Digitale Führungskommunikation und organisationale Bindung von Beschäftigten im Homeoffice

The present article in the journal Group. Interaction. Organization. (GIO) examines which barriers hinder communication between managers and their employees during home office and how digital leadership communication can be adapted to strengthen employees’ sense of belonging. Barriers, challenges and possible solutions for digital management communication during home office are identified. Less contact, difficulties in perceiving emotions and limited feedback while communicating digitally increase the risk of employees feeling less committed to their work and employer. This, in turn, may negatively affect employees’ contentment, motivation, and performance. With the help of Media Richness Theory, potential communication tools are presented in an overview in order to work out which media can be used for which communicative goal in everyday management in order to overcome the described challenges of digital leadership. Communicating through appropriately chosen media allows leaders to remain in regular contact with their employees, give feedback and correctly recognize employees’ emotions, which fosters commitment. Video communication tools are particularly suitable, as the transmission of nonverbal communication signals can better convey emotions, create closeness and maintain attachment to the employer. Furthermore, the article recommends strengthening the employees’ self-leadership skills and thus fostering their sense of responsibility whilst working remotely. The implementation of these approaches should be accompanied by employee education on respective changes in processes and roles. In summary, relationship-oriented leadership behavior may promote employees’ sense of belonging while working from home and prevent negative effects of isolation, poorer motivation and impaired performance through the use of appropriate media.