A Decline in Weak Ties in Remote Work
As we are starting to return to a sense of “normalcy”, that is, many of us having gotten COVID-19 already and masks no longer being required indoors most places, researchers are now able to collect data on the effect of remote work and in-person work on innovation. This source centers on an MIT study asking itself, “How did the pandemic-induced adoption of remote working affect our creativity and innovation on the job?” (Ratti). The study, which analyzed aspects of an email network consisting of 2,834 MIT research staff, faculty, and postdoctoral researchers for 18 months since the start of COVID-19 in December 2019, found that there was a significant decrease in communication between different research teams with the shift to remote work. They then discuss the topic of “ego networks”, which are essentially one’ own web of connections, becoming more inactive– people are not talking to and making as many connections (i.e, weak) as they would if they worked in person. The researchers hypothesized and found that co-location, or sharing a physical location, is crucial to fostering weak ties. Researchers had more chances to meet and connect with people outside of their normal circle or team when working in-person, whereas with working remotely, email communication was mainly limited to an individual’s own network, leading to a decrease in innovation and creativity. While many offices may be returning to in-person work, the question of remote or in-person work still lies in many young college graduates’ minds. Does hybrid work offer a good solution to this issue of stagnant innovation and people’s desire for a flexible work schedule? While I would prefer a routine that generally stays the same every workday, it is understandable why the study would suggest that hybrid work is the optimal solution, making it the “new normal” in today’s workspaces.
This material connects to the idea of the strength of weak ties which we discussed in class, following the example of how life-changing opportunities are more likely to come from acquaintances than from close friends. The presence of weak ties allows for the flow of new information that originated in one social circle, into another social circle. In the workplace such as a research center, more weak ties would therefore enable innovation and the spread of new ideas. The source also mentions the “cafeteria effect”, suggesting that a more open space would encourage people from diverse groups to connect. Although most of us college students were just in high school or just starting college during the pandemic, from our personal experiences, we probably did not make many new ties with people who were outside our social circle–this may not be the case for everyone, though, depending on how much they take advantage of social media networks.
Source: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/09/analysis-email-remote-work-innovation-covid-19/