Chapter 10: Communication in the Workplace

Systems Theory

"Something made up of parts but operating as a whole system that can achieve functions that individuals alone cannot and that also creates an environment in which those individuals must exist." "Systems theory is an approach to organizations which likens the enterprise to an organism with interdependent parts, each with its own specific function and interrelated responsibilities."

negotiating relational and instrumental goals

- although instrumental goals in our everyday relationships such as asking someone out on a date, the essential function of talk is much more to the front and center of your conversations outside of workplace. The conflict b/w essential goals in relationships and predominantly instrumental goals in workplace may be difficult for ppl to manage. This may strain performance of their usual identity as there conflict b/w role of worker and role of friend. Relationships at work dont develop in intimacy and at work theyre often specifically prohibited from doing so (even consensual sex can lead to dismissal).

The workplace as special frame

- important differences b/w workplace and normal life experiences with friends and associates. The workplace is mostly framed thru learning, language and life. These are developed in part thru communicative efforts of mgrs/leaders w/in org. Leader/mgr of org or workplace itself presents options of meaning and interpretation as preferable over others. This is important bc workplace practices frame perspectives concerning talk and relationships. Workplace's special practices and codes overlie usual practices and codes of everyday life. When your at work your in diff frame where you perform identities connected to work. Everyday life patterns and practices are extended into new context and frame workplace. These can be constrained and altered by workplace frame.

Relationships as workplace challenges

- includes the belief that mgrs failure to communicate to workers results in problems within org. - another belief is that everybody hates bureaucracy and that leaders shouldnt burden themselves or their workers w/ bureaucratic written policies and procedures. however, refusal to clarify policies and procedures can lead to confusion. - active listening is important pt of comm and contributes to working relationships. Mgrs believe that its their jobs to tell employees what to do and that employees have no place in directing enterprise. Many employees have good things to say and good mgr will listen. - interactive and transactive comm in org is made effective when group members question one another and ask pertinent questions in order to avoid groupthink. Its important for mgrs and workers to respect and value what they hear other ppl saying and clarify that they have correctly interpreted it. Each person in org needs to take responsibility for speaking up when doesnt understand comm and for suggesting ways to improve comm.

Advantages of diagonal communication:

1. Coordination: This crosswise communication serves the important purpose of coordination through informal meetings, formal conferences, lunch hour meetings, general notices etc. 2. Practicable: As we know not all communication takes place strictly on the lines of organisational hierarchy, i.e., downwards or upwards. 3. Morale boosting: By providing opportunities to lower level workers to interact with managers in informal meetings it gives their morale a boost and further commitment to the organisation. More and more organisations are now encouraging crosswise communication and building up bonhomie.

Limitations of diagonal communication :

1. Fear of infringement: The superior may feel it an infringement that his subordinate has been given undue importance and that he has been by passed. 2. Resistance to compliance: The superior may not implement the suggestion as he has not been consulted. 3. Anarchy: The lack of accepted procedures may lead to internal anarchy and external animosity.

Advantages of Grapevine Communication

1. Grapevine channels carry information rapidly. As soon as an employee gets to know some confidential information, he becomes inquisitive and passes the details then to his closest friend who in turn passes it to other. Thus, it spreads hastily. 2. The managers get to know the reactions of their subordinates on their policies. Thus, the feedback obtained is quick compared to formal channel of communication. 3. The grapevine creates a sense of unity among the employees who share and discuss their views with each other. Thus, grapevine helps in developing group cohesiveness. 4. The grapevine serves as an emotional supportive value. 5. The grapevine is a supplement in those cases where formal communication does not work.

Examples of Grapevine Network of Communication

1. Suppose the profit amount of a company is known. Rumour is spread that this much profit is there and on that basis bonus is declared. 2. CEO may be in relation to the Production Manager. They may have friendly relations with each other.

Disadvantages of Grapevine Communication

1. The grapevine carries partial information at times as it is more based on rumours. Thus, it does not clearly depicts the complete state of affairs. 2. The grapevine is not trustworthy always as it does not follows official path of communication and is spread more by gossips and unconfirmed report. 3. The productivity of employees may be hampered as they spend more time talking rather than working. 4. The grapevine leads to making hostility against the executives. 5. The grapevine may hamper the goodwill of the organization as it may carry false negative information about the high level people of the organization.

Employee-abusive communication

Downside of Good Relationships at Work Backstabbing gossip and derogatory talk about other employees are examples of this comm. Many forms of this are in the workplace like in any other place. Workplace is home to hostile interviews, but in everyday running of an org, the kinds of talk that go on and count as abusive run from offensive jokes to shunning and ostracism to ignoring of ppls requests or withholding important info that person needs in order to complete job properly. - sexual harassment is obvious example of this when defined as, "any unwelcome sexual advance or conduct on job that creates intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment. any conduct of sexual nature that makes an employee uncomfortable.

Favors for buddies

Downside of Good Relationships at Work Its vital for orgs to maintain good personal relationships among the individuals who do this sort of business on their behalf. Org work is done at the relational level.

you're my boss, but you were my friend

Downside of Good Relationships at Work - it can be a problem when your friendly with coworkers who get promoted. Expectations of friendship require revelation of self and secrets. This may pose no threat to anyone while the two ppl remain at same level in heirarchy or org. If one of them is promoted to hgher rank then info acquired during friendship may become source of conflict especially if inof leads to negative assessment of persons capacity to fulfill the job properly. In addition, knowledge that a person is friends w/ boss on personal level can have adverse effect that friends will look after one another and may even act as a team in political arena of org. workers tend to become suspicious that boss will show favoritism toward friends and this suspicion has undesirable effect on morale.

4 Types of Direction in Formal Communication

Messages includes: 1. Upward 2. Downward 3. horizontal 4. diagonal

Organizational culture and routines

Much that has gone on before in workplace continues to go on the way it always has bc it consists of existing relationships b/w ppl who have longterm histories of interactions w/ each other in particular roles. These patterns of interaction emphasize that ppl are neither purely free co-constructors of social reality nor simple pawns moved around by abstract social structural forces. Their existing interpersonal relationships w/ each other produce and reproduce social systems and structures thru social interaction and longterm relations much as societys secret agents reinforce our views about what acceptable behavior in public.

Frames and Hierarchy: Formal vs. Informal power

One evident norm or rule in org is expectation of hierarchy. Orgs offer guidelines but also constrain acts of workers by insisting that messages work thru chain of command. In org ppl are designated as powerful or poewrless but even norms and documents can be challenged or amended when they create relational tensions. Positions can be reversed when powerless activate acceptance and deference. If poweless refuse deference to those who are placed in authority over them, then those ppl have no authority over them. Workers may refuse to obey or choose to resist mgt and instructions. Resistance may be done in talk or behavior that shows a workers lack of respect for mgt. Stereotypes can be used to resist membership or inclusion of particular ppl in org and it can be reflected in talk. ex) working class stereotyped college boy and didnt think he could do manual labor

sedimentation

Organizational climate isnt property of orgs but an interpersonally and relationally transacted product of comm based on relationships b/w ppl. By constantly referring to theme workers in workplace make it a theme of orgs culture. This is the process by which repeated everyday practices create a "structure" for performance in future, as a river deposits sediment that alters or maintains its course over time. These structures that matter in an org arent physical buildings but derive from sedimented ways in which ppl have reinforced their relational and conversational interactions.

The organization and its norms

Orgs develop these that establish and clarify expectations that will apply whle your a member of org. These are pts of structures as traditionally perceives and so are rules and resources. This is an unstated rule thats understood to be represented in pattern of behavior. These represent formal power and resources to which someone can refer in order to exert power.

Legitimate and illegitimate organizational interference in life

The workplace occupies a legitmate place in ppls lives but sometimes spills over into pts of life that used to be private, nonwork areas, at least while ppl are at work. Frequent use of internet, phones, and technologies blur difference b/w work space and home space for es means that we are often unable to draw sharp distinctions b/w someone at work or at home. This can lead to some negative consequences for home life, whereas developments of technology can lead to some interesting relational consequences for workplace. Workers expected to be available by email 24/7, and they accept calls on their cell phones even during weekends. 1. spillover from work into daily life 2. surveillance in an organization

Horizontal

This type of communication can be seen taking place between persons operating at the same level or working under the same executive. Functional managers operating at the same level, in different departments, through their communication, present a good example of lateral communication. The main use of this dimension of communication is to maintain coordination and review activities assigned to various subordinates. Occasions for this communication arise during committee meetings or conferences in which all members of the group, mostly peers or equals, interact. The best example of lateral communication can be seen in the interaction between production and marketing departments.

Max Weber's Principles of Bureaucracy

a theory related to authority structure and relations in the 19th century. According to him, bureaucracy is the formal system of organization and administration designed to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. He suggested an ideal model for management as bureaucratic approach. He, in the book the theory of social and economic organizations, explained the basic principles of bureaucracy. He gave emphasis on division of labor, hierarchy, detailed rules and impersonal relations. principles include: 1. Job specialization 2. Authority hierarchy 3. Formal selection 4. Formal rules and regulations 5. Impersonality 6.Career orientation

structurational approach

an approach to look at how ppl enact and enable or contain future interactions thru their talk. Offer a social constructivist and critical approach. Structure is about comm and relationships. Workplace culture, groups, and communities consist of thinking, relating, reflective ppl who monitor their own behavior and tend to repeat it rather than reinvent a new style each day. Its easier to tak path of least resistance. thus daily routine of relational interaction becomes basis for future interaction. The appearance of "structure" in an org depends on relationships and patterns of comm that repeat in life, an din workplace. ex) you can give incoming first yr a tour of buildings, but doesnt teach them how things work inside of them or which are best instructors bc these aspects com from other ppl.

instrumental goals

are predominant at work and are directed at completion of duties; can also involve direct assessment of performance. These purposes required at work will affect nature of talk and reshape way in which talk operates.

Informal communication

are those that are not based upon any set measures. This does not mean that such relations are outside the networks of the organisation. They allow people to take the initiative into their own hands. This enables them to come up with ideas and plans. For example, UNISON helps to share facts and skills through the publication of a communications catalogue this is a system of formal relations. These formal communications help to empower members who are dealing day-to-day with problems and issues in the branches. This then leads to a new process. Through informal communications with employers and their representatives, members feel that they are being supported. This helps them to take ownership of many problems as they work towards resolving them.

The workplace/organizations

are transacted in com thru relationships. Relationships exist b/w individual members of those groups called "Sales and "mkting". This is misleading term bc directs our attention away from personal relationships and towards places and impersonal structures b/w abstract organizational units. This is meaning making, rhetoric visions, and everyday comm. These places are also small cultures. these entities handle public image thru comm and establish loyalty thru brand and calling their workers not "employees" but "associates."Hierarchy is a defining characteristic of this. (those who command, those who obey, and who make decisions and those who carry them out). If you view this as structure, this leads to mgt bias in research.

Diagonal

communication takes place when people working at the same level interact with those working at a higher or lower-level of organisational hierarchy and across the boundaries of their reporting relationships.

Formal communication

communications within an organisation are those that take place through well-known channels. For example, the expansion of policy at UNISON comes from a formal procedure where it is dictated from the members upwards. Members discuss policy issues in their branches. Delegates from the branches then meet at the Annual Conference and debate and agree policy. would also include all of the paper-based and electronic communications that are available to members as well as the meetings that take place. The expansion of policy at UNISON comes from a formal procedure where it is dictated from the members upwards.

Love, Sex, and hate in workplace

downside of good relationships at work the types of relationships in workplace can be strict, formal, hierarchical, collegial, or mix of four. Theres natural inborn conflict b/w demands of workplace and demands of relationships. The workplace represents an interaction order that is,its based on rules. Every workplace has its own norms and behaviors that emphasize the team and cooperative performance of teamwork in order to fulfill instrumental goals most enjoyably for those involved. Friendship isnt instrumental. what happens when ppl work together and become friends? is it good or bad. If its sexual harassment then is bad for everyone and not acceptable. - three types of friendly or collegial relationships b/w ppl in an org 1. information peer relationships 2. collegial peer relationships 3. special peer relationships

Continuation of identity

imports your normal practices of everyday talk into workplace. Since everyday talk is usually recreational or relational, the instrumental purpose of workplace affects nature of talk at work and so can reshape way in which talk operates to transact your identity. ex) armed forces when first pt of boot camp training is to break down an individuals sense of personal identity and to replace it w/ highly trained, disciplined, unquestionably obedient uniformity as one of a team of ppl who carry automatically whatever orders given to them. In less extreme cases, you share rhetorical vision that you will be expected to dress in suit, uniform, overall or logo shirt. The nonverbal comm that takes place thru these styles of dress carries messages of connection to org and requires you to perform roles not done elsewhere. Dress may indicate position in org. Org relationship b/w one person and another is conveyed by nonverbal cues. Mgt referred to white collar workers while laborers as blue collar workers. The symbolic distinctions of workplace dress are built into language and ways of understanding hierarchy in relationships.

Limitations of upward communication:

include: 1) Psychological: Certain problems, primarily of psychological nature, may come up in upward communication. 2) Hierarchical: Many managers do not like to be 'told' by their juniors. They may not be patient enough to listen to them or may even suppress the message sent to them from below. In such a situation the employees may feel let down.

Limitations of Downward Communication:

includes: 1) Distortion/Dilution: Quite often the communication originating at the highest level gets distorted or diluted on the way to the lower levels. Sometimes the messages may get lost. It has to be ensured that the receiver fully understands the purport/ instructions/directions coming from above. This requires an efficient feedback system. 2) Delay: Another drawback of downward communication is that often it becomes time-consuming. The more the levels the greater the chances of delay. That is why sometimes managers choose to send their massages directly to the person concerned. 3) Filtering: Sometimes managers may withhold some valuable information from the employees. In such a situation the employees become frustrated, confused and powerless. This may spoil the employer-employee relationship.

Limitations of bureaucratic theory

includes: 1) Informal relationship is not considered: - It does not consider the informal relationships between individuals working in the organizations. 2) Outdated system: - Its system of control and authority are outdated which can't work in such a changed environment. 3) Inadequate means: - Bureaucratic theory does not posses adequate means resolving differences and conflicts arising between functional groups

Downside of Good Relationships at Work

interpersonal issues in workplace and communication and relationships includes: What happens when friendship or romance spills over into workplace? 1. love, sex, and hate in workplace 2. favors for buddies 3. you're my boss, but you were my friend 4. employee-abusive communication

relational goals

involve intimacy and support and usually serve recreational or supportive purposes. These are predominant outside of work.

Grapevine communication

is an informal channel of business communication. It is called so because it stretches throughout the organization in all directions irrespective of the authority levels. Man as we know is a social animal. Despite existence of formal channels in an organization, the informal channels tend to develop when he interacts with other people in organization. It exists more at lower levels of organization. develops due to various reasons. One of them is that when an organization is facing recession, the employees sense uncertainty. Also, at times employees do not have self-confidence due to which they form unions. Sometimes the managers show preferential treatment and favour some employees giving a segregated feeling to other employees. Thus, when employees sense a need to exchange their views, they go for this network as they cannot use the formal channel of communication in that case. Generally during breaks in cafeteria,the subordinates talk about their superior's attitude and behaviour and exchange views with their peers. They discuss rumours about promotion and transfer of other employees. Thus, grapevine spreads like fire and it is not easy to trace the cause of such communication at times.

Contact w/ public: customer-client relationships

necessary to distinguish b/w cust relations (customer service) and cust relationships. In the first case, cust is pt of work environment for time when cust is recieving service. In second case, an attempt is made to establish relationship that outlast temporary connection b/w cust and server. - relationship mkting: value to orgs of building constructive and longterm relationships w/ their clients. - self disclosure is not involved in organization relationship building this happens with friends.

industrial time

one feature of workplace, which is characteristic of that set circumstances and diff from others, is that ppl there have specific approach to time. This is the attention to punctuality and dedication to a task thats connected w/ nature of industry (clocking in, clocking out, lunch breaks etc). This is the time the person is actually counted as being at work and therefore is paid for doing such work. individuals can show resistance by being clock watchers.

The workplace culture

org culture is popular notion but its difficult one to pin down. Its important to recognize the fundamental truth that ppl are part of, not detached from, systems that influence them. ppl carry around their history in any org or group as a structure; as agreed memory; as meaning; as narrative; as persuasive practices. Their relationships to one another in workplace are key to understanding it.

The workplace as relationships

ppl have traditionally confused organizations w/ physical and hierarchical structure rather than considering it as something, like families and groups thats transacted in discourse. Relationships are driving force of org. Relationships at work are usually involuntary and ppl dont choose their coworkers. Theyre just there. However, if you dont like them you cant get away from them. good comm and relationships is cure for all org ills and as basis for org successes. Mgrs are encouraged to be friendly w/ workers up to pt that doesnt border on sexual harassment. The problem is that its too easy to regard terms as leader, mgr, worker and others that operate in orgs in workplace as generalized abstractions rather than as real face to face interactions b/w real ppl.

Vocational anticipatory socialization

preparation for becoming a worker and begins in childs early life thru family interaction and exposure to media. You first learned about nature of work and workplace thru socialization in your families. You heard adults talking about about work they do, and you were able to gain some sense of whether they see it as important or simply something that they reluctantly do in order to feed family. - family stories about work, structured to express and emphasize values such as payoffs of hard work or ways to break rules and get away with it. Workplace may be described by a parent as stress or source of income or both but something for which child must prepare and for which desire to achieve success thru hard work (protestant work ethic). Thru such socialization, ppl develop shared cultural understandings of work and its place in society and personal life. Identity becomes embedded in terms such as doctor or nurse, dentists or janitors and shows us that ppl derive much of sense of identity form their job. also identity is established by workplace and function they perform such as a boss vs worker. This instills dominant beliefs like TGIF and case of Monday blues that reinforces idea that for many ppl work is evil b/w weekends. World happens when your constrained to org and relationships happen outside of work on weekends or evenings.

Job specialization

principles of max webers bureaucratic theory Jobs are divided into simple, routine and fixed category based on competence and functional specialization.

Formal selection

principles of max webers bureaucratic theory All organizational members are to be selected on the basis of technical qualifications and competence demonstrated by training, education or formal examination.

Career orientation

principles of max webers bureaucratic theory Career building opportunity is offered highly. Life long employment and adequate protection of individuals against arbitrary dismissal is guaranteed. Here managers are professional officials rather than owners units they manage. They work for a fixed salaries and pursue their career within the organization.

Authority hierarchy

principles of max webers bureaucratic theory Officers are organized in a n hierarchy in which higher officer controls lower position holders i.e. superior controls subordinates and their performance of subordinates and lower staff could be controlled.

Impersonality

principles of max webers bureaucratic theory Rules and controls are applied uniformly, avoiding involvement with personalities and preferences of employees. Nepotism and favoritism are not preferred.

Formal rules and regulations

principles of max webers bureaucratic theory To ensure uniformity and to regulate actions of employees, managers must depend heavily upon formal organizational rules and regulations. Thus, rules of law lead to impersonality in interpersonal relations.

professional face

the behaviors, courtesy, and comportment that are appropriate for ppl to present to others in workplace. In professional settings, will be required to learn jargon appropriate to job and expected to adopt high code when interacting w/ custs, clients, or others involved in same org. You may be able to express your own personality in particular way that fit w/ this. ex) server can inject personal style in role as server to maximize tips.

Structuration theory

theory that Points to the regularities of human relationships that act as rules and resources drawn on to enable or constrain social interaction. ex) norms and habitual expectations of how to communicate and relate to one another. You can interpret structures as relational expectations that transact the workplace, orgs, leadership and performance. Relationships and expectations become a context for future interaction. Giddens created this theory and changes notion of structure in orgs from static or objective hierarchies to something structured by transactions themselves and comm b/w ppl in relationships w/in org. the distinction b/w structure (rules, policies, and resources) and systems (patterns of relations) amounts to a duality of structure: two diff ways of creating same eventual outcome. Also vital to this theory are organizational production and reproduction over time. Orgs produce and reproduce themselves thru convos b/w ppl w/in org. ex) ppl refer to previous experiences and decisions made;ppl remember way things used to be done; and as each new person enters and older ppl leave, passed down from one workplace generation to other is a sys of beliefs and practices about how org works. ex) instructor tells you to answer question and you do. There is no abstract structure that forces you to answer instead you do so bc you understand norms of org and you transact them in your behavior based on knowledge of relationships w/ instructor.

How do we come to understand meaning of work and perform our roles within it?

there are many ways in which ppl tend to think of workplace. some are developed in childhood and reinforced later in life, some derived from practical experience w/ norms and org culture of co., and some refined by relational interactions that occur among specific ppl who work there.

Metaphors of organization

these include org as machines, as cultures, as instruments of domination. These structure ways of seeing and thinking that guide ways in which mgrs and members of orgs view them. A machine metaphor represents orgs as standardized by repetition, specialization, and predictability. Modern mgt techniques try to stay away from this idea and try to make workplace more welcoming. Workers voices should be listened to and their value should be recognized. Now there are "team building exercises" for ex. Other metaphors focus on orgs as cultures based on shared meaning and notion of "sharing" presupposes relationships b/w ppl. However, atmosphere in org can be diff. Lastly, orgs can be seen as instruments of domination that not only shape workers behavior but control or manipulate their thoughts and ideologies. Common one bc most ppl feel that work isnt only undesirable but also oppressive. Its clear that in order to become member of workplace your faced with connectedness-separateness dialectic. You give up your freedom in order to devote most of your time to working for your employer, when you would rather be doing something else. However, you realize that work is unavoidable but also found that society values those who aim for success.

meaning making

this idea lies behind the activities of orgs and ppl at work. Weick interprets such "organizing" of expectations as a result of human search for meaning. Humans attempt to make sense of straem of events by using recipes, guides, norms, or selective attention to events as means of reducing equivocality or uncertainty. The way in which ppl do this organizing of experience is thru interpersonal comm about what is going on or thru framing situation in ways that allow good contexts for expectations. Fairhurst extends this notion to idea that norms and other meaning sys are transacted in discourse b/w ppl in an org. its talk b/w ppl who have existing relationships w/ one another that creates and reinforces frames and norms than vice versa. Workplace can be placed in frame of moral ordering and social ordering or an interaction order. Workplace is understood w/in particular sequence and structure for behavior thats particular to the place where its done so judgments can be made about ppls performance. The performance of a work identity is evaluated relative to norms of workplace and relative to relational needs where two conflict.

formality/hierarchy talk

this talk creates distance b/w workers and mgt and can represent a strain or restraint on relationships as an individual is forced to adopt a professional face rather than a personal identity when dealing w/ ppl at work.

Socialization about work

this teaches you to treat workplace as special kind of frame. Much of your thinking about orgs is created by language that you use to describe it and also by your learning before you ever enter workplace (in family and at school). Childhood and this form basis of expectations about work.

Downward

type of direction in formal comm Communication in the first place, flows downwards. That is why, traditionally this direction has been highlighted or emphasised. It is based on the assumption that the people working at higher levels have the authority to communicate to the people working at lower levels. This direction of communication strengthens the authoritarian structure of the organisation. This is also called Down Stream Communication.

Upward

type of direction in formal comm The function of this is to send information, suggestions, complaints and grievances of the lower level workers to the managers above. It is, therefore, more participative in nature. It was not encouraged in the past, but modern managers encourage this This is a direct result of increasing democratization. This is also called Up Stream Communication.

special peer relationships

type of friendly or collegial relationships b/w ppl in an org - characterized by very high openness, self-disclosure, and intimacy - virtually indistinguishable from best friend relationships outside of workplace

collegial peer relationships

type of friendly or collegial relationships b/w ppl in an org - individuals at work regard one another as friends and act in all respects in ways indistinguishable from friends outside the workplace; that is, they self disclose and joke around and arrange to meet outside the workplace for social events.

information peer relationships

type of friendly or collegial relationships b/w ppl in an org - low on personal self -disclosure, but info about task is freely and openly discussed - civil and cordial but not close

Surveillance in an organization

under legitimate and illegitimate organizational interference in life orgs have legitimate right to expect not to be victim of theft by employees and vice versa. Misuse of employer resources is problem. Issue comes down to relational one bc the employers response amts to an invasion of privacy and breach of relational trust. Zweig explored surveillance and electronic performance monitoring and noted that these cross the basic psychological spaces and boundaries b/w the employer and employee and hence create a diff type of relationship b/w them. Zweig showed that some forms of "intrusion" are regarded as acceptable. Some supervision is seen as violation of personal liberty for ex the opening of employees mail or search of bag. There boundary w/in which ppl tolerate intrusions by an employer as long as this is done w/ ones express or implicit permission. When permission hasnt been given a psychological and relational barrier gets crossed. The majority of issues in workplace are based on interpersonal matters: comm in everyday life and relationships.

Spillover from work into daily life

under legitimate and illegitimate organizational interference in life ppl may bring home their work problems and preoccupied during family time. Personal problem at home can also have negative impact on someones performance at work. These are known as "spillover effects." Also difficulty in negotiating familial and professional roles. Role negotiation occurs when person has two competing roles to enact such as employee and parent. the spillover of one kind of caring may spoil ones attention to other.

Performance of work identities

workplace has some influence on way talk molds identity at work, partly thru power dynamics that are built into workplace making ppl officially powerful and some less powerful. ex) server has less power than diners but has power when choosing what to serve first. Her identity requires her to be polite but not overly chatty and focus on rapidly on task of taking orders and their money. Interactions also subject to language performances that facilitate the completion of orgs tasks. Talk tends to be formal and structured and to focus on professional deportment of person involved. Theres jargon/special language to be learned for workplace. This gives you positioning and expert involvement in workplace. It identifies you as special person w/in org frame and as expert who knows terms that outsiders dont. From performances, you learn that its inappropriate to play around in ways that are appropriate in friendships. When one is in front region of performance in workplace, its inappropriate to behave sloppily. In back region, where there is more relaxed atmosphere playfulness is encouraged as way for building community and team.