CHAPTER 8
Isolation
Isolation and the VWE go hand in hand. The fact that a person works remote from their main work location is the basis for isolation. As discussed, these human perceptions are not by the very nature negative; however, left unrecognized or unattended, they can turn negative. Isolation is a prime example of this effect. When an individual is left alone, they can become isolated.
Isolation is about being alone, apart, and separated from others. The individual might lack a connection with others. Isolation for humans is based on the individual’s interpretation. How the individual interprets their sense of aloneness, connection, or attachment is critical to the level of isolation.
The fact of being separated is not by itself the perception of isolation, rather it is the individual’s sense associated with the separation that matters. Like trust, isolation works on a continuum, from high to low. A person can feel isolated even when they are physically next to others, just as a person who is distant from others can have no feeling of isolation.
In the VWE the aspect of isolation can be defined in terms of the individual’s sense of separation. If the individual feels separated and lonely, that will be interpreted as a high sense of isolation. This would be a score of 10 on the TIP scale.
It is reasonable to expect isolation is created by the structure of the VWE. The separation in terms of location needs to be managed so that the separation does not develop into a sense of high isolation, pulling the virtual worker into a negative perception. There are many studies on the effects of long-term isolation on people.1,2 These studies explore and explain the negative effects of isolation. These effects all tend to drive a person into a less productive individual for the group they are isolated from.
There are several forms of isolation that can arise in the VWE. There can be organizational isolation, which is twofold. As discussed, isolation is an individual’s interpretation, yet in organizational isolation, not only is the individual measuring their sense of connection to the organization but also how the organization interacts towards and with the individual. We saw how Samantha felt isolated and started to pull away from her company, and we also saw her company start to pull away from her. This began the death spiral that ended with Samantha losing her job.
Social isolation is another form of isolation that can occur with the VWE. In this form the virtual worker lacks the connection to the others by way of social interactions. The adage of “Out of site out of mind” is what I am addressing here. The more the colocated workers plan and do things together, the more the virtual worker feels socially isolated. The local norms and behaviors are not understood by the virtual worker, and therefore, the level of social isolation increases.
Finally, there is the form of individual isolation. This isolation is developed by the individual and how they interpret their connection to their surroundings. This relates to how an individual feels in terms of normalcy. When we feel isolated, we feel out of sorts; we lack the sense of normal. When we feel a lack of normalcy, we strive to find it however and wherever we can. Often this is by acting in a way that gives control back to ourselves (see the self-efficacy chapter). This, as we have discussed, is another spiral that spins to create more isolation. Individuals, by taking control of their surroundings, tend to pull away from others who they believe have isolated them. This loop or spiral often increases the effect of isolation rather than curbing the original effect of it.
The bottom line when it comes to isolation is that in any form it can create a negative result. That negative result creates autonomy. Increased autonomy is in fact the pulling away from the group and acting alone. Autonomy by itself is not bad as it can be very empowering; however, in a blended team, the results are team oriented and not necessarily individual based. This can cause a less than productive team and add stress to the overall team. Leaders need to be focused on the balance between empowered autonomy and the negative side of isolation. Isolation left unattended can cripple both the individual and the organization.
1House, J.S. 2001. “Social Isolation Kills But How and Why?” Psychosomatic Medicine 63 no. 2, pp. 273–276.
2DeVries, A.C., K. Karelina, J.S. Morris, G.J. Norman, H. Peng, and N. Zhang. 2009. “Social Isolation Alters Neurioninflammatory Response to Stroke.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 1, pp. 1–15.