interpreter.”
― Cicero
The face is one of the primary sources of feedback and additional information with regard to content
that is either being sent or received. The eye as well as the mouth are typically used in conjunction
to determine the level of emotion that is being experience. One common example is that of smiling;
a genuine smile involves not just the mouth, but also the eyes.
While one’s mouth may be wide open in a smile, the genuineness of the facial expression is gauged
by determining whether the person’s eye are also ‘smiling’.
While it is possible to affect some types of voluntary facial expression for short periods of time, it is
not possible to control the eyes, and is thus a very good vehicle of unconscious communication.
Negotiators and poker players are examples of people attempting to controls one’s facia; expression
in specific situations. Racial differences in expression have also been observed, as much as the fact
that people from different cultures could interpret facial expressions in different ways.
Similarly, eye contact is an important component of non-verbal communication. In face-to-face
interaction, the presence of steady and warm eye contact conveys honestly, sincerity and positive
emotion. Eye contact serves to catch and hold the attention of the receiver. Through this contact,
the sender also gets feedback on how the recipient is reacting to what is being shared. For instance,
a blank expression in the eyes could indicate a lack of understanding.
However, it must be kept in mind that eye contact practices vary from culture to culture; which in
some societies or situations eye contact is consider a necessary part of the communication process
(such as in most of the Western world), in others eye contact is not considered desirable. In Japan
and some parts of Africa, children are taught to not engage in eye contact. In India, it is sometimes
considered inappropriate to look a superior or an elder in the eye while addressing them.

4. Proximity & Space (Proxemics)

When we interact in communication situations, the distance between the participants is a significant
component of non-verbal communication exchange. When we say something important or emotional
we tend to come closer to our audience. This is attributed, in animal and primitive terms as a form of
territoriality. Humans tend to demarcate personal space from social space; these boundaries are
‘guarded’, and incursions are viewed differently by people of difference cultures.

This document has been prepared by Professor N Bringi Dev, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore and is made available for use only with the
course ‘Effective Business Communication’ delivered in the online course format by IIM Bangalore. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means— electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise— 5
without the permission of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (mooc.support@iimb.ac.in)
 Effective Business Communication
Professor N. Bringi Dev
Meta Communication

Figure 4.14: Demarcations of Personal Space34

Incursion into one’s personal space is sometimes construed as a form of aggression. In some cases,
this could be seen as a sign of intimacy. While some cultural groups are comfortable with proximity,
others attach a negative connotation to it. Proxemics and Haptics (discussed in the section that
follows) are related factors in non-verbal communication.

This document has been prepared by Professor N Bringi Dev, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore and is made available for use only with the
course ‘Effective Business Communication’ delivered in the online course format by IIM Bangalore. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means— electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise— 6
without the permission of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (mooc.support@iimb.ac.in)
 Effective Business Communication
Professor N. Bringi Dev
Meta Communication

5. Haptics
Derived from the Greek, the term haptics refers to touching as a form of non-verbal communication.
Shaking hands, and giving a ‘High-Five’ are examples of haptics in a social setting.
As in the case of Proxemics, haptic behaviour suggests varying degrees of intimacy. Managers need
to especially sensitive to touching while communicating. Especially so when communicating with
subordinates and those of the opposite sex as also with people from different cultural backgrounds.
In India, it is commonly accepted that people touch; in fact clasping of hands while shaking them is
considered acceptable, and indeed a more sincere behaviour.
This is not the case with people from cultures where touching is very intimate and therefore not
acceptable in business as well as many social contexts. In some countries ‘air-kissing’ as a form of
greeting is considered alright – this sometimes causes discomfiture among people from Oriental
cultures. In the business context however, air-kissing is not considered appropriate.

6. Chronemics (Time)
When asked a question, the time taken by the person to respond is a factor that determines how the
initiator interprets the response. A long pause before responding could be indicate that the
respondent does not know the answer, or that he or she is trying to come up with an answer that
could well be untrue.
The adage ‘no news is good news’ is not necessarily true – most often, people tend to associate a
long pause (and its accompanying silence) as a negative response. A delayed response, even if the
words are positive, conveys hesitation, doubt or lack of total conviction on the part of the
respondent.
Another aspect in this context is the way in which people perceive time and manage it. Some people
view time as very important and value it more; others have a more elastic view on time and act
accordingly.
One common example of this is seen in the way many Indians react to a question of when a delivery
will be made or when a piece of work will be complete. It is not uncommon to get a response ‘before
Friday’. This kind of statement could cause confusion in the minds of the listener; did the speaker
mean ‘anytime between now and Friday’? Or ‘before the end of day on Friday’?

This document has been prepared by Professor N Bringi Dev, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore and is made available for use only with the
course ‘Effective Business Communication’ delivered in the online course format by IIM Bangalore. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means— electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise— 7
without the permission of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (mooc.support@iimb.ac.in)