Describe and evaluate the use of personal space as a form of non-verbal communication. A restaurant manager is training staff to greet customers from differ...
Question 1 Report
Describe and evaluate the use of personal space as a form of non-verbal communication. A restaurant manager is training staff to greet customers from different cultural backgrounds without making them feel uncomfortable.
(a) Briefly outline one way distance between people can communicate a message. [1]
(b) Use the restaurant example to describe two factors that could affect a customer's preferred personal space. [2]
(c) Evaluate one benefit and two limitations of giving staff general rules about personal space. [3]
Answer Details
(a) Standing close may communicate intimacy, friendliness, threat or dominance; standing farther away may communicate formality or distance [1]. (b) Any two applied descriptions from: cultural background may affect what distance feels polite [1]; relationship, such as stranger versus friend, may affect preferred distance [1]; age or previous experience may affect comfort [1]; a crowded setting may make close distance unavoidable [1]. (c) Benefit: rules can help staff avoid accidentally invading customers' space [1]. Limitations, any two from: preferences vary greatly between individuals [1]; culture-based rules can lead to stereotyping [1]; customers' mood or situation may alter their preference [1]; staff need to read other non-verbal cues rather than follow a fixed distance [1].
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