Upward Influence Tactics in Virtual Work Settings

The globalization of work within organizations has generated a greater need for all type of workers to exert interpersonal influence through technology-mediated communication tools. This paper sheds light on the analysis of interpersonal relations in virtual environments from a specific perspective: the choice of upward influence tactics. We propose that virtual work settings may impact the upward influence tactic selected, as well as the communication medium used to enact it. In particular, we study whether the types of upward influence strategies found in presence environments, are relevant in a virtual work contexts. This research also analyzes the link between communication media and influence tactics used. Preliminary results using qualitative data from 14 interviewees suggest that 1) there is an influence tactic that is specific of virtual work relations, which may be called intermediation and consists of finding an intermediary that is well connected with the target and can help in defining the best approach by the agent; and 2) workers often split their influence attempts in a two-step strategy in order to achieve better results, using the capabilities of the media available for this purpose.