A1 Journal article (refereed)
Out of sight – Out of trust? : An analysis of the mediating role of communication frequency and quality in the relationship between workplace isolation and trust (2023)


van Zoonen, W., Sivunen, A. E., & Blomqvist, K. (2023). Out of sight – Out of trust? : An analysis of the mediating role of communication frequency and quality in the relationship between workplace isolation and trust. European Management Journal, In Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2023.04.006


JYU authors or editors


Publication details

All authors or editorsvan Zoonen, Ward; Sivunen, Anu E.; Blomqvist, Kirsimarja

Journal or seriesEuropean Management Journal

ISSN0263-2373

eISSN1873-5681

Publication year2023

Publication date05/05/2023

VolumeIn Press

PublisherElsevier BV

Publication countryGermany

Publication languageEnglish

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2023.04.006

Publication open accessOpenly available

Publication channel open accessPartially open access channel


Abstract

The current study examines how workplace isolation may erode interpersonal trust in organizations. A global pandemic with lockdown restrictions provided an almost perfect experimental setting that helped us investigate how workplace isolation among remote workers may impact trust in supervisors and coworkers through communication frequency and quality. The findings show that the negative relationship between isolation and trust is primarily established by reduced organizational communication quality and interpersonal information-sharing quality compared to the frequency of communication. Hence, the findings demonstrate that the erosion of interpersonal trust for isolated workers is qualified mainly by the extent to which isolation obstructs high-quality organizational communication and information sharing. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that trust in supervisors is particularly likely to be affected by workplace isolation compared to trust among coworkers.


Keywordstrustwork communitiesemployeessupervisorsco-workerscommunicationorganisational communication and public relationsinterpersonal communicationisolationremote work

Free keywordstrust; workplace isolation; organizational communication quality; communication frequency; information sharing quality; supervisors; coworkers; remote work


Contributing organizations


Ministry reportingYes

Reporting Year2023

Preliminary JUFO rating2


Last updated on 2024-10-03 at 18:06