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Behavioral Sciences
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Emerging Outlooks on Relationships in the Workplace
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Emerging Outlooks on Relationships in the Workplace

A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X). This special issue belongs to the section "Organizational Behaviors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 6899

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Steve Duck

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Communication Studies, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242-1498, USA
Interests: personal relationships, especially processes of acquaintance and processes of dissolution of relationships; rhetoric in everyday life
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Emerging from a successful Special Issue on the study of workplace behavior was the congruence of novel approaches from several different academic areas regarding the centrality of harmonious workplace relationships in a variety of aspects of life. Also developing is a clearer understanding of what makes such relationships hostile, painful, demeaning and punishing, whether during COVID-19 or as a result of the changes associated with new conceptions of the workplace in the modern world. Accordingly, this second Special Issue welcomes the variety of perspectives that makes research on workplace relationships such a rich and fertile basis for study, with long-term valuable practical effects.  

By emphasisingthe contributions being made on this topic that we may not otherwise focus upon, this Special Issue aims both to respect the contributions that are being made in each subsection of the field and challenge each subsection to consider the findings and perspectives that have been contributed by others from different vantage points. The intention is to create a scholarly platform that enables us to understand workplaces that promote healthy and profitable relationships and avoid the negative effects of imminent changes to the nature of the workplace.

The first Special Issue confirmed that acacdemic work is all the more constructive when we collaborate with others and throw our collective granular achievements into a common grain store from which later scholars can draw. This creates more confidence as the overall picture is not simply generated by single individual scholars, but as a collective activity drawn from many different starting points and methodologies.

I welcome contributions from scholars with an interest in this topic from whichever discipline or perspective they begin. The ultimate purpose of this Special Issue is to generate and enliven scholarship regarding workplace relationships with the hope of generating new connections and collaborations between scholars who can see the benefits of collaborative and integrative work.

Prof. Dr. Steve Duck
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Behavioral Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • workplace relationships
  • success at work
  • workplace stress
  • working and COVID-19
  • workplace disrespect
  • workplace bullying
  • workplace productivity
  • working from home
  • organizational communication
  • supervisor–subordinate, peer, friendship, and romantic workplace relationships
  • workplace geography
  • working from home
  • communication competency
  • job insecurity
  • military transition to civilian workplace

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 1134 KiB  
Article
Emotional Valence, Interdependence, and Job Autonomy as Predictors of Creativity Through Perspective-Taking: An Integrative Model
by Kyueun Han and You Jin Kim
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(3), 284; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15030284 - 28 Feb 2025
Viewed by 661
Abstract
This study examines the underexplored intersection of emotional valence and perspective-taking in workplace creativity, and how job characteristics like interdependence and autonomy moderate these relationships. Participants (N = 307; 41% women) recruited through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk platform and employed across various U.S. [...] Read more.
This study examines the underexplored intersection of emotional valence and perspective-taking in workplace creativity, and how job characteristics like interdependence and autonomy moderate these relationships. Participants (N = 307; 41% women) recruited through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk platform and employed across various U.S. companies completed an experimental study where they were randomly assigned to recall either positive or negative workplace relationships. Through this manipulation, the participants identified specific colleagues with whom they had direct working experience and reported their emotional valence toward these relationships before completing questionnaires on perspective-taking, creativity, autonomy, and interdependence. Integrating emotional valence and perspective-taking into a moderated mediation model yielded insights into how these variables shape creativity within organizations. The findings demonstrate that positive emotional states significantly enhance creativity through perspective-taking, especially in environments that promote collaboration and independent decision-making. This research broadens workplace dynamics by illuminating the roles of emotional and contextual factors in fostering creativity. It provides practical implications for organizations, recommending positive emotional climates and roles that balance interdependence with autonomy to maximize employee creativity. This study’s comprehensive approach provides a holistic understanding of conditions that foster creativity in organizational environments, expanding on existing frameworks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Outlooks on Relationships in the Workplace)
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16 pages, 1091 KiB  
Article
Psychological Fatigue or Satisfaction? The Impact of Online Office App Use on Job Performance: Differentiating Work-Related and Non-Work-Related Contexts
by Huichuan Zhang, He Di, Mingzheng Liu and Jiaji An
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(3), 283; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15030283 - 28 Feb 2025
Viewed by 710
Abstract
Media psychological fatigue, a common negative behavior among employees using online office applications (apps), has a significant impact on job satisfaction and performance. This study explores the influence of online office app use on job performance, differentiating between work-related and non-work-related contexts, based [...] Read more.
Media psychological fatigue, a common negative behavior among employees using online office applications (apps), has a significant impact on job satisfaction and performance. This study explores the influence of online office app use on job performance, differentiating between work-related and non-work-related contexts, based on the Uses and Gratifications Theory and the Stimulus–Organism–Response Theory. Data were collected from 418 employees in 11 enterprises in mainland China through random sampling. Harman’s single-factor test was utilized to evaluate common method bias. Regression analysis, bootstrap tests, and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to analyze variable relationships and mediating effects. The results showed that work-related online office app use did not cause psychological fatigue or satisfaction, non-work-related app use enhanced job performance by improving job satisfaction, media psychological fatigue negatively affected job satisfaction and performance, psychological fatigue partially mediated the relationship between app use and job performance, and job satisfaction was essential for alleviating work-related fatigue and facilitating non-work-related use. This research emphasizes the dual influence of online office app use on employee perceptions and performance. Enterprises should focus on work-related app functions and foster a positive social environment with entertainment elements to encourage non-work-related use, reducing psychological fatigue and enhancing job satisfaction and performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Outlooks on Relationships in the Workplace)
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14 pages, 658 KiB  
Article
Emotional Intelligence and Workplace Spirituality in Predicting Career Success of High-Tech Leaders
by Shwu-Ming Wu
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(11), 1009; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14111009 - 30 Oct 2024
Viewed by 2324
Abstract
In the highly competitive environment of the high-tech industry, leadership roles are often filled with numerous challenges and stressors. Success in the workforce requires a combination of high emotional intelligence and a connection to workplace spirituality. This study aimed to compare demographic differences [...] Read more.
In the highly competitive environment of the high-tech industry, leadership roles are often filled with numerous challenges and stressors. Success in the workforce requires a combination of high emotional intelligence and a connection to workplace spirituality. This study aimed to compare demographic differences among high-tech leaders regarding emotional intelligence, workplace spirituality, and career success. It also sought to examine the relationships and effects of emotional intelligence and workplace spirituality on career success, as well as the moderating role of workplace spirituality in these relationships. A survey was conducted with 139 leaders from various high-tech companies in Taiwan. The results showed that male leaders demonstrated higher levels of self-awareness and self-motivation in emotional intelligence, while leaders with higher education levels exhibited greater self-awareness and empathy. Additionally, both emotional intelligence and workplace spirituality were significant predictors of career success. Notably, workplace spirituality moderated the relationship between emotional intelligence and career success. The implications of this study highlight the importance of enhancing emotional intelligence and workplace spirituality to foster leaders’ career success and gain a competitive advantage in the high-tech industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Outlooks on Relationships in the Workplace)
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16 pages, 7842 KiB  
Article
Impact of Relational Coordination on Job Satisfaction and Willingness to Stay: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Healthcare Professionals in South Tyrol, Italy
by Christian J. Wiedermann, Verena Barbieri, Adolf Engl and Giuliano Piccoliori
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(5), 397; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14050397 - 10 May 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2077
Abstract
Job satisfaction and willingness to stay are critical for workforce stability in a challenging healthcare environment. This study examined how relational coordination, a key factor in teamwork and communication, influences outcomes among healthcare professionals in a bilingual, culturally mixed region of Italy. This [...] Read more.
Job satisfaction and willingness to stay are critical for workforce stability in a challenging healthcare environment. This study examined how relational coordination, a key factor in teamwork and communication, influences outcomes among healthcare professionals in a bilingual, culturally mixed region of Italy. This cross-sectional survey included general practitioners, hospital physicians, nurses, and administrators from the South Tyrol Health Service, using the ‘Relational Coordination Survey’ and additional measures of job satisfaction and willingness to stay. The analytical methods used included descriptive statistics, correlations, and regression analyses. This study applied path analysis, including mediation and moderation techniques, to investigate the roles of relational coordination and job satisfaction in influencing the willingness to stay. It employs Conditional Process Analysis with the PROCESS macro in SPSS, focusing on models for moderated mediation analysis. The results indicated a critical influence of relational coordination on both job satisfaction and willingness to stay among the 525 healthcare professionals. Job satisfaction varied by health district and years of service, with midcareer professionals being the least satisfied. The findings highlight the central role of relational coordination in job satisfaction and willingness to stay and confirm that low job satisfaction increases turnover intentions. Relational coordination directly enhanced job satisfaction and willingness to stay, while also serving as a mediating factor that amplifies the impact of job satisfaction on retention intentions. This study reinforces the need for strong teamwork and communication to stabilize the healthcare workforce. Targeted interventions aimed at improving relational coordination could significantly enhance job satisfaction and retention among healthcare professionals, particularly in culturally diverse settings such as South Tyrol. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Outlooks on Relationships in the Workplace)
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