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 editors: van Zoonen, Ward; Sivunen, Anu E.; Blomqvist, Kirsimarja
Journal or series: European Management Journal
ISSN: 0263-2373
eISSN: 1873-5681
Publication year: 2023
Publication date: 05/05/2023
Volume: In Press
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Publication country: Germany
Publication language: English
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2023.04.006
Publication open access: Openly available
Publication channel open access: Partially 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.
Keywords: trust; work communities; employees; supervisors; co-workers; communication; organisational communication and public relations; interpersonal communication; isolation; remote work
Free keywords: trust; workplace isolation; organizational communication quality; communication frequency; information sharing quality; supervisors; coworkers; remote work
Contributing organizations
Ministry reporting: Yes
Reporting Year: 2023
Preliminary JUFO rating: 2