COMM 315 1st Edition Lecture 23 Outline of Last Lecture I. Family RelationshipsOutline of Current Lecture I. Workplace RelationshipsCurrent Lecture- Workplace Relationshipso Workplace friendships A study identified three distinct transitions of friends in the workplace:- Acquaintance to friend- Friend to close friend- Close friend to “almost best” friend Workplace friendships and context- Workplace friendships often involve people who differ in age or status Values and functions of workplace friendships- Workplace friendships provide the following values and functions:o Information exchange- information within an organization flows more openly between friendso Social support- help you manage the stress and challenges unique to you jobo Organizational supporto Newcomer assimilation- helps you adjust sociallyo Improved performance- can help ensure you do a better jobo Retention- if you have friends in the workplace, you’re more likely to stay at that jobo Organizational change- help the distribution and adoption of organizational changeso Organizational enhancement- all of the above help to make for a friendlier more functional workplace for allThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute. Deterioration and termination of workplace friendships- Workplace relationships can end like any other friendship. However, if a workplace friendship ends, you still have to have a relationship with that person by context since you still work with them and will see them often.o Workplace romances Reasons for and values of workplace romance- 13% of people say that running into a coworker outside of the workplace is what started the romance- 11% of people say that staying to work late at the office is what started the romance- 12% happy hour- 11% meeting at lunch- 10% working late The challenges and dark side of workplace romances- Dating among members of the same unit can be a problem if it interferes with the ability of the couple to perform their jobs.- 14% of people say they felt uncomfortable about colleagues being romantic partners and 18% felt the romantic partners were less productive.- Most significant problems in the workplace occur when the relationship is between a boss and his/her employee. - Quid pro quo harassment- implied or explicit promise of reward in exchange for sexual favors or threat of retaliation if sexual favors are withheld, given to an employee by a coworker or a superior. The Latin phrase quid pro quo roughly means “You do something for me and I’ll do something for you” Management’s response to workplace romances- Managers are responsible for maintaining a safe and efficient workplace- It’s inappropriate for a manager to intercede n the personal lives of workers; however, if the personal lives interfere with the workplace climate or performance, then a manager has a responsibility to intercede.  Guidelines for workplace romances- Employees who date need to keep their romantic relationship from interfering with their professional roles and be prepared to manage the possible fallout over their romance from fellow employees- Follow these guidelines for those involved in workplace romances:o Conduct yourself in a professional manner at all times. Be discreet and avoid PDAo Don’t take long lunches or extended breaks with your partner, and avoid returning to work looking disheveled. Love may be blind, but your coworkers aren’to Avoid romances with clients, suppliers, or vendors. These potential conflict-of-interest situations can damage the company and your careero It’s acceptable to ask a coworker for a date if the employer’s policies allow it, but don’t persist if you are rejected. Persistence may develop into harassing behavior. Harassment is strictly prohibitedo Exercise prudence when using the employer’s communication systems for personal messages. Electronic mail, voice mail, and phone calls might be monitoredo Don’t call in sick on the same day. People who know about the relationship- and most coworkers do- will suspect you are not ill. The result will be a loss of reputation with your boss and coworkers, and they will resent having to pick up your slacko If you’re employed by an international firm, be familiar with cultural difference in dating and acceptable behavior between males and femaleso Formal relationships and communication directions in the workplace There are 4 direction in which communication flows within an organization:- Upward communication: talking with your bosso Upward communication- communication that flows from subordinates to superiorso Pelz effect- subordinates’ feeling more satisfied in their jobs the more their supervisors are able to influence higher-level decisionso Helps managers heal quickly with problems and gather suggestions for improving processes and procedures- Downward communication: talking with your subordinateso Downward communication- communication that flows from superiors to subordinateso Leader-member exchange (LME) theory- theory that supervisors develop different types of relationships withdifferent subordinates and that seeks to explain those differences As strangers, supervisors and subordinates stay within their roles and task responsibilities As acquaintances, their relationship becomes more personal As partners (the maturity level), the strongest level,their relationship is characterized by mutual trust, respect, and support- evolving to leadership relationshipso Hostile environment- type of sexual harassment in which an employee’s right are threatened through offensive working conditions or behavior on the part of other workers- Horizontal communication: talking with your colleagueso Horizontal communication- communication among colleagues or coworkers at the same level within an organizationo Used to coordinate job tasks, share plans and information, solve problems, make sure you understand procedures, manage conflict or get emotional support on the job- Outward communication: talking with your customerso Outward communication- communication that flows to those outside an organization (such as customers). o Staff using this type of communication are trained to have more empathy, better listening skills, and more awareness of nonverbal messages from