From words to connections: Word use similarity as an honest signal conducive to employees' digital communication
This research addresses how language choice can enhance digital communication and collaboration for employees and managers in organizational settings, though it is incremental in building on existing theories.
The study investigated whether word use similarity and similar social network positions drive employees' digital interactions, analyzing data from nearly 1600 employees in a company intranet forum. It found that word use similarity is the primary driver of interaction, significantly more than other language characteristics or network position similarity.
Bringing together considerations from three research trends (honest signals of collaboration, socio-semantic networks and homophily theory), we hypothesise that word use similarity and having similar social network positions are linked with the level of employees' digital interaction. To verify our hypothesis, we analyse the communication of close to 1600 employees, interacting on the intranet communication forum of a large company. We study their social dynamics and the 'honest signals' that, in past research, proved to be conducive to employees' engagement and collaboration. We find that word use similarity is the main driver of interaction, much more than other language characteristics or similarity in network position. Our results suggest carefully choosing the language according to the target audience and have practical implications for both company managers and online community administrators. Understanding how to better use language could, for example, support the development of knowledge sharing practices or internal communication campaigns.