Topic: Beyond Physical Co-Location: Daily Relational Mechanisms in Hybrid Work

Time: 14:00-15:30, Tuesday, May 26, 2026

Venue: GuoShun Campus, Room 410, Starr Building

Speaker: Assistant Professor SinHui Chong, Nanyang Technological University

Host: Associate Professor Zhiyu Feng

Abstract:

Hybrid work, in which employees work in the office on some days and remotely on others, has become a common workplace arrangement. However, its influence on workplace interactions remains insufficiently understood. This talk examines how daily work location shapes these interactions, particularly for newer employees.

Drawing on copresence theory, the speaker and her coauthor investigate whether working in the office increases coworker knowledge-sharing and whether such knowledge-sharing, in turn, positively predicts perceived insider status and job performance. The study combines a ten-day experience-sampling design with a vignette experiment, incorporating both employee and coworker perspectives.

The findings show that daily work location affects relational mechanisms and performance differently for newer versus more experienced employees, regardless of where coworkers are located. The study highlights the relational symbolism of working in the office beyond simple physical co-location and clarifies how knowledge-sharing processes operate differently in office and remote environments.

Toward the end of the talk, the speaker will also briefly introduce several ongoing research projects related to family-friendly workplace policies, including hybrid work arrangements and parental or caregiving leave programs.

Bio:

SinHui Chong is an Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior at Nanyang Technological University. Her current research examines how individuals navigate professional and personal identities to regulate performance and well-being across different life domains, as well as how organizational and cultural factors shape these processes.

She received her PhD and MA in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Michigan State University and earned dual bachelor's degrees from Singapore Management University. Her work has been published in leading journals including the Journal of Applied Psychology, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes (OBHDP), and Personnel Psychology. She also received the 2024 Best Editorial Board Reviewer Award from the Journal of Applied Psychology.