Editing Remote work (section)

=== Drawbacks due to reduced face-to-face interactions ===
The technology available for remote communication does not fully replicate the nuances of face-to-face interactions. Room for mistakes and [[miscommunication]] can increase. According to [[media richness theory]], face-to-face communication allows for processing rich information through the clarification of ambiguous issues, immediate feedback, and personalized communication including body language and tone of voice.<ref name="Daft, R. L. 1986">{{cite journal| last1=Daft | first1=Richard L. | author-link1=Richard L. Daft | last2=Lengel | first2=Robert H. | year=1986 | title=Organizational information requirements, media richness and structural design | journal=[[Management Science (journal)|Management Science]] | volume=32 | issue=5 | pages=554–571 | doi=10.1287/mnsc.32.5.554 | jstor=2631846 | s2cid=155016492 }}</ref> Remote work typically relies on tools such as [[videotelephony]], [[telephone]], and [[email]], which can introduce limitations such as time lags, reduced ability to interpret emotions, and slower decision-making processes.<ref name="masterclass" /> [[Asynchronous communication]], often used in remote work, can require greater coordination and management than synchronous communication.<ref name="HBR">{{Cite journal |title=Poor Communication May Be Slowing Down Your Team|url=https://hbr.org/2023/10/poor-communication-may-be-slowing-down-your-team |access-date=November 17, 2023 |journal=Harvard Business Review |date=October 18, 2023 |language=en |last1=Tsipursky |first1=Gleb }}</ref> 

An increase in videoconferencing during remote work has led to what has been termed "[[Zoom fatigue]]," with factors such as prolonged eye contact, self-monitoring during calls, limited physical movement, and reduced non-verbal communication contributing to feelings of exhaustion.<ref name="The Balance">{{Cite web |title=Disadvantages of Working From Home |url=https://www.thebalancemoney.com/the-disadvantages-of-working-at-home-2948688 |access-date=December 4, 2022 |website=The Balance |language=en}}</ref>

A 2008 study found that face-to-face interactions are associated with higher levels of interpersonal contact, connectedness, and trust.<ref name="Golden 2008"/> A 2012 study found that 54% of remote workers reported missing social interaction, while 52.5% reported missing professional interaction.<ref name="anxiety">{{cite journal | url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235276465 | doi=10.1108/00483481211229375 | title=From anxiety to assurance: Concerns and outcomes of telework | date=June 2012 | last1=Maruyama | first1=Takao | last2=Tietze | first2=Susanne | journal=Personnel Review | volume=41 | issue=4 | pages=450–469}}</ref>

Remote work can also impact workplace relationships, particularly when some employees work remotely and others do not. This dynamic may sometimes lead to feelings of resentment or perceptions of unfairness among those who are required to be on-site. Remote workers may also experience reduced access to in-person companionship and on-site benefits.<ref name="Madell-2022">{{Cite web |last=Madell |first=Robin |date=June 30, 2022 |title=Pros and Cons of Working From Home |url=https://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/articles/pros-and-cons-of-working-from-home |access-date=February 12, 2022}}</ref><ref name="consequences" /><ref name="Morganson, V. J. 2010" />

The adaptation of technology within organizations has been studied under adaptive [[structuration theory]], which suggests that the use of technology evolves based on both the intended purpose and how individuals choose to use it in practice.<ref name="Torraco" /><ref name="DeSanctis">{{cite journal | doi=10.1287/orsc.5.2.121 | title=Capturing the Complexity in Advanced Technology Use: Adaptive Structuration Theory | year=1994 | last1=Desanctis | first1=Gerardine | author-link1=Gerardine DeSanctis | last2=Poole | first2=Marshall Scott | journal=[[Organization Science (journal)|Organization Science]] | volume=5 | issue=2 | pages=121–147| s2cid=4625142 }}</ref> Remote work introduces a social structure that both enables and constrains communication compared to traditional office environments.<ref name="Hill09">{{cite journal | doi=10.1016/j.obhdp.2008.10.002 |title=Organizational context and face-to-face interaction: Influences on the development of trust and collaborative behaviors in computer-mediated groups | year=2009| last1=Hill | first1=N. Sharon |last2=Bartol| first2=Kathryn M. | last3=Tesluk| first3=Paul E.| last4=Langa | first4=Gosia A.| journal=[[Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes]] | volume=108 |issue=2| pages=187–201}}</ref> For example, whereas in-person norms typically encourage face-to-face interaction, remote settings require alternative forms of interpersonal exchange.<ref name="DeSanctis" /> Over time, remote work may shift the established norms of communication and collaboration within organizations.<ref name="Torraco" />

Sharing information among teams can also present challenges when working remotely. In office settings, informal information exchange often occurs spontaneously during casual encounters, such as coffee breaks. In remote work environments, sharing information typically requires more deliberate effort and proactive communication.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Azasu |first=Babatunde |date=2020 |title=Open-ended: Office space and remote working in the age of COVID-19 |journal=[[Journal of Property Management]] |volume=85 |pages=34}}</ref> The transfer of tacit knowledge, often learned by observing experienced colleagues, can be more difficult in remote settings where unplanned interactions are less frequent.<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xacc6p4sKRoC |last=Engeström |first=Yrjö |title=From Teams to Knots: Activity-Theoretical Studies of Collaboration and Learning at Work |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2008 | isbn=978-1-139-46994-4 }}</ref>

Timely access to information may also be affected in remote work unless information sharing is actively organized. A lack of awareness about colleagues’ activities can lead to slower decision-making or less effective decisions.

From an anthropological perspective, remote work can influence the process of [[sensemaking]], as it limits exposure to a wide range of contextual cues and informal signals.<ref name="Tett">{{cite news | last1=Tett | first1=Gillian | date=June 3, 2021 | title=The empty office: what we lose when we work from home | work=[[The Guardian]] | url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/jun/03/the-empty-office-what-we-lose-when-we-work-from-home}}</ref>

Feedback is an important component of job performance and employee development. It provides employees with information about how well they are meeting expectations and completing tasks.<ref name="Hackman1971">{{cite journal |url=https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1971-29858-001 |last1=Hackman |first1=J. Richard |last2=Lawler |first2=Edward E. |year=1971 |title=Employee reactions to job characteristics |journal=[[Journal of Applied Psychology]] |volume=55 |issue=3 |pages=259–286 |doi=10.1037/h0031152}}</ref><ref name="Hackman1976">{{cite journal | doi=10.1016/0030-5073(76)90016-7 | title=Motivation through the design of work: Test of a theory | year=1976 | last1=Hackman | first1=J. Richard| last2=Oldham | first2=Greg R. | author2-link=Greg Oldham | journal=[[Organizational Behavior and Human Performance]] | volume=16 | issue=2| pages=250–279| s2cid=8618462 }}</ref> In remote work, feedback mechanisms may be less immediate or clear, as electronic communication often lacks the richness of face-to-face interaction.<ref name="Daft, R. L. 1986" /><ref name="Sardes">{{cite journal | doi=10.1111/j.1468-005X.2012.00284.x |title=Impact of telework on exhaustion and job engagement: A job demands and job resources model |year=2012 | last1=Sardeshmukh | first1=Shruti R. |last2=Sharma |first2=Dheeraj | last3=Golden | first3=Timothy D. |journal=New Technology, Work and Employment | volume=27 | issue=3 |pages=193–207| s2cid=111077383}}</ref> This can contribute to greater role ambiguity, where workers may be less certain about their responsibilities or expectations.<ref name="Golden11">{{cite journal |doi=10.1177/0018726711418387 | title=Does it matter where your manager works? Comparing managerial work mode (Traditional, telework, virtual) across subordinate work experiences and outcomes |year=2011 |last1=Golden |first1=Timothy D. |last2=Fromen |first2=Allan |journal=Human Relations| volume=64 |issue=11 |pages=1451–1475 |s2cid=145386665}}</ref> Higher levels of role ambiguity are associated with increased conflict, frustration, and exhaustion.<ref name="Sardes" /><ref name="Sonnetag">{{Cite book | chapter-url=https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-28468-021 | last1=Sonnentag | first1=Sabine | last2=Frese | first2=Michael | year=2003 | chapter=Stress in organizations |others=I. B. Weiner (Series Ed.) |editor1=W. C. Borman |editor2=D. R. Ilgen |editor3=R. J. Klimoski | series=Handbook of Psychology | volume=12 |title=Industrial and Organizational Psychology |pages=453–491 | location=Hoboken, NJ | publisher=John Wiley & Sons}}</ref> 

[[Job characteristic theory]] has found that feedback is strongly related to overall job satisfaction.<ref name="Fried">{{cite journal | last1=Fried | first1=Yitzhak | last2=Ferris | first2=Gerald R. | year=1987 | title=The validity of the job characteristics model: A review and meta-analysis | journal=[[Personnel Psychology (journal)|Personnel Psychology]] | volume=40 | issue=2 | pages=287–322 | doi=10.1111/j.1744-6570.1987.tb00605.x}}</ref> Research indicates that reduced communication and feedback in remote settings can lead to lower levels of job engagement.<ref name="Sardes"/> Studies in 2006 and 2011 found that when perceived supervisor support and the quality of the leader-employee relationship decline, remote workers' job satisfaction may decrease.<ref name="Golden11" /><ref name="Golden 2006">{{cite journal | url=https://content.apa.org/record/2006-20695-012 | last1=Golden | first1=T. D. | last2=Veiga | first2=J. F. | last3=Simsek | first3=Z. | year=2006 | title=Telecommuting's differential impact on work–family conflict: Is there no place like home? | journal=[[Journal of Applied Psychology]] | volume=91 | issue=6 | pages=1340–1350 | doi=10.1037/0021-9010.91.6.1340 | pmid=17100488}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1=Swanberg | first1=J. E. | last2=McKechnie | first2=S. P. | last3=Ojha | first3=M. U. | last4=James | first4=J. B. | year=2011 | title=Schedule control, supervisor support and work engagement: A winning combination for workers in hourly jobs? | journal=[[Journal of Vocational Behavior]] | volume=79 | issue=3 | pages=613–624 | doi=10.1016/j.jvb.2011.04.012}}</ref> Furthermore, when managers themselves work remotely, employees may report lower job satisfaction, possibly due to decreased clarity, slower communication, and fewer feedback opportunities.<ref name="Golden11"/> However, some workers — such as those with longer tenure, functional (rather than socially-oriented) work relationships, or certain personality traits — may report satisfaction with communication even in remote settings.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235315433 | last1=Akkirman | first1=Ali D. | last2=Harris | first2=Drew L. | date=June 2005 | title=Organizational communication satisfaction in the virtual workplace | journal=Journal of Management Development | volume=24 | issue=5 | pages=397–409 | doi=10.1108/02621710510598427}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1=Fritz | first1=Mary Beth Watson | last2=Narasimhan | first2=Sridhar | last3=Rhee | first3=Hyeun-Suk | year=1998 | title=Communication and coordination in the virtual office | journal=[[Journal of Management Information Systems]] | volume=14 | issue=4 | pages=7–28 | doi=10.1080/07421222.1998.11518184| jstor=40398290 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1=Pickett | first1=Cynthia L. | first2=Wendi L. | last2=Gardner | first3=Megan | last3=Knowles | date=September 1, 2004 | title=Getting a cue: The need to belong and enhanced sensitivity to social cues | journal=[[Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin]] | volume=30 | issue=9 | pages=1095–107 | doi=10.1177/0146167203262085 | pmid=15359014 | s2cid=2007730}}</ref>

[[Social information processing (theory)|Social information processing]] theory suggests that individuals interpret and assign meaning to their work environment through social cues.<ref name="Salancik">{{cite journal | doi=10.2307/2392563 | jstor=2392563 | title=A Social Information Processing Approach to Job Attitudes and Task Design | year=1978 | last1=Salancik | first1=Gerald R. | author-link1=Gerald R. Salancik | last2=Pfeffer | first2=Jeffrey | journal=[[Administrative Science Quarterly]] | volume=23 | issue=2 | pages=224–253 | pmid=10307892}}</ref><ref name="Morgeson03">{{cite book |last1=Morgeson |first1=F.P. |last2=Campion |first2=M.A. |year=2003 |chapter=Work design |editor1=W. Bornman |editor2=D. Ilgen |editor3=R. Klimoksi |series=Handbook of Psychology |title=Industrial and Organizational Psychology |volume=12 |pages=423–452 |location=Hoboken, N.J. |publisher=Wiley}}</ref> These cues can be delivered through direct statements, cognitive evaluations, or observed behaviors of colleagues.<ref name="Morgeson03"/> In remote work settings, the reduced immediacy and richness of [[computer-mediated communication]] may slow the processing of social information compared to in-person interactions.<ref name="Waither">{{cite journal | doi=10.1177/009365092019001003 | title=Interpersonal Effects in Computer-Mediated Interaction | year=1992 | last1=Walther | first1=Joseph B. | journal=[[Communication Research (journal)|Communication Research]] | volume=19 |pages=52–90 |s2cid=145557658}}</ref>