Time-Wasting or Work Facilitator? An Investigation of Small Talk in Academic Workplace

Small talk is widespread in workplace communication. Evolved from phatic communication, small talk is not task/work-orientated; instead, it encompasses social talk (e.g., cultural activities) and phatic communication (e.g., greetings) (Holmes, 2014). Despite some people regard it as a waste of time, an increasing number of studies have revealed its constructive functions in terms of relationship management, socialization, integration, knowledge sharing, and so on. Small talk in academic institutions is slightly different from the majority of organizations. Academic staff have individualized schedules (e.g., research, teaching, meeting, supervision), varied research interests and fields of expertise, flexible working time, and multicultural backgrounds. That is to say, opportunities to carry out small talk with colleagues are limited, and the extent and duration of small talk are subject to research areas and(or) backgrounds. What functions does small talk play in academic institutions for academic staff, and how do they perceive small talk in workplace remains unclear. To address these concerns and obtain an in-depth understanding of this topic, a semi-structured interview approach is applied. Considering Hong Kong is a global city and academic institutions in HK are international, it is believed that taking HK as a case is representative to a large degree. Therefore, 15 academic staff (professors, postdocs, and research assistants) from universities in Hong Kong are invited based on purposive sampling for interviews. This study not only provides a new perspective (academia) to interpret small talk in workplace, but also offers insights for academic staff who caring their daily communication with colleagues.