13.6: Chapter Wrap-Up

At the beginning of this chapter, we discussed how a good chunk of our lives is spent at work, so engaging in a range of interpersonal relationships in the workplace is unavoidable. We started the chapter by defining the term “professionalism” and what it means to be a professional in today’s workplace. We then scratched the surface of the communication and leadership research that examines leadership and followership. We discussed one of the most common relationships we have in the workplace, the coworker relationship. Coworker relationships were followed by an examination of romantic entanglements in the workplace, along with their pros and cons. We end this chapter looking at problematic interpersonal relationships in the workplace.

End of Chapter

Key Terms

• Career Strategizing
• Collegial peers
• Cost Escalation
• Depersonalization
• Deviant Workplace Behavior
• Directive Support
• Ease of Opportunity
• Emotional Vampires
• Ethics
• Excuse-Making
• Followership
• Formal Language
• Informal Language
• Information Peers
• Jargon
• Leader-member Exchange
• Personal responsibility
• Profession
• Professionalism
• Relational Maintenance
• Romantic Workplace Relationship
• Similarity
• Social Support
• Special Peer
• State-of-the-Relationship Talk
• Supportive Leadership Behavior
• The Hookup
• Time
• Workplace Socialization

Real World Case Study

Morren Michaels had been working with Raja Rahal for several years, and the two were pretty friendly with each other. They sent out to eat after work and often strategized on how to make their office better. The two weren’t exactly best friends in the workplace, but they were friends.

Out of nowhere, Morren was promoted by the CEO of the company and asked to take over the realms of her division. At first, things were smooth sailing. Morren had no problems, and the division was more profitable under her leadership than it had been under the previous manager. However, Morren quickly realized she was going to have problems with her old friend Raja. Almost immediately, Raja pointed out that Morren was “not one of us” anymore to the rest of the division since Morren was now in management. At first, it was a snide remark, but things quickly started escalating.

Anytime Raja didn’t get her way, she would email everyone up the corporate ladder with her complaints against Morren (e.g., the head of HR, the CEO, the chief operating officer). In Morren’s mind, all she was doing was expecting the same level of work from Raja as she did from anyone else in her division. One day in a meeting, Morren asked Raja to take on a new project. Surprisingly, Raja said yes and thought it was a good fit for her. Morren asked Raja to give the group an update on the project at the next meeting.

Throughout the next month, Morren checked in with Raja to see how the project was going. Raja scheduled a couple of meetings with Morren to talk about the project, but had to cancel because she was sick or her kid was sick. Morren even suggested meeting at a coffee shop near Raja’s house to make things easier, but Raja had to bail out because she’d forgotten she’d scheduled another appointment.

Ultimately, the day of the next meeting came. When Morren got to the place on the agenda where Raja was supposed to report in, Raja looked at the entire group and said, “I never agreed to do that.” Morren sat stunned as the rest of the division sat there uncomfortably. Finally, Morren pulled herself together and informed Raja that she had indeed agreed to take on the project. And that the meeting minutes from the previous meeting along with the tape recording of the last meeting kept by the secretary, showed her agreeing.

After the meeting, Morren went back into her office and closeed the door. She was a bit dumbfounded by what transpired. After the meeting, many of her coworkers came up to her to see if she was okay. They all said variations of the same thing, “We heard her agree to take on the project last month.” Thankfully, Morren had the secretary record their meetings to make taking notes easier. She then put the audio recordings on an internal server so all members of the department could relisten to them if necessary.

Morren sat her desk, opened her email, and quickly noticed an email from Raja. Morren could only imagine what the email would say. As she read the email, she was concerned at how twisted the facts of what had transpired had become. Raja accused Morren of embarrassing her during the meeting by falsely accusing her of not having done her job. Of course, the email was copied to everyone within the division and the higher corporate hierarchy.

1. Why do you think Morren and Raja’s relationship changed when Morren took on a position of leadership?
2. What type of problematic follower do you think Raja is?
3. If you were Morren, what would your next step be? Why?

End of Chapter Quiz

1. In an attempt to make herself look good in the organization, Agotha tends to hoard information. If something important comes across her desk, she tends to keep it instead of giving it to the people who could use the information. What type of unethical organizational communication is Agotha engaging in, according to W. Charles Redding?
   a. Coercive
   b. Sestructive
   c. Seceptive
   d. Intrusive
   e. Aecretive
2. Which of the following is NOT a way to take personal responsibility in the workplace?
   a. Acknowledging that you are responsible for your choices in the workplace.
   b. Acknowledging that you are responsible for how you feel at work.
   c. Accepting that you can control your stress and feelings of burnout.
   d. Deciding to take control of your attitudes, thoughts, and behaviors.
   e. Deciding to let your supervisor determine the best path for your self-improvement.
3. During a meeting, Barba says, “I will not be joining the rest of the group this weekend at the trade show due to a pre-arranged meeting I have had on my schedule for a few months.” The use of the words “will not” and “I have” instead of their contraction forms are examples of what type of language use?
   a. Common
   b. Formal
   c. Informal
   d. Jargon
   e. Peripheral
4. At work, Stella has an inherent need to be seen as her supervisor’s peer and not as an underling. Stella does support her supervisor, but she has no problem confronting her supervisor when Stella thinks her supervisor is making a bad decision. According to Ira Chaleff, what type of follower is Stella?
   a. Avoider
   b. Implementer
   c. Individualist
   d. Partner
   e. Resource
5. Susan always looks at her coworker Polly as a kind of problem. Polly came from a very religious upbringing and didn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the people who work at GenCorp. For example, when Susan and her coworkers go out to eat, Polly doesn’t join them because her male colleagues will be there. Polly also doesn’t have any sense of pop culture at all. At a meeting recently, someone mentioned Lady Gaga, and Polly asked if she was a member of British royalty. Although everyone had a good laugh and Polly played along, Susan could tell that Polly was completely unaware of why her question was funny. According to Janie Harden Fritz, Polly is an example of what kind of “problematic coworker” for Susan?
   a. The adolescent
   b. The mild annoyance
   c. The independent other
   d. The soap opera star
   e. The pushy playgirl

References

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2 Ibid.; pg. 114.

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15 Ibid.

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19 Ibid.; p. 254.

20 Graen, G.B., & Uhl-Bien, M. (1991). The transformation of professionals into self-managing and partially self-designing contributions: Toward a theory of leader-making. Journal of Management Systems, 3(3), 33-48.

21 Ibid..; pg. 33.

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23 Lussier, R. N., & Achua, C. F. (2007). Leadership: Theory, application, skill development (3rd ed.). Thomson/ South-Western.

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27 Omilion-Hodges, L. M., Shank, S. E., & Packard, C. M. (2019). What young adults want: A multistudy examination of vocational anticipatory socialization through the lens of students’ desired managerial communication behaviors. Management Communication Quarterly, 33(4), 512–547. doi. org/10.1177/0893318919851177; pg., 520.

28 Omilion-Hodges, L. M., Shank, S. E., & Packard, C. M. (2019). What young adults want: A multistudy examination of vocational anticipatory socialization through the lens of students’ desired managerial communication behaviors. Management Communication Quarterly, 33(4), 512–547. doi. org/10.1177/0893318919851177; pg, 524.

29 Wrench, J. S., Punyanunt Carter, N., & Ward, M., Sr. (2015). Organizational communication: Theory, research, and practice. Flat World Knowledge; pg. 209.

30 Chaleff, I. (2003). The courageous follower (2nd ed.). Barrett-Koehler.

31 Sias, P. M. (2009). Organizing relationships: Traditional and emerging perspectives on workplace relationships. Sage.

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33 Ibid.; pg. 45

34 Dindia, K., & Canary, D. J. (1993). Definitions and theoretical perspectives on maintaining relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 10(2), 163-173. https://doi.org/10.1177/026540759301000201

35 Methot, J. R. (2010). The effects of instrumental, friendship, and multiplex network ties on job performance: A model of coworker relationships [Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation]. University of Florida. Retrieved from http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UFE0041583/00001; pg. 49

36 Ibid; pg. 47

37 Kram, K. E., & Isabella, L. A. (1985). Mentoring alternatives: The role of peer relationships in career development. Academy of Management Journal, 28(1), 110–132. https://doi.org/10.5465/256064

38 Ibid.; pg. 121

39 Zellars, K. L., & Perrewé, P. L. (2001). Affective personality and the content of emotional social support: Coping in organizations. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(3), 459–467. doi.org/10.1037/0021- 9010.86.3.459

40 Sias, P. M., & Cahill, D. J. (1998). From coworkers to friends: The development of peer friendships in the workplace. Western Journal of Communication, 62(3), 273–299. https://doi.org/10.1080/10570319809374611

41 Ibid.

42 Nielsen, I. K., Jex, S. M., & Adams, G. A. (2000). Development and validation of scores on a twodimensional workplace friendship scale. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 60(4), 628-643. doi. org/10.1177/00131640021970655

43 Nielsen, I. K., Jex, S. M., & Adams, G. A. (2000). Development and validation of scores on a twodimensional workplace friendship scale. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 60(4), 628-643. https://doi.org/10.1177/00131640021970655

44 Sias, P. M., & Cahill, D. J. (1998). From coworkers to friends: The development of peer friendships in the workplace. Western Journal of Communication, 62(3), 273–299. doi.org/10.1080/10570319809374611pg. 288.

45 Sias, P. M., & Perry, T. (2004). Disengaging from workplace relationships: A research note. Human Communication Research, 30(4), 589-602. doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2958.2004.tb00746.x

46 Ibid.

47 CareerBuilders.com. (2014). Thirty-eight percent of workers have dated a co-worker, finds CareerBuilder Survey: Twenty percent of office romances involve someone who is already married [Press release]. Retrieved from http://www.careerbuilder.com/share/a...iteid=cbpr&sc_ cmp1=cb_pr803_&id=pr803&ed=12/31/2014

48 Rosenfeld, M. J., Thomas, R. J., & Falcon, M. (2011, 2014). How couples meet and stay together, Waves 1, 2, and 3: Public version 3.04, plus wave 4 supplement version 1.02 [Computer files]. Stanford University Libraries.

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50 Quinn, R. E. (1977). Coping with cupid: The formation, impact, and management of romantic relationships in organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly, 22(1), 30–45. doi.org/10.2307/2391744

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54 Pierce, C. A., Byrne, D., & Aguinis, H. (1996). Attraction in organizations: A model of workplace romance. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 17(1), 5–32. doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099- 1379(199601)17:13.0.CO;2-E; pg. 6.

55 Paul, E. L., & Hayes, K. A. (2002). The casualties of “casual” sex: A qualitative exploration of the phenomenology of college students’ hookups. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 19(5), 639–651. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407502195006

56 Cowan, R. L., & Horan, S. M. (2014). Why are you dating him? Contemporary motives for workplace romances. Qualitative Research Reports in Communication, 15(1), 9-16. doi.org/10.1080/17459435.2014.9 55587; pg. 14.

57 Horan, S. M., & Chory, R. M. (2009). When work and love mix: Perceptions of peers in workplace romances. Western Journal of Communication, 73(4), 349-369. https://doi.org/10.1080/10570310903279042

58 Ibid.

59 Malachowski, C. C., Chory, R. M., & Claus, C. J. (2012). Mixing pleasure with work: Employee perceptions of and responses to workplace romance. Western Journal of Communication, 76(4), 358-379. https:// doi.org/10.1080/10570314.2012.656215; pg. 368

60 Malachowski, C. C., Chory, R. M., & Claus, C. J. (2012). Mixing pleasure with work: Employee perceptions of and responses to workplace romance. Western Journal of Communication, 76(4), 358-379. https:// doi.org/10.1080/10570314.2012.656215

61 Ibid.

62 Horan, S. M., & Chory, R. M. (2013). Relational implications of gay and lesbian workplace romances: Understanding trust, deception, and credibility. Journal of Business Communication, 50(2), 170-189. doi. org/10.1177/0021943612474993

63 Ibid.; pg. 180

64 Salvaggio, A. N., Hopper, J., & Packell, K. M. (2011). Coworker reactions to observing sexual behavior at work. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 26(7), 604-622. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683941111164508

65 Salvaggio, A. N., Hopper, J., & Packell, K. M. (2011). Coworker reactions to observing sexual behavior at work. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 26(7), 604-622. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683941111164508

66 Harden Fritz, J. M., & Omdahl, B. L. (Eds.). (2009). Problematic relationships in the workplace. Peter Lang.

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68 Harden Fritz, J. M. (2009). Typology of troublesome others at work: A follow-up investigation. In J. M. Harden Fritz and B. L. Omdahl (Eds.), Problematic relationships in the workplace (pp. 22-46). Peter Lang.

69 Ibid.; pg. 31.

70 Rayner, C., & Keashly, L. (2005). In S. Fox & P. E. Spector (Eds.), Counterproductive work behavior: Investigations of actors and targets (pp. 271-296). American Psychological Association.

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72 Harden Fritz, J. M. (2009). Typology of troublesome others at work: A follow-up investigation. In J. M. Harden Fritz and B. L. Omdahl (Eds.), Problematic relationships in the workplace (pp. 22-46). Peter Lang.

73 Tye-Williams, S., & Krone, K. J. (2017). Identifying and re-imagining the paradox of workplace bullying advice. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 45(2), 218–235. doi.org/10.1080/00909882.2017.1288 291; pg. 231.

74 Harden Fritz, J. M. (2009). Typology of troublesome others at work: A follow-up investigation. In J. M. Harden Fritz and B. L. Omdahl (Eds.), Problematic relationships in the workplace (pp. 22-46). Peter Lang.

75 Ibid.; pg. 40.

End of Chapter Quiz Answer Key

1. E
2. E
3. B
4. D
5. C