HCOM 214: Interpersonal COMM & Conflict

Learning interpersonal communication skills to improve every part of our lives

Workplace Relationships

  1. Compare and contrast your interpersonal communication within two different work relationships: a special peer and a mixed-status relationship.
  2. What kinds of traditions and celebrations are observed in your work organization? How do these activities contribute to the organizational culture?
  3. Complete the Self-Quiz “Test Your Maintenance of Peer Relationships” on page 398.  What insight do your scores provide in terms of your strengths and weaknesses? What steps can you take to communicate in ways that maintain healthy peer relations?
  4. How would you describe the climate of your workplace? Is it supportive, defensive, or somewhere in between? Given the six dimensions of workplace climate, which is most important in illustrating the kind of climate you’ve described? (Based on the Self-
    Reflection question on p. 393.)
  5. How many of your work peers do you consider friends, rather than simply coworkers? Would you consider any to be best friends? How do these peer relationships affect your job satisfaction? (Based on the Self-Reflection question on p. 397.)
  6. Review the common forms of workplace bullying described in Table 12.2, on page 408. Which type(s) of workplace bullying have you encountered, and how did you deal with them? If you do not feel you have ever experienced workplace bullying, how would you deal with it if you did?