Beyond Fatiguing Virtual Meetings: How Should Virtual Meetings for Workplaces Be Supported?

Abstract

Many organizations have adopted videoconferencing tools for meeting platforms since the COVID-19 pandemic. The boom of virtual meetings (VM) in the workplace led to active discussion of VM communication behaviors and technologies among communication and HCI scholars. However, synthesizing computer-mediated communication (CMC) and meeting science literature is needed to understand how VM interactions manifest in the workplace to support workplace communication through VM technologies. Inspired by literature of CMC and meeting science, this study seeks to understand how VM communication affects worker interactions and workplace outcomes by conducting semi-structured interviews with nine remote workers. This study identified four major themes about VM experiences: Loss of spontaneous interactions, lack of nonverbal communication, more fatigue with more efforts, and more distractions, less engagement, and identified three major themes about the impacts of VM communication on the workplace: Loss of workplace learning, double edged sword on work relationships, and double edged sword on productivity. Considering workplace dynamics building upon remote workers’ VM experiences, this study offers practical and theoretical insights into VM technology development to augment workers’ well-being and team communication.