Communications Effect on Trust in The Hybrid Workplace. An explorative case study of an outsourcing company providing financial services

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic transformed the way people work, with many organizations shifting to remote work as the result. As we move towards a post-pandemic world, the hybrid working method that combines remote and in-office work is becoming increasingly popular and not likely to go away. Trust is considered a critical factor in the future of remote work, due to the lack of visibility of each other in the office, therefore, organizations need to prioritize trust for the smooth and successful functioning of the workplace. Trust has been researched in remote work, and there has been limited studies in the context of the hybrid working method. This thesis explores the role of communication in how trust is built between managers and employees in the hybrid workplace through a case study of an outsourcing company providing financial services. The data was collected through eleven semi-structured interviews with managers, employees and HR from the company and analysed with thematic analysis. This thesis has contributed with how trust is built between managers and employees in the hybrid workplace. Findings show that communication have some effect on trust building but does not need to be the only factor. Framework that combines media synchronicity theory and social exchange theory was applied and points to that media with high synchronicity, high symbols sets, and high transmission velocity is the way to build trust. Moreover, the managers desired informing communication from the employees and employees desired availability and help from their managers to build trust.