How Hybrid Work Shapes Communication Ties: The Role of Concern about Relationship Loss and Organizational Identification

Christian Tröster and Prisca Brosi

Journal of Management Studies, 2026, vol. 63, issue 6, 3532-3572

Abstract: The rapid shift to hybrid work settings has raised concerns about decreased workplace interactions and communication ties. Based on Need‐to‐Belong Theory, this study extends previous research by adopting the concept of ‘concern about relationship loss’ to explore when and how hybrid work leads to the retention of work‐related communication ties. Our research, comprising a quasi‐experimental study and a pre‐registered replication, both conducted in the US, shows that hybrid work increases worries about the potential loss of work‐related relationships (‘concern about relationship loss’). This concern prompts employees to engage in proactive interpersonal and organizational citizenship behaviours (OCBs), but only when organizational identification is high. Notably, the impact of hybrid work and organizational identification is more pronounced for retaining existing communication ties than for losing or forming new ones. Our findings underscore the need to differentiate between concerns about relationship loss and actual isolation. They also emphasize the active role of employees in maintaining communication ties, highlighting the importance of organizational identification and OCBs. This study extends the conventional view of hybrid workers as passive towards a more dynamic understanding of how employees navigate work‐related communication challenges in hybrid work settings.

Date: 2026
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