Peer & Co-Worker Communication

(Chapter 10)

Dr. Lora Helvie-Mason, COMS 404

Before you read…

Consider how many times and to what extent you have bonded with co-workers in an organization

Examine your initial thoughts about interpersonal relationships in organizations

Explore conflict and how it has occurred in organizations in which you belong

Interpersonal relationships – two people who

interact for any length of time who assume the roles of sender and receiver of messages simultaneously

These relationships take two forms:

Interpersonal Relationships at Work

Organizational Interpersonal

RelationshipPersonal Relationship

Based on organization structure. Two women work on a project together, they create a dyadic relationship

centered on completing tasks, but which may broaden to a

personal relationship

Friendship-like. Develops because

people spend time with one another. Developed by choice. (Voluntary)

Consider

Proxemics Relational Balance Interpersonal Needs Relational Control

Proxemics Distance between us and others Research shows the closer (physically) we are,

the more likely we are to form relationships

Relational Balance Consider the BALANCE of the relationship and who is in the

relationship Complimentary, Control, Power, Dominant, Submissive

Developing interpersonal

relationships (1)Why do we care about

Proxemics in this course?

Knowing how physical space positively and

negatively affects office relationships can help managers figure out ways to improve

relationships by changing that space.

Developing interpersonal

relationships (2) Interpersonal Needs

Same psychological needs, different strength levels Needs include:

Need to feel included Need to give/receive affection Need to feel power to affect outcomes in

relationships

Relational Control Co-worker relationships can be a powerful

control over an employee’s behavior Co-workers can control one another’s behavior

Three types of co-worker relationships

1. Information Peer

Relationship

----• Low-levels of

disclosure and trust

• Focus on work-related

issues• Little intimacy beyond polite

conversation

2. Collegial Peer

Relationship---

• Moderate-levels of trust, self-disclosure, emotional

support, and friendship

• More than an acquaintance,

not a close friend

• Work-related issues and some

issues about personal lives

3. Special Peer

Relationship---

• High-levels of emotional

support, trust, self-disclosure, and intimacy• Share feedback

about work personal

information• Will go into

depth and detail

Transitions & Communication

Acquaintance

Friend

Close Friend

Best friend

Transition 1: acquaintance to friend.

Environmental factors influence this.

Sharing physical space, sharing tasks,

socializing outside of work

Transition 2: friend to close friend. Spend time outside of work, get to know their family,

communication is more open, discuss more work-related problems

Transition 3: close friend to best friend. Sharing life events, discussing work-

related problems, trust increases, free to share opinions and feelings, more personal life conversations

NOTE: How a supervisor treats an employee may influence how co-workers interact with that person.

Telecommuting can save financial costs, but

may have interpersonal ramifications Stohl (1995) concluded that “when workers are no longer

simultaneously at the work site, there is less overlap and interaction among specializations, people are less identified with the organization, and co-workers are not available for task and social support” (p. 9).

Technology & Peers

Think about it…What does this mean for

organizational commitment and loyalty?

Benefits exist for both the individuals involved

in workplace friendships as well as the organization. Support system, voluntary, know others beyond

organizational role, learn organizational information, the more connected to the individuals a person is, the more loyalty she may have to the organization…

Co-workers can exert influence over howtheir peers view organizational attitudes, behaviors, & policies

Positive Consequences

Think about it…

What other benefits can you think of?

Co-worker supportive relationships can be

misused Commodity (owed support), social chips to

“cash in” Information retrieval Co-dependency Support may work against the person providing

it

Negative Consequences

Think about it…Does any of this sound familiar?

Can be beneficial and detrimental at work “Workplace romance” – consensual relationship

between two members of the organization that entails mutual sexual attraction

Can increase teamwork, communication, and job satisfaction

Can distract from work responsibilities, may lead to favoritism of partner’s ideas, may be against policy, may receive scrutiny from co-workers, may be uncomfortable for the couple and their co-workers

Romantic Relationships

Workplace Romance

From an organizational perspective, romantic relationships at work should involve an understanding of policies Can vary from strict to

casual There may be legal

implications Should set clear guidelines

• 12% of companies have a written

policy on employee dating

• 92% of those having policies

prohibit employees from dating a subordinate

• 69% disallowed dating a superior

• 11% banned all workplace romance

~American Management Association

Relationships are important! It is also important to review the loss or

deterioration of these relationships as they may impede work processes

Reasons friendships deteriorate in the workplace:1. Personality issues2. Loss of similarities3. Conflicting expectations4. Promotions5. Betrayal

Relationship Deterioration

Peer & Co-Worker Communication

How will you use this information?

What can companies do to foster effective peer/co-worker

communication?

Examine your company for this semester – how could you get insights into the issue of peer

and co-worker communication?