Growing the Virtual Grapevine – Fostering Informal Virtual Communication
In an increasingly digitalized work environment, where collaboration is more frequently taking place virtually, informal communication is gaining new importance. Spontaneous conversations—often referred to as “watercooler talk”—are ubiquitous in organizations and play a key role in enabling rapid information exchange as well as in establishing and reinforcing group norms. At the same time, this very type of unplanned interaction is hindered in virtual work contexts due to the lack of physical proximity, even though it is likely to be particularly relevant in such settings.
The aim of this project seminar is therefore to develop a better understanding of how informal communication can be fostered in virtual environments. The focus lies on the question of how informal virtual communication can be deliberately induced and experimentally investigated. Data collection will take place during the winter semester, while the summer semester will be used to develop the theoretical foundations, formulate hypotheses, and prepare the further procedure.
The project seminar will be offered in the summer semester 2026 as well as in the winter semester 2026/27.