Are any of you aware of studies or essays addressing the implications of interacting in person as opposed to virtually? Casting the net more widely, what resources do you find most enlightening concerning workplace interaction in an increasingly virtual environment.
Where I’m coming from - I conduct hearings and manage staff in a government hearing office, where 50+ employees conduct approximately 5000 hearings a year. My workplace is rapidly moving towards more “virtual” workplace applications. More employees are doing more work at remote sites, and we are conducting certain activities which were previously done in-person via video.
I’m very aware of the efficiencies that such changes create, but I find myself wondering about subtle changes in how people interact via different media. I find there are subtle differences in how I interact with someone when they are on video as opposed to in front of me. In the back of my mind I keep flashing to Logan’s Run or every other cheesy SciFi film, where the human is at the mercy of the disembodied voice emanating from a machine…
I’m trying to anticipate tomorrow’s workplace, because it seems to be coming at me awfully fast.