Face Time

Passive “face time” has been defined as “the amount of time one is passively observed (i.e., without any interpersonal interaction) at the work site,” according to K. D. Elsbach et al. For example, an office employee may be credited with passive face time if he is seen working at his desk as one walks by, or if she is noticed in a meeting by a co-worker. Passive face time may affect perceptions of professional employees and is important in the contexts of performance appraisal and alternative work arrangements. Recent research by Elsbach et al. has provided empirical insight about the forms and effects of passive face time on perceptions of professional workers.

Through a qualitative study of professional workers from a variety of firms, Elsbach et al. found that passive face time was perceived to exist in two distinct forms: expected face time and extracurricular face time. Expected face time involved being seen at work during normal business hours, whereas extracurricular face time involved being seen at work late at night, early in the morning, or on the weekends. In turn, Elsbach et al. found that these two types of passive face time led to two distinct perceptions of employees who exhibited them. Specifically, if an employee displayed expected passive facetime, observers perceived that employee as “dependable” and “reliable.” By contrast, if an employee displayed extracurricular face time, observers perceived that employee as “dedicated” and “committed.” Finally, Elsbach et al. found evidence that these perceptions were based on trait inferences (i.e., assignment of character traits to employees based on observed behavior rather than causal attributions (i.e., trait assignments based on explanations for why employees displayed face time). In a follow-up, experimental study, Elsbach et al. confirmed these findings. Further, they showed that the trait inferences made by observers of passive face time were made spontaneously (i.e., unconsciously, without intention or even awareness). Together, these findings suggest that passive face time may have important effects on perceptions of employees, even though most observers are unaware of these effects. Such perceptual influences may be especially important in the contexts of performance appraisal and alternative work arrangements.