Social Networks, Rumors and Secrets: When and Why Informal Interactions Impact Workplace Outcomes

Abstract

Prior work has suggested that most work in organizations is done through informal interactions among employees. Understanding the dynamics of informal interactions in organizations is crucial as these interactions influence whether and how employees complete tasks (e.g., by enhancing coordination) but also regulate social relationships (e.g., by increasing team building, setting organizational norms). The goal of the current symposium is to provide an overview of emerging research that highlights the circumstances under which informal interactions at work transpire and how they affect employee and organizational outcomes. The symposium showcases the latest research on employees’ underlying motivations to engage in informal interpersonal interactions with others and when these interactions affect their workplace perceptions and behavior. Stress contagion: Supervisor and network effects on employee withdrawal and voice behaviors Presenter: Steffanie L. Wilk; Ohio State U. Presenter: Erin E. Makarius; U. of Akron The dynamics of unsolicited advice Presenter: Blaine Landis; U. College London Presenter: Jochen I. Menges; U. of Zurich Do employees with anti-egalitarian beliefs use gossip to undermine womens leadership? Presenter: Seval Gündemir; U. of Amsterdam Do unto others what you seek to avoid: Revealing secrets in the workplace Presenter: Michael Slepian; Columbia Business School Presenter: Katherine Qianwen Sun; Columbia Business School Presenter: Jessica M. Salerno; Arizona State U.