1. Dr. Lora Helvie-Mason, COMS 404

2. 
Before you read…
 Consider how many times and to what extent you
have bonded with co-workers in an organization
 Examine your initial thoughts about interpersonal
relationships in organizations
 Explore conflict and how it has occurred in
organizations in which you belong

3. 
 Interpersonal relationships – two people who
interact for any length of time who assume the roles
of sender and receiver of messages simultaneously
 These relationships take two forms:
Interpersonal
Relationships at Work
Organizational
Interpersonal Relationship
Personal Relationship
Based on organization structure.
Two women work on a project
together, they create a dyadic
relationship centered on
completing tasks, but which may
broaden to a personal relationship
Friendship-like. Develops
because people spend time
with one another.
Developed by choice.
(Voluntary)

4. 
 Consider
 Proxemics
 Relational Balance
 Interpersonal Needs
 Relational Control
 Proxemics
 Distance between us and others
 Research shows the closer (physically) we are,
the more likely we are to form relationships
 Relational Balance
 Consider the BALANCE of the relationship and who is in the relationship
 Complimentary, Control, Power, Dominant, Submissive
Developing interpersonal
relationships (1)
Why do we care about
Proxemics in this course?
Knowing how physical
space positively and
negatively affects office
relationships can help
managers figure out ways
to improve relationships
by changing that space.

5. 
Developing interpersonal
relationships (2)
 Interpersonal Needs
 Same psychological needs, different strength levels
 Needs include:
 Need to feel included
 Need to give/receive affection
 Need to feel power to affect outcomes in relationships
 Relational Control
 Co-worker relationships can be a powerful control
over an employee’s behavior
 Co-workers can control one another’s behavior

6. 
Three types of co-worker
relationships
1. Information
Peer
Relationship
----
• Low-levels of
disclosure and
trust
• Focus on
work-related
issues
• Little intimacy
beyond polite
conversation
2. Collegial Peer
Relationship
---
• Moderate-levels of
trust, self-
disclosure,
emotional support,
and friendship
• More than an
acquaintance, not a
close friend
• Work-related
issues and some
issues about
personal lives
3. Special Peer
Relationship
---
• High-levels of
emotional
support, trust,
self-disclosure,
and intimacy
• Share feedback
about work
personal
information
• Will go into
depth and detail

7. 
Transitions &
Communication
Acquaintance
Friend
Close
Friend
Best friend
Transition 2: friend to close friend. Spend time outside
of work, get to know their family, communication is
more open, discuss more work-related problems
NOTE: How a supervisor treats an employee may influence how co-workers interact with that person.

8. 
 Telecommuting can save financial costs, but may
have interpersonal ramifications
 Stohl (1995) concluded that “when workers are no longer
simultaneously at the work site, there is less overlap and
interaction among specializations, people are less identified with
the organization, and co-workers are not available for task and
social support” (p. 9).
Technology & Peers
Think about it…
What does this mean for
organizational commitment and
loyalty?

9. 
 Benefits exist for both the individuals involved in
workplace friendships as well as the organization.
 Support system, voluntary, know others beyond
organizational role, learn organizational information,
the more connected to the individuals a person is, the
more loyalty she may have to the organization…
 Co-workers can exert influence over how
their peers view organizational
attitudes, behaviors, & policies
Positive Consequences
Think about it…
What other
benefits can you
think of?

10. 
 Co-worker supportive relationships can be misused
 Commodity (owed support), social chips to “cash in”
 Information retrieval
 Co-dependency
 Support may work against the person providing it
Negative Consequences
Think about it…
Does any of this sound
familiar?

11. 
 Can be beneficial and detrimental at work
 “Workplace romance” – consensual relationship
between two members of the organization that
entails mutual sexual attraction
 Can increase teamwork, communication, and job
satisfaction
 Can distract from work responsibilities, may lead to
favoritism of partner’s ideas, may be against policy,
may receive scrutiny from co-workers, may be
uncomfortable for the couple and their co-workers
Romantic Relationships

12. 
Workplace Romance
 From an organizational
perspective, romantic
relationships at work should
involve an understanding of
policies
 Can vary from strict to casual
 There may be legal
implications
 Should set clear guidelines
• 12% of companies
have a written policy
on employee dating
• 92% of those having
policies prohibit
employees from
dating a subordinate
• 69% disallowed
dating a superior
• 11% banned all
workplace romance
~American Management
Association

13. 
 Relationships are important!
 It is also important to review the loss or deterioration
of these relationships as they may impede work
processes
 Reasons friendships deteriorate in the workplace:
1. Personality issues
2. Loss of similarities
3. Conflicting expectations
4. Promotions
5. Betrayal
Relationship Deterioration

14. 
Peer & Co-Worker
Communication
How will you use this information?
What can companies do to foster
effective peer/co-worker
communication?
Examine your company for this
semester – how could you get
insights into the issue of peer and co-
worker communication?