{
  "id": 12124732,
  "title": "Wharton researchers studied 760 employees—and found an inconvenient truth about remote work",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/wharton-researchers-studied-760-employees-and-found-an-inconvenient",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-05T09:07:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fortune",
    "slug": "fortune",
    "url": "https://fortune.com/2026/10/05/wharton-researchers-study-remote-work-effective-relational-capital/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent study by Wharton researchers reveals that remote work may weaken the crucial \"relational capital\" among employees, which includes knowing whom to ask for help, feeling comfortable doing so, and having colleagues willing to assist. Conducted by Professor Peter Cappelli and University of Texas at Austin communications professor Y. Jasmine Wu, the research involved interviews with 760 employees across a multinational financial services company in the U.S., U.K., and India.\n\nThe study found that while employees reported tasks and key performance indicators (KPIs) were getting done, helping colleagues and onboarding new hires proved challenging when personal relationships were not prioritized. With many employees working remotely, they found themselves putting their own work first, often leading to delayed responses from colleagues. Employees who reached out to familiar colleagues received help more quickly, while those who didn't form relationships struggled to receive assistance.\n\nThe researchers also discovered that larger virtual meetings, where participants had their cameras off and were multitasking, resulted in missed information and required follow-up meetings to clarify. This suggests that remote work may be making employees' workdays longer and more transactional. Despite concerns about the impact on women, minorities, and introverts, the study indicates that the shift to remote work can hinder the formation of relationships among employees, further emphasizing the need for a balanced approach to remote and in-person work.",
  "summary": "The office small talk you were glad to escape was doing a job—and remote work is wearing it down, a Wharton professor's study finds",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}