Peer and Co-worker Communication

1. Peer and Co-worker Communication Chapter 11 “RELATIONAL CHALLENGES”

2. Co-worker Communication Peer relationships can provide a source of intrinsic reward for the employee, can buffer job-related stress, and can reduce job dissatisfaction and turnover (Kram & Isabella, 1985)

3. Questions • Why is it in the organization’s best interest to foster co-worker relationships? • Are people more involved, satisfied, and participative in dyads as compared to groups? • How does physical space affect office relationships? • What contributes most to worker relationship development?

4. Overview • Nature of co-worker relationships • Strategies for developing work relationships • Factors influencing relationship development • Positive and negative consequences • Relationship issues in the workplace (case study)

5. Nature of Relationships in Organizations • Two Forms of Interpersonal Relationships • Organizational - based on organizational structure • Personal - choice & voluntariness • Friendship is an ongoing human association voluntarily developed and privately negotiated • Relationships are exponentially complex

6. Five Principles of Developing Work Relationships • #1 - Proxemics Affect Relationship Development • Distance between ourselves and others • More opportunities to interact • Physical space affects office relationships (HOW?) • #2 - Relationship Communication Conveys Information and Imposes Behavior • Two levels of messages: CONTENT and COMMAND • Command defines the relationship between the two individuals

7. Five Principles of Developing Work Relationships • #3 - Relationships Can Be Symmetrical or Complementary • Interpersonal Balance • Symmetrical - both partners are equal in the relationship • Complementary - based on maximization of differences (1 up/down) • #4 - Each Partner Has Different Interpersonal Needs • Schutz’s FIRO-B • Inclusion, Affection, and Control • #5 - Co-workers Can Have More Control of Each Other Than Can Supervisors • Income of all is dependent on work of all • Member-based control (concertive control, Chapter 5, p. 99)

8. Relationship Development • Three Patterns in co-worker relationships which result in changes in communication patterns • Transition 1 - Acquaintance to Friend • Caused by contextual (environmental factors) • Time, close proximity, sharing tasks, socializing outside of work • Transition 2 - Friend to Close Friend • Driven by problems or events in both personal and work life • More time outside of work and with each other’s families • Discussion of more work-related problems (more open) • Transition 3 - Close Friend to Almost Best Friend • Socializing outside work and shared life events • Trust and detailed discussion

9. Relationship Development:Three Critical Factors • The impact of proximity • Telecommuting and “virtual offices” • Assimilation issues • How superiors treat co-workers • Undeserved, favorable, and differential treatment by supervisor causes dislike and mistrust of subordinate-- caution and isolation • Undeserved, negative, and differential treatment by supervisor causes increased group cohesiveness and increased interaction -- more open and decrease in communication editing • Deserved unfavorable treatment = distance from ‘problem employee’ • Deserved favorable treatment = respect, approval, conduit to supervisor • Social Exchange Theory(Thibaut and Kelley, 1959) • Maximum pleasure and minimum pain • Predicts the likelihood that relationships will develop

10. Consequences of Work Relationships • Positive Consequences • Support system - information and feedback • Greater loyalty • Fosters success • Increases satisfaction and organizational identification • Negative Consequences - MISUSES • commodity - political currency • information retrieval - not ordinarily available • co-dependency - can’t function independently • against one’s own interest - opportunities for advancement • Strains on Friendship and Work Relationships (Figure 11.1, p. 202)

11. Strains on Friendships and Work Relationship • Strains Caused by Work • Egalitarian nature negated • Management of information • Need for autonomy • Violation of consensus desires • Negative feedback • Public displays of friendship minimized • Strains Caused by Friendship • Objectivity damaged • Management of inequalities • Socializing affecting performance • Management of organizational information • Friends held to a higher standard

12. Strengthening Work Relationships • Providing Positive Feedback • Increased morale • Fosters support • Mediate Conflict • Discuss Communication (metacommunication)

13. Developing Relationships at Work • Develop your closest friendships outside of work • Don’t start an intimate relationship at work unless you are prepared to cope with the consequences • Recognize that males and females will cope with friendships at work differently

14. Individual excellence Importance (of strategic objectives) Interdependence Investment Information Integration Institutionalization (formal status) Integrity Healthy Work Relationship Criteria

15. CASE STUDY • If you were Dave, what would you do? • What can Dave do in the future to prevent this type of thing from happening again? • How would you characterize Dave’s communication style? Steve’s Bob’s?

16. Summary • Nature of co-worker relationships • Strategies for developing work relationships • Factors influencing relationship development • Positive and negative consequences • Relationship issues in the workplace (case study)

17. Peer and Co-worker Communication Communication with peers at work creates a strong bond between the employee and organization!