O’ Coworker, Who Art Thou? The Conundrum of Not Knowing Who Is or Is Not One’s Coworker and a Preliminary Definition

Journal article

Kiewitz, Christian, Zagenczyk, Thomas J., Shoss, Mindy and Cruz, Kevin S.. (2023). O’ Coworker, Who Art Thou? The Conundrum of Not Knowing Who Is or Is Not One’s Coworker and a Preliminary Definition. Group and Organization Management. pp. 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1177/10596011231207733
AuthorsKiewitz, Christian, Zagenczyk, Thomas J., Shoss, Mindy and Cruz, Kevin S.
Abstract

The management field does not possess a clear definition of what makes someone a coworker. What? Yes, you read that correctly, my dear “research mate,” “peer author,” and “some colleague you are.” Several years ago, a coworking author of this GOMusing looked for an agreed-upon, validated coworker definition in the organizational sciences while cowriting a piece on coworkers behaving badly (Robinson et al., 2014). To everyone’s surprise, none was to be found. Laboring under time pressure back then, we did not pursue the matter. Yet, we kept wondering who those mystical creatures called our coworkers really are and where they dwell.

Keywordscoworkers; definition; network ties; workflow; interdependency; social networks; coworker support; supervisor support
Year01 Jan 2023
JournalGroup and Organization Management
Journal citationpp. 1-11
PublisherSage Publications, Inc. (US)
ISSN1552-3993
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1177/10596011231207733
Web address (URL)https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10596011231207733
Open accessOpen access
Research or scholarlyResearch
Page range1-11
Publisher's version
License
File Access Level
Open
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online17 Oct 2023
Publication process dates
Accepted14 Sep 2023
Deposited13 Nov 2024
Additional information

© The Author(s) 2023.

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the Sage and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
Request permissions for this article

Place of publicationUnited States
Permalink -

https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/910xq/o-coworker-who-art-thou-the-conundrum-of-not-knowing-who-is-or-is-not-one-s-coworker-and-a-preliminary-definition

Log in to edit

Download files

Publisher's version
OA_Shoss_2023_O_coworker_who_art_thou_the.pdf
License: CC BY-NC 4.0
File access level: Open

  • 0
    total views
  • 0
    total downloads
  • 0
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month
These values are for the period from 19th October 2020, when this repository was created.

Export as

Related outputs

Wearables for well - being : A longitudinal in situ study of smartwatches to understand and enhance line-level housekeeping work
Necaise, Aaron, Mejia, Cynthia, Kider, Joseph T., Shoss, Mindy and Amon, Mary Jean. (2024). Wearables for well - being : A longitudinal in situ study of smartwatches to understand and enhance line-level housekeeping work. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction. pp. 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2024.2313887
Employees as a Source of Security Issues in Times of Change and Stress : A Longitudinal Examination of Employees’ Security Violations during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Posey, Clay and Shoss, Mindy. (2023). Employees as a Source of Security Issues in Times of Change and Stress : A Longitudinal Examination of Employees’ Security Violations during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Business and Psychology. pp. 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-023-09917-4
Risking one's life to save one's livelihood : Precarious work, presenteeism, and worry about disease exposure during the COVID-19 pandemic
Shoss, Mindy, Min, Hanyi, Horan, Kristin A., Schlotzhauer, Ann E., Nigam, Jeannie A S and Swanson, Naomi G.. (2023). Risking one's life to save one's livelihood : Precarious work, presenteeism, and worry about disease exposure during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. 28(6), pp. 363-379. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000366
A Process Perspective on Adaptive Performance : Research Insights and New Directions
Jundt, Dustin K. and Shoss, Mindy. (2023). A Process Perspective on Adaptive Performance : Research Insights and New Directions. Group and Organization Management. 48(2), pp. 405-435. https://doi.org/10.1177/10596011231161404
How national culture shapes employee reactions to job insecurity : The role of national corruption
Xu, Xiaohong, Jiang, Lixin, Probst, Tahira, Shoss, Mindy and Jalil, Daroon. (2023). How national culture shapes employee reactions to job insecurity : The role of national corruption. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology. 32(1), pp. 60-78. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2022.2090344
The job insecurity of others : On the role of perceived national job insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic
Shoss, Mindy, Van Hootegem, Anahí, Selenko, Eva and De Witte, Hans. (2023). The job insecurity of others : On the role of perceived national job insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Economic and Industrial Democracy. 44(2), pp. 385-409. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143831X221076176
Are robots / AI viewed as more of a workforce threat in unequal societies? Evidence from the Eurobarometer survey
Shoss, Mindy K. and Ciarlante, Katherine. (2022). Are robots / AI viewed as more of a workforce threat in unequal societies? Evidence from the Eurobarometer survey. Technology, Mind, and Behavior. 3(2), pp. 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1037/tmb0000078
We should also aim higher : I-O psychology applied to sustainable growth and development
Shoss, Mindy and Foster, Lori. (2022). We should also aim higher : I-O psychology applied to sustainable growth and development. Industrial and Organizational Psychology. 15(3), pp. 436-440. https://doi.org/10.1017/iop.2022.47
Essential service worker valorization : A deonance perspective
Horan, Kristin, Beltramo, Jenna M. D., Mejia, Cynthia and Shoss, Mindy K.. (2022). Essential service worker valorization : A deonance perspective. Current Issues in Tourism. 26(16), pp. 2582-2594. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2022.2090909
Working hard or hardly working? An examination of job preservation responses to job insecurity
Shoss, Mindy K., Su, Shiyang, Schlotzhauer, Ann E. and Carusone, Nicole. (2022). Working hard or hardly working? An examination of job preservation responses to job insecurity. Journal of Management. 49(7), pp. 2387-2414. https://doi.org/10.1177/01492063221107877
Artificial intelligence and the future of work : A functional-identity perspective
Selenko, Eva, Bankins, Sarah, Shoss, Mindy, Warburton, Joel and Restubog, Simon Lloyd D.. (2022). Artificial intelligence and the future of work : A functional-identity perspective. Current Directions in Psychological Science. 31(3), pp. 272-279. https://doi.org/10.1177/09637214221091823
Archival data sets should not be a secondary (or even last) choice in micro-organizational research
Kessler, Stacey and Shoss, Mindy. (2022). Archival data sets should not be a secondary (or even last) choice in micro-organizational research. Group and Organization Management. 47(5), pp. 907-919. https://doi.org/10.1177/10596011221112521
From speculation to substantiation : Empirically-testing societal changes in impact of fit on job satisfaction from 1989, 1998, 2006, and 2016
Shoss, Mindy K. and Reynolds Kueny, Clair. (2022). From speculation to substantiation : Empirically-testing societal changes in impact of fit on job satisfaction from 1989, 1998, 2006, and 2016. Group and Organization Management. 47(6), pp. 1181-1217. https://doi.org/10.1177/10596011211058545
Sensemaking and negative emotion sharing : Perceived listener reactions as interpersonal cues driving workplace outcomes
Reynolds Kueny, Clair A. and Shoss, Mindy K.. (2021). Sensemaking and negative emotion sharing : Perceived listener reactions as interpersonal cues driving workplace outcomes. Journal of Business and Psychology. 36(3), pp. 461-478. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-020-09686-4
Stigma & dirty work : In-group and out-group perceptions of essential service workers during COVID-19
Mejia, Cynthia, Pittman, Rebecca, Beltramo, Jenna M. D., Horan, Kristin A., Grinley, Amanda and Shoss, Mindy K.. (2021). Stigma & dirty work : In-group and out-group perceptions of essential service workers during COVID-19. International Journal of Hospitality Management. 93, p. Article 102772. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102772
The relationship between stressors of temporary work and counterproductive work behaviour
Striler, Jamie, Shoss, Mindy and Jex, Steve. (2021). The relationship between stressors of temporary work and counterproductive work behaviour. Stress and Health. 37(2), pp. 329-340. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.2998
Pandemics : Implications for research and practice in industrial and organizational psychology
Rudolph, Cort W., Allan, Blake, Clark, Malissa, Hertel, Guido, Hirschi, Andreas, Kunze, Florian, Shockley, Kristen, Shoss, Mindy, Sonnentag, Sabine and Zacher, Hannes. (2021). Pandemics : Implications for research and practice in industrial and organizational psychology. Industrial and Organizational Psychology. 14(1-2), pp. 1-35. https://doi.org/10.1017/iop.2020.48
Coping with organizational layoffs : Managers’ increased active listening reduces job insecurity via perceived situational control
Kriz, Tiffany D., Jolly, Phillip M. and Shoss, Mindy. (2021). Coping with organizational layoffs : Managers’ increased active listening reduces job insecurity via perceived situational control. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. 26(5), pp. 448-458. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000295
The conflicting impact of COVID-19’s health and economic crises on helping
Shoss, Mindy, Horan, Kristin A., DiStaso, Michael, LeNoble, Chelsea A. and Naranjo, Anthony. (2021). The conflicting impact of COVID-19’s health and economic crises on helping. Group and Organization Management. 46(1), pp. 3-37. https://doi.org/10.1177/1059601120968704
Using machine learning to investigate the public's emotional responses to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic
Min, Hanyi, Peng, Yisheng, Shoss, Mindy and Yang, Baojiang. (2021). Using machine learning to investigate the public's emotional responses to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Applied Psychology. 106(2), pp. 214-229. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000886
Has the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the future of work or changed its course? Implications for research and practice
Ng, Matthew A., Naranjo, Anthony, Schlotzhauer, Ann E., Shoss, Mindy K., Kartvelishvili, Nika, Bartek, Matthew, Ingraham, Kenneth, Rodriguez, Alexis, Schneider, Sara Kira, Silverlieb-Seltzer, Lauren and Silva, Carolina. (2021). Has the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the future of work or changed its course? Implications for research and practice. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 18(19), p. Article 10199. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910199
Sometimes it’s personal : Differential outcomes of person vs. job at risk threats to job security
Carusone, Nicole, Pittman, Rebecca and Shoss, Mindy. (2021). Sometimes it’s personal : Differential outcomes of person vs. job at risk threats to job security. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 18(14), p. Article 7379. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18147379
When minor insecurities project large shadows : A profile analysis of cognitive and affective job insecurity
Naranjo, Anthony, Shoss, Mindy, Gebben, Alissa, DiStaso, Michael and Su, Shiyang. (2021). When minor insecurities project large shadows : A profile analysis of cognitive and affective job insecurity. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. 26(5), pp. 421-436. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000294
The benefits of individual proactive and adaptive performance : An organizational learning perspective
Shoss, Mindy, Kueny, Clair Reynolds and Jundt, Dustin K.. (2020). The benefits of individual proactive and adaptive performance : An organizational learning perspective. In Handbook of Research on Stress and Well-Being in the Public Sector pp. 200-215 Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788970358.00023
When do job insecure employees adapt to change?
Lavigne, Kristi N., Whitaker, Victoria L., Jundt, Dustin K. and Shoss, Mindy K.. (2020). When do job insecure employees adapt to change? Career Development International. 25(3), pp. 271-286. https://doi.org/10.1108/CDI-03-2019-0083
Looking forward : How anticipated workload change influences the present workload–emotional strain relationship
DiStaso, Michael and Shoss, Mindy K.. (2020). Looking forward : How anticipated workload change influences the present workload–emotional strain relationship. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. 25(6), pp. 401-409. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000261
Ripple effects of supervisor counterproductive work behavior directed at the organization : Using affective events theory to predict subordinates’ decisions to enact CWB
Reynolds Kueny, Clair A., Frankca, Ellen, Shoss, Mindy K., Headrick, Lucille and Erb, Kaitlyn. (2020). Ripple effects of supervisor counterproductive work behavior directed at the organization : Using affective events theory to predict subordinates’ decisions to enact CWB. Human Performance. 33(5), pp. 355-377. https://doi.org/10.1080/08959285.2020.1791871
A business frame perspective on why perceptions of top management's bottom-line mentality result in employees’ good and bad behaviors
Babalola, Mayowa, Greenbaum, Rebecca L., Amarnani, Rajiv, Shoss, Mindy, Deng, Yingli, Garba, Omale A. and Guo, Liang. (2020). A business frame perspective on why perceptions of top management's bottom-line mentality result in employees’ good and bad behaviors. Personnel Psychology. 73(1), pp. 19-41. https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12355
Emotions running high : Examining the effects of supervisor and subordinate emotional stability on emotional exhaustion
David, Emily M., Shoss, Mindy K., Johnson, Lars U. and Alan Witt, L.. (2020). Emotions running high : Examining the effects of supervisor and subordinate emotional stability on emotional exhaustion. Journal of Research in Personality. 84, p. Article 103885. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2019.103885
The joint importance of secure and satisfying work : Insights from three studies
Shoss, Mindy K., Brummel, Bradley J., Probst, Tahira M. and Jiang, Lixin. (2020). The joint importance of secure and satisfying work : Insights from three studies. Journal of Business and Psychology. 35(3), pp. 297-316. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-019-09627-w
Appraisal of economic crisis, psychological distress, and work-unit absenteeism : A 1-1-2 model
Montani, Francesco, Leon-Perez, Jose M., Giorgi, Gabriele and Shoss, Mindy K.. (2020). Appraisal of economic crisis, psychological distress, and work-unit absenteeism : A 1-1-2 model. Journal of Business and Psychology. 35(5), pp. 609-620. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-019-09643-w
Is the employee-organization relationship dying or thriving? A temporal meta-analysis
Eisenberger, Robert, Rockstuhl, Thomas, Shoss, Mindy K., Wen, Xueqi and Dulebohn, James. (2019). Is the employee-organization relationship dying or thriving? A temporal meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology. 104(8), pp. 1036-1057. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000390
Initiative in a social context : Interpersonal outcomes of interdependent proactive behaviour
Reynolds Kueny, Clair A., Jundt, Dustin K. and Shoss, Mindy K.. (2019). Initiative in a social context : Interpersonal outcomes of interdependent proactive behaviour. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology. 28(5), pp. 669-681. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2019.1634054
The psychological interaction of spam email features
Williams, Sarah E., Sarno, Dawn M., Lewis, Joanna E., Shoss, Mindy, Neider, Mark B. and Bohil, Corey J.. (2019). The psychological interaction of spam email features. Ergonomics. 62(8), pp. 983-994. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2019.1614681
Perceptual representation of spam and phishing emails
Patel, Pooja, Sarno, Dawn M., Lewis, Joanna E., Shoss, Mindy, Neider, Mark B. and Bohil, Corey J.. (2019). Perceptual representation of spam and phishing emails. Applied Cognitive Psychology. 33(6), pp. 1296-1304. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.3594
Job insecurity : An integrative review and agenda for future research
Shoss, Mindy K.. (2017). Job insecurity : An integrative review and agenda for future research. Journal of Management. 43(6), pp. 1911-1939. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206317691574
Getting what you want : How fit between desired and received leader sensitivity influences emotion and Counterproductive work behavior
Rupprecht, Elizabeth A., Kueny, Clair Reynolds, Shoss, Mindy and Metzger, Andrew J.. (2016). Getting what you want : How fit between desired and received leader sensitivity influences emotion and Counterproductive work behavior. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. 21(4), pp. 443-454. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0040074