This summary is provided by the IPR Organizational Communication Research Center based on the original study.
Dr. Julia Stranzl, Dr. Christopher Ruppel, and Dr. Sabine Einwiller studied how to strengthen organizational commitment among teleworkers. Specifically, they examined the job-related resources that contributed to teleworkers’ organizational commitment and how internal communication professionals can strategically address those resources.
Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 50 teleworkers from Austrian and German organizations between March and June 2021.
Key Findings
– Interview data revealed eight types of job-related resources that contributed to teleworkers’ organizational commitment:
1.) A flexible and trustful work environment
2.) Transparent internal communication
3.) Opportunities to interact with top management and other organizational members
4.) Participation in organizational processes
5.) Organizational events
6.) Appreciation from managers and the organization
7.) Branded objects representing the organization at home
8.) Perceived organizational support.
– Interview results also showed that internal communication professionals can help address those resources by enacting four roles in a telework context:
– The strategic communicator: informing employees, managers, and other units about organizational actions, processes, decisions, and plans effectively
– The networker: knowing what other departments and organizational members are doing, and planning and assisting in collaboration
– The enabler: enhancing organizational members’ communication skills
– The key speaker: speaking up on behalf of employee needs
Implications for Practice
Organizations should be aware of various job-related resources that can help teleworkers stay connected and committed to the organization. Leaders and managers should make efforts to provide those resources, including building a flexible and trustful work environment, providing transparent communication with ample opportunities for teleworkers to interact with top management, organizing social events online, and so on. Internal communication professionals should also assist in providing those resources by strategically communicating with teleworkers and other organizational members, helping them network, enhancing their communication skills, and speaking for teleworkers’ needs.
Click here to learn more about how organizations can help teleworkers stay connected.
Stranzl, J., Ruppel, C., & Einwiller, S. (2024). Staying emotionally connected while being physically apart–exploring what teleworkers need to stay committed and how internal communication can contribute. Advance online publication. Journal of Communication Management. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093650224123401
