Social Proximity and Interaction within the Corporate Structure

Some prominently observable cultural groups within iMediaChannel are based on the: physical location of workstations, frequency of travel, hobbies and interests (dieting, jogging, softball, baseball), shift preference (whether or not they prefer to come to stay at work after the standard work day), and career path (technical or human services). Some of these groups can be described as: former occupants of Building 5B, corporate events’ attendees, lunch-break joggers, Weight Watchers’ participants, softball enthusiasts, Red-Socks/baseball fans, people who get to work before 9am, people who stay at work after 6 pm, and people who interact with customers. These categories are evident on Monday mornings or on Friday afternoons when people talk about what they did during the weekend or how they intend to spend the weekend. These cultural groups are based on proximity factors that make their social realities similar, thus giving them common experiences that make them feel closer to each other. For example, event organizers and attendees may talk about their experiences at a past event. Someone who was not at the event will not identify with this group, and will be less likely to become a member.

The distinction between cultural groups and workplace identity groups becomes evident when co-workers interact outside the workplace. In such environments informal cultures assert themselves and membership to corporate identity groups is not emphasized. The following account illustrates this phenomenon: During a past iMediaChannel user training conference in Florida, members of the corporate marketing division were invited for a group dinner by the group’s vice-president. Initially, individuals interacted among themselves with respect to their roles and positions within the group’s hierarchy. The employees took their seats in the van in groups defined by their ranks, geographical location, job description and whether or not they had previously met. On arrival at the steakhouse, the group was introduced into the larger social setting that is made up of other cultural groups. Neither the staff at the restaurant nor the other diners understood the values of the iMediaChannel organization. The values of the general social culture were therefore adhered to and the formal iMediaChannel culture became secondary. The restaurant staff paid more attention to the older members of the group and they paid lesser attention to the vice-president because he is younger, relatively smaller in stature, and has a sense of humor that makes him identify with the younger and generally less influential members of informal society. As the group spent more time in the informal social setting, the formal iMediaChannel cultural structure was hardly in effect. Individuals that would rarely interact within the formal iMediaChannel structure were in conversation because they chose to temporarily ignore their workplace identities. On the return trip, the seating arrangement in the van was not based on the corporate identities, but more on the broader social roles and cultural groups. I was holding a discussion about ‘angus beef’ with an elderly editor of Australian origin who had spent his youth in Kenya, the vice-president was discussing the 2000 Florida election with a male software engineer from New York; whose father happens to be an army veteran; just like the vice-president’s father-in-law, and members of the Friday Ice cream group from concord were talking among themselves about desserts and Florida weather.