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VIRTUAL MULTIPLEX RELATIONSHIPS (Virtuality at Work: A Breakdown in…
VIRTUAL MULTIPLEX RELATIONSHIPS
when friendship is paired with an
interdependent working relationship
coworker friendships – defined as “non-romantic, voluntary, and informal relationships between current coworkers that are characterized by communal norms and socioemotional goals”
generally enhances
job performance
technology and the rise of virtual work have fundamentally changed how employees connect and form multiplex relationships
work from anywhere
challenges what we know about how a multiplex relationship forms
bedrocks of friendship – geographic proximity
changes the nature of relating
establish a fragile form of “swift trust”
relational cadence
defined as perceived convergence in the patterns of
interaction between oneself and a particular coworker
reflects individuals’ perception of both when interactions predictably unfold
nature of the specific coworker relationship
virtual coworker friendships are typically multiplex rather than non-multiplex
two relationships largely impossible to decouple
work-related cadence (perceived convergence in the patterns of work-related interaction)
friendship-related cadence (perceived convergence in the patterns of personal interaction).
BECOMING FRIENDS WHEN WORKING VIRTUALLY
The Coworker Friendship Formation Process
stage models of coworker friendship formation
increasing virtualization of work often strips the workforce of regular – and perhaps of any – in-person opportunities to meet
virtual coworker friendships differs greatly from forming in person friendships in two important ways:
lack of in-person shared experiences
heavy reliance on technology
Disclosing via social media therefore tends to be less effective in developing rich and authentic
relationships than disclosing via face-to-face communication.
current theories suggests: remote work impairs friendship formation
Virtuality at Work: A Breakdown in Cadence
virtuality as a “barrier”
Challenges to establishing a temporal rhythm.
The seeming ease and frequency of not responding left informants with a sense of one-sidedness
challenge to connect quickly and regularly
particularly crucial to the formation of work-related cadence
The interrelatedness of accessibility and skill relevance
Challenges to situated coworker familiarity.
vital information about their interaction partner and situational norms (cues)
Cultivating work-related cadence.
actions to help facilitate that cadence
(1) regular, scheduled interaction
(2) using certain communication media
influence patterns of interaction via
(1) interacting face-to-face
(2) imagining coworkers
(3) self-disclosing
(4) seeking information from alternative sources
Beyond work-related cadence: Desire for multiplex cadence
Although work-related cadence appeared sufficient for accomplishing tasks
collegial work-related cadence was relatively impoverished compared to a multiplex cadence
Desire for multiplex cadence also appeared related to one’s expectation that a virtual coworker friendship was, indeed, a legitimate form of friendship
friendship-related cadence
friendship-related cadence goes above what is required for a working relationship
more important than temporal rhythm when
assessing the potential for converging friendship-related patterns of interaction
personal, voluntary, and highly socioemotional nature
four signals of relational particular potential:
(1) desire
(2) chemistry
(3) trust
(4) instrumentality
Cultivating friendship-related cadence
strong temporal rhythm was paramount to work-related cadence, a lack of temporal rhythm
“fast friendships”
cultivating convergent patterns of interaction that transcended work – relational expanding
Managerial Stage Setting
managers play a particularly crucial role
facilitates friendship-related cadence on top of work-related cadence
Actual Friendship when is strong enough to transcend work interdependence
Benefits of Multiplex Cadence
typically synonymous with friendship-related cadence for virtual workers
coworker relationships that combine both work-related and friendship-related interactions are largely beneficial for both the work and friendship relationship