What Others Say

Transitioning to a new job inescapably raises the challenge of navigating rapport building and communication in a new community. The topic of newcomers to a workplace building connections and navigating communication has been growing attention academically. As Mak & Chui (2013) pointed out, newcomers inevitably have to make an effort to build rapport in a new environment and culture. Likewise, Holmes, Marra, & Kidner' (2016) addressed the challenges of transitioning between workplaces through linguistic lenses. Besides that, language and culture play an essential role in making rapport-building even harder for newcomers. For instance, Roberts (2010) considered language (for non-native speakers) and culture a unique lens to learn intercultural communication while navigating rapport building in a new working environment. Besides, Scott, Doe, & Cheng (2020) emphasize English as an additional language

as one of the factors hindering workplace communication with non-native-English-speaker newcomers.

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Though some studies have shown assurance for challenges of rapport building in a new workplace, more exploration of the possible difficulties ought to be investigated. Holmes, Marra, & Kidner (2016) maintained that while most research focuses on macro-level sociocultural effects of working environment transition, their study looks through micro-level discourse to reveal "conflicting societal norms and sociocultural practices which must be managed in these contexts (p.122)." Correspondingly, Roberts (2010) underscored "word order" and "wordforce," addressing the significance of language in successful rapport-building in a new workspace.

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Research about online communication in workspaces predominantly centers around the challenges yielded by virtual tools and the comparison between online & offline communication. While virtual communication has its pros and cons, I believe that it adds more hardships for newcomers to steering the rapport establishment due to the distances and aloofness. Nevertheless, comprehensive knowledge of online communication would benefit both managers' and employees' productivity and effectiveness. Based on the analysis of discursive methods employees and staff members used to improve cooperation and cultivate organizational culture, Erika & Cristina (2019) concluded their studies with constructive suggestions for effective virtual communication at work. While Nguyen & Fussell (2016) highlighted linguistic features of online communication, some additional studies contributed with comparisons between virtual and in-person communication in a professional setting.

Further, online communications vary from emailing, texting, and video conferences to voice calls. As Storrer (2017) pointed out, choosing the right e-communication tools aligned with the communicative goals is essential. Also, while addressing the difference between online and offline discourse, Roberson (2004) explicitly compares verbal and email responses regarding efficiency, suitability, effectiveness, functionality, and communicative dynamic. He points out that emails work better than in-person communication when it comes to the effectiveness of conveying information and time-saving. That is to say - we should look at online communication with objectivity instead of a black-and-white view.

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Though there are studies on newcomers to a workplace navigating rapport building through discursive approaches and virtual communication in general, research combining the two topics is rare. Previous research on navigating rapport building in new jobs offers insights into the overall challenges. Nevertheless, it allows me to explore the unknown when two transitions happen simultaneously - from in-person to virtual, old to new workplaces. The questions will not only be about how the transition challenges newcomers and how virtuality adds hurdles to rapport building in a new environment.