A series of studies found that virtual meetings offer workers valuable glimpses into each other’s nonwork lives — which boost feelings of trust and authenticity.
November 08, 2024
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Recent return-to-office mandates have been partially predicated on the belief that employees are able to form richer relationships in person than they can working remotely. New research, however, found that remote work can actually make coworkers feel closer by giving them authentic glimpses into each others nonwork lives through video calls. The researchers analyze their findings to offer suggestions for managers considering the benefits — and costs — of calling employees back in.
Increasingly, employers are rolling back the remote work arrangements instituted during the Covid-19 pandemic. Companies such as Starbucks, Walmart, Google, JP Morgan Chase, and Amazon have called employees back into the office — some even mandating a five-day-a-week return-to-office (RTO) schedule.
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Beth Schinoff is an Assistant Professor of Management in the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics at University of Delaware. Her research focuses on how employees connect with each other in situations that can be challenging for connection. She has published numerous articles in top management outlets such as Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, and Organizational Science.
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Ashley E. Hardin is an Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior in the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis. Her research focuses on personal knowledge (i.e., information about the nonwork lives of colleagues) within organizations and how people manage work-life boundaries. She has published numerous articles in top management outlets such as Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, and Organizational Science.
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Kris Byron is the Meredith M. Leapley WomenLead Professor of Management at Georgia State University. Her research interests include perception, creativity, and diversity at work. She is among the top 2% of all cited scholars in the world and is the current Editor-in-Chief of the Academy of Management Review. She has published numerous articles in journals such as Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Psychological Bulletin, and Organizational Science.
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Rachel Balven is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the WP Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. Her research focuses on ethical behavior, entrepreneurship, and corporate social responsibility She has published numerous articles in top management outlets such as Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, and Human Resource Management Review.
