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Would I lie to you?

Speaking to a work colleague face-to-face is more likely to encourage a truthful response than communicating with them by phone or e-mail.

This is the finding of research by Dr Sandi Mann and Ms Wincy Shek of the University of Central Lancashire, which will be presented on Thursday 11 January 2007, at the British Psychological Society’s Division of Occupational Psychology Annual Conference, which is taking place at the Bristol Marriott Hotel City Centre.

138 workplace communications were studied using a questionnaire to investigate the impact of communication medium (face-to-face, phone or e-mail) and the ‘closeness’ of the communicators, on the degree and type of deception occurring.

The overall aim of the research was to enhance understanding of when and how deception is most likely to occur in the workplace in order that organisations can be better equipped to manage it.

It was found that deception occurs in 15-33% of workplace communications with the most common forms of deception being distortion of information, withholding information, providing deliberately ambiguous information or changing the subject in order to deceive. In 15% of all communications, respondents admitted to actually lying.

Dr Mann said: "This study suggests that deception occurs frequently in everyday workplace communications. Some types of deception occur more frequently than others and managers and employees should be on their guard for these. Not only does deception occur less frequently in face-to-face interactions, but also when people are communicating with those that they feel closer to."

Ms Shek added: "Therefore managers may be wise to encourage team-building and bonding activities in order to develop psychological closeness between themselves and their subordinates and also within all employees."

Ref: PR1156