Ever been caught in the middle of workplace drama where people who normally avoid each other suddenly band together? Maybe it happened after a round of surprise layoffs or when a beloved boss got fired. A new international study shows this isn’t just random office politics; it’s actually a powerful psychological phenomenon that can transform how different departments work together.
The study, published in the Journal of Management Studies, is based on data that researchers gathered from years of studying a South Korean broadcasting company. They found that when management started firing union leaders during a labor dispute, employees from completely different departments, who typically avoided or even disliked each other, suddenly started coordinating like never before. The secret ingredient? Shared memories of what they’d been through together.
“Once there was a common word called strike, we started to speak a common language,” says one administrator, in a statement.
And these findings aren’t limited to high-stakes situations. Even something as simple as grabbing pizza with colleagues could help form those crucial shared memories.
How Workplace Divisions Form
Think about a typical workplace. Accounting probably keeps to themselves, marketing has their own lingo, and IT seems to operate in a different universe altogether. These divides aren’t just about different job descriptions; they’re rooted in how each group remembers its place in the company’s history.
At the broadcasting company, reporters saw themselves as the heroic founders who had protected the organization through difficult times. Meanwhile, engineers, producers, and administrators remembered being treated as second-class citizens by those same reporters. One technician put it bluntly: “When I hear ‘techies are also journalists,’ it doesn’t really sink in.” He explained that during previous company protests, “it’s the journalists on TV at the center of the frame. We were in the background.”
These competing memories initially made cooperation impossible. When reporters first tried to rally other departments to their cause, they hit a wall of resistance. One producer summed up the feeling: “They’ve made their bed, now lie in it.”
The Power of Shared Experience
The turning point came when reporters realized they couldn’t succeed alone. They started acknowledging the importance of other departments and promising to stand with them.
This strategy got people in the door, but what really transformed the situation was when management fired union leaders from different departments. Suddenly, everyone had a powerful shared experience, a memory they all participated in together.
With this shared memory as their foundation, the different groups started actually working together. Entertainment producers created eye-catching flash mobs and YouTube content. Reporters brought in influential figures to join rallies. Engineers showed up in numbers to fill demonstration spaces.
Source: https://studyfinds.org/workplace-drama-bring-people-closer/
