Digital Communication in Office Workplaces: Tool Use, Perceptions, and Effects on Learning and Knowledge Sharing

• In Event: Current Perspectives on Workplace Learning in the Digital Age and Beyond

Abstract

This study investigates digital communication in office workplaces, focusing on tool use, perceptions, and impacts on informal learning and knowledge sharing. Through qualitative interviews with 43 employees from back-office departments, findings reveal that tools like Microsoft Teams and video-based platforms facilitate efficient communication and self-regulated learning. However, challenges include information overload and diminished opportunities for spontaneous, informal learning. The study highlights the dual nature of digital communication, offering both significant advantages for targeted communication and barriers to unplanned, incidental learning. Future analyses will explore the effects of team size and climate on digital communication's role in workplace learning, contributing to current research on informal learning in digital office environments.

Authors

• Andreas Rausch, University of Mannheim

• Alina Gierosz, University of Kassel

• Michael Goller, University of Kassel