“You don’t meet anybody when walking from the living room to the kitchen”
Informal communication during remote work
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21695999 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Benno Viererbl (0000-0002-4506-1363, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz), Nora Denner (0000-0002-4033-3833, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz), Thomas Koch (0000-0002-6021-6140, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 26 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 331-348 |
| Publication date | 2022-08-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Communication Management (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1363-254X • E-ISSN: 1478-0852 |
| Publisher | Emerald (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1108/jcom-10-2021-0117 |
| OpenAlex | W4285086391 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 15 |
| References cited | 59 |
Purpose This study aims to analyze the structures, forms and functions of informal communication in telecommuting settings. Previous research on telecommuting has not considered the influence of telecommuting settings on informal communication, and research on informal communication has mainly focused on face-to-face communication while working in a physical office. This article aims to bring these two research strands together by analyzing the informal communication behavior of employees working from home. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted qualitative interviews with 21 employees who were working from home. The participants were recruited using quota sampling and the data were analyzed following the procedure for examining qualitative data proposed by Mayring (2014). Findings The findings reveal similarities as well as differences between those working in an office and those working from home in terms of informal communication with co-workers: Informal communication fulfills similar functions in both cases, but remote work leads to less informal communication and hinders incidental exposure to other employees. Informal talks need to be planned in advance or strategically initiated. The authors identified five informal communication scenarios in telecommuting settings that partly, but not fully, overlap with scenarios in regular office settings. Originality/value The present study is one of the first to examine informal communication in telecommuting settings. Previous studies have either excluded the aspect of informal communication or the situation for employees working in telecommuting settings. The results provide new insights into informal communication behavior in remote work
Business · Face-to-face interaction · Informal education · Informal sector · Knowledge management · Organizational communication · Originality · Public relations · Qualitative research · Sociology · Telecommuting · Computer Science · Cyberloafing and Workplace Behavior · Engineering · Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior · Psychology · Work-Family Balance Challenges
Understanding employees’ work location preferences. An exploration of German data using latent class analysis
Enabling and constraining factors of remote informal communication
That was one of my most difficult and biggest challenges”
Communication managers’ perspective on informal communication
From ‘Home Blues’ to Office Creativity
Transforming informal communication in the urgent shift to teleworking
Illuminating informal communication in organizations – a scoping review
Feeling connected and informed through informal communication
How internal listening inspires remote employee engagement
Sense of belonging in hybrid work settings
Changes and their effects on working and daily life time use allocation between work-from-home and office work days during the telework period
Perceptions of informal communication in the workplace
Big five traits and self-determination in preferences for working in person
Living with and living like those we study
The paradox of flexibility
How Effective Is Telecommuting? Assessing the Status of Our Scientific Findings
The good, the bad, and the unknown about telecommuting
Photocopiers and Water-coolers
Organizational Information Requirements, Media Richness and Structural Design
Telecommuting, control, and boundary management
Does it matter where you work? A comparison of how three work venues (traditional office, virtual office, and home office) influence aspects of work and personal/family life
Why Teleworkers are More Satisfied with Their Jobs than are Office-Based Workers
Informal communication of co‐workers
A review of telework research
Sampling in Interview-Based Qualitative Research
Work–life Balance and Working from Home
The role of relationships in understanding telecommuter satisfaction
When control becomes a liability rather than an asset
Rested, friendly, and engaged
Small Talk at Work
Co-workers who telework and the impact on those in the office
Perceived Control by Employees
Does it matter where your manager works? Comparing managerial work mode (traditional, telework, virtual) across subordinate work experiences and outcomes
| Unique citing works | 15 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 7.5 |
| Citation span | 2024 - 2026 (3) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 14 |