Work Spouses: Defining and Understanding a “New” Relationship

An Examination of Individually Performed and (Co)Managed Facework: Unique Communication within the Work-Spouse Relationship

“…Finally, because work spouses knew each other so well, they were also attuned when a threat to positive face would not be beneficial (i.e., they knew when their work spouse was too vulnerable, the negative views of coworkers would not be beneficial or their own personal accomplishments would be too face threatening) and would adjust their communication to serve the best interests of their work spouse (i.e., avoid positive face threats), again highlighting their co-orientation toward facework. All of these findings reinforce previous work that highlights one of the top qualities of the work-spouse relationship is mutual trust (e.g., McBride & Bergen, 2015), and we argue that this altercasting, coordination, and attunement is one way that this trust is communicatively manifested within this type of relationship. Thus, future research should continue to examine how work spouses perform facework for each other with others in and outside of the workplace, paying particular attention to how altercasting, coordination, and attunement are being performed in this setting.…”

Privacy Rule Decision Criteria: An Examination of Core and Catalyst Criteria that Shape Disclosures in the Work-Spouse Relationship

“…Specifically, we found that participants identified times when they adjusted their communication in ways that were counter to their core privacy rules because of the unique level of trust present in their work-spouse relationship. This adjustment occurred despite the fact that their relationship developed within a more public, organizational setting and the finding reinforces the importance of trust in this relational context (McBride & Bergen, 2015).…”

“…This is especially central to the work-spouse relationship because, as Miller-Ott (2019) argued, privacy boundary coordination in this relationship often occurs without discussion. Hence, the acknowledgement of those factors that shape a partner's core privacy rule decision criteria is vital given the extent to which work spouses look to one another to fulfill a confidant role (McBride & Bergen, 2015). In order to better understand if those factors that shape individuals' core criteria are co-acknowledged in the work-spouse relationship, the following research question was posed: RQ1: How, if at all, do individuals acknowledge and explain the similarities and differences of their core privacy rule decision criteria and that of their work spouse?…”

“…As a result, managers have a sparse understanding of how communication in and about this relationship functions and how such communication may influence organizational commitment or job satisfaction. McBride and Bergen's (2015) research has provided an empirical definition of the work-spouse relationship: a "special, platonic friendship with a work colleague characterized by a close emotional bond, high levels of disclosure and support, and mutual trust, honesty, loyalty, and respect" (p. 502).…”

Creating Sustainable Workplace Environments: An Exploratory Study of Social Energy Expenditure in Cross-Sex, Heterosexual Organizational Friendships

“…Although research on same-sex friendships is common (Caldwell & Peplau, 1982;Reisman, 1990), scholars are turning their attention toward cross-sex friendships (Akbulut & Weger, 2015;Guerrero & Chavez, 2005). Some communication and social psychology scholars have explored the specifics of cross-sex, heterosexual friendships in a workplace context (Fritz, 1997;McBride & Bergen, 2015;Riordan & Griffeth, 1995;Sias, Smith, & Avdeyeva, 2003). In general, workplace friendship differs from acquaintanceship.…”