Besides words, nonverbal communication too conveys who we are and what we do as it reveals our desires, intentions and motivations spontaneously. Nonverbal communication reveals what words fail to express—the true thoughts and feelings—thus making the invisible familiar. It is a crucial skill, be it to build, nurture and sustain relationships or to model excellence at work. Nonverbal communication significantly transforms the heavily stereotyped and mechanical process of communication into an exciting, energetic and refreshing process, as it not only helps to communicate clearly and openly but also to exhibit how we listen and respond. Proxemics, an important part of communication studies deals with the relative positioning of bodies while communicating. In the paper “Proxemics: Some Challenges and Strategies in Nonverbal Communication”, T Prabhu presents some of the characteristics of proxemics, approaches in the study of proxemic behavior of an individual and a culture, and the strategies to be employed to make use of the proxemics for effective communication.

Karl Albrecht, in his book Social Intelligence, mentions that toxic behavior makes others feel devalued, inadequate, angry and frustrated; nourishing behavior on the other hand causes others to feel valued, capable, loved, respected and appreciated. People with high Social Intelligence (SI) exhibit nourishing behavior that acts as a magnet, and people with low SI are antimagnetic. Catherine Joseph and Sree Sai Lakshmi, in the paper “Social Intelligence, a Key to Success”, outline how people with high SI possess magnetic powers that attract others and are friendly, supportive, caring, etc., and are successful in the society, while people, with low SI are less effective.

As unprecedented winds of globalization blow across with fierce speed, changing the outlines of business geography, inability in cross-cultural communication could prove to be perilous and costly. Despite good will and skill competencies, conspicuous cultural differences could contribute to miscommunication and stall understanding. Communication is heavily influenced by the culture in which business operates, and the people in business, their interactions and personalities are largely influenced and impacted by cultural contexts. The paper “Elements in Cross-Cultural Communication Competence: Derivative of a Case Study Comparing Indian and Japanese Communication”, by V Vijaya and Binay Tiwari, focuses on certain individual level elements involved in the cross-cultural adaptation process and proposes a model of awareness, acceptance and accommodation.

Philosophers, with their unwavering commitment to truth, described virtue as the quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong or as the moral excellence of an individual. However, virtue and satisfaction at work are inextricably linked, as once virtue becomes embedded in our character, it can expedite the process of self-transformation, triggering profound commitment. Ronald J Burke and Mustafa Koyuncu, in the paper “Developing Virtues and Virtuous Behavior at Workplace”, explain the relationship between virtues and indicators of work engagement, satisfaction and psychological wellbeing at workplace.

Opportunities for women abound in the business world. Entrepreneurial skills of Indian women have to be nurtured to make them more independent and adventurous to seize the opportunities. Women entrepreneurs may be more successful if necessary business acumen and confidence are enhanced through well-designed training. The paper “An Empirical Study on the Impact of Training and Development on Women Entrepreneurs in Karnataka”, by U M Premalatha, explores the need for imparting training to women to develop entrepreneurial skills and analyzes the impact such training can have.

-- M Showry
Consulting Editor