How leaders influence followers through the use of nonverbal communication

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address the relationship between a leader’s use of nonverbal immediacy (specific hand gestures) and followers’ attraction to the leader. This study provides initial evidence that certain hand gestures are more effective than others at creating immediacy between leaders and followers. Design/methodology/approach – In an experimental study, participants (male=89; female=121) were shown one of three videos of an actor, as leader, using three positive hand gestures, three defensive hand gestures, and no hand gestures, which have not been previously operationalized (and were grouped arbitrarily by the experimenter). Three hypotheses were tested using a 3×2 ANOVA (by group and gender) for main and interactional effects. Findings – The independent variable, positive hand gestures (M=2.4), was perceived by participants as more immediate than the other two independent variables, defensive hand gestures (M=−19.2) or no hand gestures (M=−21.6). Analysis of data indicate that participants perceived leaders with no hand gestures and defensive hand gestures to be distant or non-immediate and the leader with positive hand gestures to be more immediate or attractive. Research limitations/implications – This study is limited as a pilot study establishing differences between specific hand gestures for the first time. Practical implications – The research provides initial evidence that the hand gestures arbitrarily defined as “positive” create more immediacy between the followers and the leader than usage of “negative” gestures and no gestures. Social implications – The current research can act as a motivator for leaders to fast forward relationships with followers through the use of specific hand gestures. Originality/value – The results suggest the possibility that some hand gestures are more effective than others.

E-Leadership or “How to Be Boss in Instant Messaging?” The Role of Nonverbal Communication

“…Fernandes, Rouco, and Golovanova (2015), for example, examined nonverbal cue use of military leaders and found a strong correlation between facial expressions and gestures and perceived leadership, and consequently increased performance. Talley and Temple (2015) speculate that certain hand gestures are particularly effective in creating emotional connection with followers, and could thus be crucial aspects of motivational leadership. Nonverbal communication that reveals emotions, such as animated facial expressions, were also found to be important in the perception of charismatic leadership (Ilies, Curşeu, Dimotakis, & Spitzmuller, 2012; Shea & Howell, 1999).…”

“…Some of the conclusions drawn from approaches that do not account for the communicative functions of nonverbal cues in sufficient empirical detail can, in fact, lead to problematic assumptions when it comes to leadership communication training. Talley and Temple (2015), for example, advocate that it is possible to attach consistent and specific meanings to hand gestures, and so a leader can be “informed of what specific messages he or she is sending” (p. 74). Such advice fails to account for the fact that any element of natural discourse is multifaceted and multifunctional, and may accomplish a range of concurrent communicative tasks: from disclosing emotional and psychological states to maintaining interpersonal relationships and from getting things done to communicating identity and power.…”

Exploring Teachers’ Emotions via Nonverbal Behavior During Video-Based Teacher Professional Development

“…These emotions were also selected according to research showing these critical temporary emotional experiences to be easily recognizable (Poyatos, 2002). Concerning outcome-focused emotions, anger was approximated by assessing participants’ defensiveness (Tracy & Robins, 2003; coding scheme by Talley & Temple, 2015), with surprise also evaluated given its prominence as a prototypic emotion expression (Ekman & Friesen, 1975). Shame was additionally examined as an outcome-related emotion per Tracy and Matsumoto’s (2008) coding scheme.…”

Silent Hands: A Leader’s Ability to Create Nonverbal Immediacy

“…Although some researchers have grouped several hand gestures together, there has yet to be an extensive study of specific hand gestures. Scholars have assumed what specific hand gestures mean (Ambady & Rosenthal, 1993;Burgoon & Le Poire, 1999;Maricchiolo, Livi, Bonaiuto, & Gnisci, 2011), but only one study (Talley & Temple, 2015) has included specific hand gestures for immediacy and nonimmediacy, or what creates an emotional connection with followers, a critical aspect of motivational leadership (Jia, Cheng, & Hale, 2016).…”