Nonverbal Rapport-Building Behaviors' Effects on Perceptions of a Supervisor

Abstract

Results from the two studies reported in this article suggest that a male supervisor can be effective in building rapport with a subordinate solely by the nonverbal communicative behaviors he exhibits. The supervisor who exhibited selected nonverbal rapport-building behaviors was more positively perceived in a number of different ways than the supervisor who did not exhibit such behaviors. Subordinates were perceived as more likely to comply with the requests of the high-rapport supervisor and to experience a higher level of job satisfaction when interacting with a high-rapport supervisor.