Technology Affordances for Supporting Gradual Processes of Belonging in Remote Professional Contexts

In this paper, we focus on the processes with which belonging, through meaningful interpersonal connections, is created in online contexts and the technological affordances that enable such processes. In the physical domain, we take the gradual nature of friendship building for granted; people run into one another in the midst of their daily activities and through repeated opportune encounters they begin to form deeper ties. This is challenging in online environments, where interactions are predominantly intentional and designed. While the importance of making meaningful connections in professional contexts has been effectively linked to several positive outcomes, such as motivation, learning, innovation, sense of belonging and professional identity formation (e.g. Hughes 2007; Delahunty et al 2014; Shamsi et al., 2021), there is still little understanding of the gradual processes through which such connections are made - particularly in the context of remote work. In this paper, we highlight the importance of building affordances for casual, “low-stakes” encounters in online contexts and discuss the how to support gradual process of building belonging in remote contexts.