Breakdown in communication
People can have difficulty communication with other employees of higher job status. This “social distance” may affect how openly employees speak about their work. People of the same rank may talk frankly to one another about how things are going. However, they may be less honest with someone higher up in the hierarchy – for fear of prejudicing their position in the company. For this reason employees often “filter” information. They alter the facts to tell the boss what s/he wants to hear. One way of reducing social distance is to cut down the ways in which employees can indicate higher status. In Japanese companies, for example; it is usual for all staff to wear the same uniform. Many companies have a common dining area for all staff.